Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter March 2017

Patron: James Brokenshire (MP for Old Bexley & Sidcup) Chairman: Dana Wiffen – Vice Chairman: Grant Murrell Secretary: Claire Tack - Newsletter Editor: Pam Bartle

Telephone Office: 0208 284 5537 or Email us bexwatch-office@btconnect.com Follow us on TWITTER: @BexleyNWatch or WEBSITE: bexleywatch.org.uk Facebook : https://facebook.com/bexley.watch

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HOW ABOUT WE ALL MAKE A RESOLUTION TO KEEP SAFE BY

DOING A FEW SIMPLE THINGS TO START THE YEAR OFF

• Change your login passwords and update

your security on your laptop or PC. • Put a light on a timer to come on when you

go out at night. • Check your carbon monoxide alarms and

fire alarms are in full working order. • Double check your locks and make sure that

your doors and windows are locked at night before you go to bed.

These are some of the simplest – but most important – things you can do this year to stay safe. Crime might be down in your Ward, but don’t rest on your laurels! Surprisingly, some home security surveys revealed that almost half of UK householders don’t routinely lock their front door when they leave their home or go to bed. As a member of Neighbourhood Watch, you’re already security-savvy when it comes to protecting your own property – but you can always do more – call it belts and braces, or going the extra security mile, these simple tips will ensure that any chance burglar will give your property a wide berth! Burglary types are changing all the time – we recently heard about an elderly lady who was duped into thinking she had a visit from the water company, but while he distracted her an accomplice ransacked her house, stealing precious belongings and cash. If you have a neighbour or family member, talk to your local Master Locksmiths Association about installing additional security measures, things like a door intercom will give peace of mind knowing they can check who’s at the door before opening it.

Cont’d next column…..

Copycat keys! An ERA home security survey revealed that we all have multiple keys, with not many of us even knowing how many of our house keys are in circulation. If you’ve moved into your property in the last few months – change your locks – past cleaners, gardeners, next-door neighbours might all have access to your house without you even realizing it

CAR PARKED OR ABANDONED? If you have concerns about some vehicles parked on your road or area, help may be found on the following websites. Bexley Council website: http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/20306/Request-parking-enforcement Registration check: https://www.gov.uk/check-vehicle-tax If the vehicle is taxed and MOT’d there is little that can be done by the police. However you can contact the SNT and ask them if it had been reported as stolen, and in some appropriate cases it can be removed within days.

Bexley Mayors-Project We all know that senior care in the UK is well below the standard that it should be, and our Mayor, Councilor Eileen Pallen, has pulled together many of the voluntary groups in Bexley to try to help ensure that those isolated and lonely residents are identified and are offered ways of meeting up with others. This could include theatre events, shopping groups, tea parties, and lunches. Of the many groups that are helping, Evergreen is one of them, and this newsletter includes a couple of appeals from them with their details. We have designed and have been distributing a leaflet for this purpose and it is available in all libraries in Bexley. If any coordinators would like some to distribute, please contact us and we will deliver them to you.

Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter

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DIVERSION ALERT Fraudsters are emailing members of the public who are expecting to make a payment for property repairs. The fraudsters will

purport to be a tradesman who has recently completed work at the property and use a similar email address to that of the genuine tradesman. They will ask for funds to be transferred via bank transfer. Once payment is made the victims of the scam soon realise they have been deceived when the genuine tradesman requests payment for their services. PROTECT YOURSELF

• Always check the email address is exactly the same as previous correspondence with the genuine contact.

• For any request of payment via email verify the validity of the request with a phone call to the person who carried out the work.

• Check the email for spelling and grammar as these signs can indicate that the email is not genuine.

• Payments via bank transfer offer no financial protection; consider using alternative methods such as a credit card or PayPal, which offer protection and an avenue for recompense.

If you believe that you have been a victim of fraud you can report it online or by telephone 0300 123 2040.

Cory Riverside Energy is delighted to have agreed a further sponsorship arrangement with the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association through to 2020. With a population approaching nine million people, London has an incredible appetite for energy. Keeping the lights on in the face of increasing demand is one of the major challenges facing the city today.

