Community Notices

 

Leaving your home checklist

Whenever you go out, it’s important to leave your home secure so here’s a quick reminder on what to do just before you go out. Also try to make it look like there is someone at home.

• Close and lock all your doors and easily accessible windows, even if you’re only going out for a few minutes.  It's best to keep doors locked if you are at home as well!
• Make sure that any valuables are out of view from windows and glass doors.
• Keep handbags and keys away from the letterbox or cat flap as thieves have been known to hook valuables out through them.  Hide car keys away.
• Never leave car keys, documents, ID cards, cash or bank cards in obvious places such as kitchens or hallways….or in your car!
• If you go out during the autumn and winter evenings, shut the curtains and leave lights on. Burglars look for homes that are in total darkness to attack.
• You can get plug-in timers for your lamps - and timers for your ceiling lights. Don't just light up the hall. Fool a burglar by lighting up the landing, bathroom, bedroom and living room too. Really fox him by varying the times each light comes on. Simulated TV’s are also available to give the impression someone is home.
• Always set your burglar alarm.
• Make sure the side gate is locked and your rear garden is really difficult to access.
• Lock your shed or garage.
• Lock your bike inside a secure shed or garage, to a robust fitting bolted to the ground or wall, like a ground anchor.  Security mark your bikes and record serial numbers.  A photograph or two is useful if the bike is stolen.
• Always use the best padlocks and chains you can afford. Sold Secure offers impartial advice on security products. Visit www.soldsecure.com
• If you have concerns about your home security, your local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) will be able to offer you help and advice.  You can find who your local officer is by following this link https://www.gloucestershire.police.uk/  alternatively you could call 101 if you do not have internet access

 

Gloucestershire Libraries - Ask Us Reference and Enquiry Service 

Dear Residents

 

Our names are Lauren & Laura and we work for the Ask Us Reference and Enquiry Service, part of Gloucestershire Libraries.

 

We wanted to take this opportunity to tell you about the service we offer, as it may be of interest to you.

 

One of our roles within the Library service is to help customers find the information that they require, with a particular focus on assisting those who do not have access to the internet or do not wish to use technology.  We can look up a telephone number, postal address or find local community information such as social groups and societies in the enquirers local area, and provide them with the answer via their preferred means either phone, email, letter and we also receive referrals through all of our branch libraries.

 

We are able to locate online forms and print and post them out which is a very valuable service to our customers, particularly when a lot of information can still only be found online. We are also in contact with Adult Education, Gloucestershire Employment and Skills Hub, Gloucestershire Trading Standards, The GEM Project and many others and are able to provide information and signposting regarding these services.

 

We aim to provide a free, fast, information service, our aim is to respond to an enquiry within three to five working days but frequently we can provide the information a customer needs immediately or same-day. From quick questions to in-depth research, customers can ask any question and we can either answer the enquiry, help them get started with research or refer them to the most relevant agency or person to help with the query.

 

The Ask Us service is available to anyone who lives works or studies in Gloucestershire or lives in a county adjacent to Gloucestershire.

 

Our top 10 enquiries include but are not limited to:

 

1) Consumer advice from Which? Gloucestershire Libraries subscribes to Which? and we can provide consumer information from this

2) Phone Numbers & Addresses for any business/authority in the UK and abroad, we also help provide contact details from BT

3) Local information including groups, societies, education, local business details, information about Volunteering in Gloucestershire

4) Library Services Information including information about library groups and events, Innovation Labs, Opening Times etc.

5) Company reports and targeted mailing lists for your marketing needs via our database Fame ideal for start-up businesses wanting to investigate the local market and spread the word about their business

6) Government Information & Legislation including contact details for MP’s and parliamentary groups, specific Government Acts and policies, forms for Government services

7) Business Information: how to start a business, signposting to Gloucestershire Growth Hub and Start and Grow Enterprise

8) Local and Family History help with tracing a relative, assistance with family tree searches, local history questions

9) Virtual Reference Library  including assistance with using the VRL resources

10) The Arts including local and national museums and events, artists

FLYER ATTACHED BELOW

 

Best wishes,

 

Lauren

 

Lauren Higgins

 

Laura

Laura Johns

 

 

Ask Us: Business and Reference Information Service Officers

Libraries and Information

Gloucestershire County Council

Community service for mental health

 

Dear Residents,

 

I am a registered mental health nurse and qualified homeopath. I have recently retired from the NHS with considerable front-line experience in community adult and child psychiatry. 

 

I now run an independent service offering homeopathy to people experiencing mental health difficulties. The service is donations-based and is available online or face to face (in Stroud only). It is aimed at young people and adults with significant mental health difficulties who have not responded to medication or other forms of input. Its main purposes are to provide greater treatment choice to those with mental health issues and to demonstrate homeopathy as a useful tool in this field. There is a link to the service's website below.

 

My best wishes,

 

Andy

 

 

Andy Brachi

Homeopathy for Mental Health (h4mh.co.uk)

tel 077796 36 380