The population produces around 22 million tonnes of waste every year. Or, to put it another way, enough to fill the largest skyscraper at Canary Wharf every eight days. At Cory Riverside Energy we believe that using this waste to help provide London with a safe, secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply makes great environmental sense. Our Riverside Resource Recovery Energy from Waste facility at Belvedere uses the waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill as feedstock to generate electricity. As one of the largest operations of its kind in the UK, the facility generates c.525,000 MWh of electricity each year from processing circa 750,000 tonnes of waste. What’s more, we use the River Thames as a green highway to move the waste from the city to the facility on our fleet of tugs and barges, removing around

100,000 truck movements a year off our capital’s congested roads saving 14,000 tCO2e per annum. The Cory Riverside Energy operation saves 230,000 tCO2e per annum compared to sending the same amount of waste to landfill each year. The electricity produced at the facility powers 160,000

homes. To put this is context, the London Borough of Bexley collects waste from circa 85,000 households across the Borough. Furthermore, to produce the same amount of electricity from fossil fuels would require the utilisation of 200,000 tonnes of coal or 105 million m3 of natural gas. We are also recycling around 200,000 tonnes per annum of incinerator bottom ash and 10,000 tonnes of air pollution control residues into the construction industry and various projects in and around London therefore saving the time, cost, effort and carbon footprint of extracting and transporting virgin aggregates for the same use. By generating electricity from domestic and commercial residual waste, after recycling, we are improving resource efficiency, avoiding

use on landfill, and achieving greater sustainability as part of London’s circular economy. For further information on Cory please visit our new website www.coryenergy.com

CORY RIVERSIDE ENERGY

Can you help us reach the lives of the elderly people in the Bexley Borough? We have a variety of opportunities for you to get involved, so why not put your spare time to good use and help make a difference to the lives of elderly people in your community?

Befrienders To make a positive difference to an isolated elderly person in our community, all we ask is that you are available for up to 2 hours a week to visit your befriendee and share a cup of tea and a chat and maybe a trip out.

All volunteers receive training and support, and are matched carefully with their client.

Evergreen Clean Team needs volunteers urgently

The Clean Team work to reinstate cleanliness and order, restoring a sanitary and dignified environment for the client. The Clean Team jobs can vary from a simple one day

spring clean of a person’s home prior to the commencement of our Home Support Service, to a longer more involved clean up where a person’s home may have deteriorated into a squalid state. The work can be hard, but can be so rewarding when you see an elderly person return to their clean home and the joy and surprise this brings them.

Email Evergreen on:- info@evergreencarebexley.org

Call Evergreen on:- 01322 431765 50 Nuxley Road, Belvedere, Kent, DA17

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH TOURS Cory's recycling plant, Belvedere Cory Riverside Energy have recently agreed to sponsor NW for a further 3 years which is a great help to us and shows Cory Riverside is committed to helping local charitable groups. NW is organizing a trip to Cory’s site where you will be astounded by what is done to ensure all rubbish is burnt correctly and what happens to what is left. Our sponsors provide this tour free. . 999-Command Centre, Lambeth This is a free tour where groups are shown to how involved the work is at this centre. There is a chance to see if you can cope with an urgent call (not live) and to actually hear live calls being dealt with. You will need to travel to the centre in Lambeth. London Transport Depot, Acton This is a large overflow warehouse for all the items that are not on display at The LT-Covent Garden Museum, with many old trains, buses and other artifacts on display. Visit includes a guided tour. Private Group Tour-TUESDAYS ONLY 11am-1.30pm (Tour lasts two hours) - Price £10 per head with a minimum number of 10 otherwise its more expensive per person. Danson House Having been closed for some time, Danson House has been extensively refurbished and is now the new Borough Registry Office (Mon-Sat). It is also open for tours every Sunday, 10am-4pm (last entry 3.15pm) Entry Price: Adults: £7; Concessions: £5; Groups: £6.50 per person which includes entry and guided tour. The new Fleur de Thé tearoom is now open on the ground floor for refreshments after the tour, if so desired. Minimum visitors 12 but can go up to 20

Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter

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NW Membership Latest We now have 1,087 Coordinators covering 40,349 households; that’s 734 live Watches with 747 streets covered (some coordinators cover more than one street). HoundWatch has up to 380 members, and this is one area we would like to expand. If you have any dog owners in your road that walk their dogs locally perhaps you could ask them if they would like to join HOUNDWATCH- they can report anything they see that appears suspicious when they are out with their dogs and we can also keep them informed of information such as dog type events in the Borough.

NW Fund Raising Events

Two completely different events have been held over the last few months, not only to raise much-needed funds for NW but also to help improve our community within the Borough. In October under the guidance and watchful eye of Emma Lock, of Zumba Fitness Welling, NW members aged up to 70 took part in a hugely enjoyable but exhausting Zumba session at the Salvation Army Hall, Welling, which was provided free of charge. Emma gave her time for free and enabled us to raise over £400 towards the Watches funds. On February 9th we held a very successful Quiz Night at the Conservative Club, Broadway, Bexleyheath. Over 90 members and friends pitted their wits and knowledge against each other in friendly rivalry. Our Quizmasters, Candy and Muriel, provided 7 rounds of interesting and thought-provoking questions that tested us to the limit. The brilliant club staff kept us topped up with refreshments and the hall was an ideal size to provide the atmosphere for the event. The winning team was Abbey Angels Plus One, the smallest team in the event with only six members, and Force Eight won the wooden spoon. A raffle rounded off the evening with an eclectic mix of prizes that raised over £570, and will go towards purchasing new signage, door stickers, new member starter packs, and the cost of leaflets we hand out at events across the Borough. We hope that everyone who attended enjoyed the evening. Well done to committee members David Potter and Maria Rodriguez for their work in organising these events, and thanks also to Candy and Muriel for giving their support, time and energy. Prize donations were received from:

AW Keil Locksmiths; Bartlett Florists; Boots Chemist; Cineworld; Da Peppinos Restaurant;

Games Workshop; Nigel Barrett Photographer; Pamper Suite Beauty Salon; With Best Wishes Card

Shop; Claire Tack; Stewart and Pam Bartle; Chris and Zac Potter.

For those who could not get a table at the quiz night, have no fear we are working on another in the next couple of months. We will let you know as soon as we have another date.

Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Newsletter

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CORY RIVERSIDE ENERGY Cory Riverside Energy is delighted to have agreed a further sponsorship arrangement with the Bexley Borough Neighbourhood Watch Association through to 2020. With a population approaching nine million people, London has an incredible appetite for energy. Keeping the lights on in the face of increasing demand is one of the major challenges facing the city today. The population produces around 22 million tonnes of waste every year. Or, to put it another way, enough to fill the largest skyscraper at Canary Wharf every eight days. At Cory Riverside Energy we believe that using this waste to help provide London with a safe, secure, affordable and sustainable energy supply makes great environmental sense. Our Riverside Resource Recovery Energy from Waste facility at Belvedere uses the waste that would otherwise have gone to landfill as feedstock to generate electricity. As one of the largest operations of its kind in the UK, the facility generates c.525,000 MWh of electricity each year from processing circa 750,000 tonnes of waste. What’s more, we use the River Thames as a green highway to move the waste from the city to the facility on our fleet of tugs and barges, removing around 100,000 truck movements a year off our capital’s congested roads saving 14,000 tCO2e per annum. The Cory Riverside Energy operation saves 230,000 tCO2e per annum compared to sending the same amount of waste to landfill each year. The electricity produced at the facility to power 160,000 homes. To put this is context, the London Borough of Bexley collects waste from circa 85,000 households across the Borough. Furthermore, to produce the same amount of electricity from fossil fuels would require the utilisation of 200,000 tonnes of coal or 105 million m3 of natural gas. We are also recycling around 200,000 tonnes per annum of incinerator bottom ash and 10,000 tonnes of air pollution control residues into the construction industry and various projects in and around London therefore saving the time, cost, effort and carbon footprint of extracting and transporting virgin aggregates for the same use. By generating electricity from domestic and commercial residual waste, after recycling, we are improving resource efficiency, avoiding London’s use on landfill, and achieving greater sustainability as part of London’s circular economy For further information on Cory please visit our new website www.coryenergy.com

Action Fraud has received several reports from victims who have been sent convincing looking emails from service@amazon.co.uk claiming recipients have made an order online and mimic an automatic customer email notification. The scam email claims recipients have ordered an expensive vintage chandelier. Other reported examples include: Bose stereos, iPhone’s and luxury watches. The emails cleverly state that if recipients haven’t authorised the transaction they can click on the help centre link to receive a full refund. The link leads to an authentic-looking website, which asks victims to confirm their name, address, and bankcard information. Amazon says that suspicious e-mails will often contain:

! Links to websites that may look like Amazon.co.uk but are not Amazon.co.uk.

! Attachments or prompts to install software on your computer.

! Typos or grammatical errors. ! Forged (or spoofed) e-mail addresses to

make it look like the e-mail is coming from Amazon.co.uk.

Amazon will NEVER ASK FOR ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION to be supplied by e-mail. You can read more about identifying suspicious emails claiming to be from Amazon by visiting their website or by calling Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040