Herald - Issue 389

4th June 2020 • The HERALD • Page 31 v SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES v | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | Fred Hurst 023 8084 2191 or 07761 467217 • Grass Cutting • Garden Clearance • Hedge Cutting • Fallen Trees Cleared • Mini Digger Hire with Operator • Property Clearance • Small Demolition • Tractor Flail Cutting FULLY INSURED v FREE QUOTATIONS All Aspects of Garden Work Undertaken • Driveways • Paving • Artificial Grass • Turfing • Decking • Fencing • Hedge Cutting • Landscaping Hythe Garden Contractors Family company established 1977 For a free quotation please call 023 8084 3556 or 023 8084 0378 Keeping Your Shed and Garage Secure Do you know how to keep your shed or garage secure to protect yourself from burglary? Even in this di cult time it is important for us to remain vigilant and protect ourselves. It’s not uncommon for people to not secure their shed or garage in the same way they do their home. A burglar will usually try a shed or garage rst because they can nd the tools they need to get into house. So, it’s important to keep your shed locked with a good padlock with no exposed screws. Pay attention to hinges, as these are sometimes easily removable. If you have windows then these could be vulnerable unless they’re secured with wire mesh or grills. Another important thing to remember is to check whether your insurance covers the contents of your shed and outbuildings from the , too. Consider a battery-operated shed alarm. ey look low key but they respond to movement or door contact with an extremely loud siren. Don’t give thieves the opportunity or the tools to commit a crime. Lock everything away securely. Tools can be locked inside a locker or box or secured with a chain. Secure your bike to the ground or a lockable stand within a locked shed or garage. Visit www.soldsecure.co.uk to search for ground anchors and other locks designed to x to oors and walls. It’s always worth draping an old sheet or blanket over the top of mowers or bikes to keep them covered from view. Invest in a garage door stop and although it might sound like stating the obvious, never leave your garage or shed door unlocked if you’re not around. Property marking your items is advisable and some tools can be painted with your name or postcode. Forensic marking is also an option. And nally, please continue to report incidents. ere have been several incidents over the past months in Southampton where sheds have been broken into, or attempts have been made to gain access to a shed or garage. Bikes and tools have been common items that have been taken, so it is worth considering the advice above and making sure you remain vigilant at this time. Don’t Hang Up! Hampshire’s Helpline For The Vulnerable May Be Trying To Get In Touch The Coronavirus Hampshire Helpline - Hantshelp4Vulnerable – set up to assist frail and vulnerable local residents with essential shopping, medication collections and befriending, is now reaching out directly to the many thousands of people, designated by the NHS as ‘extremely vulnerable’ - to o er support, should they need it. While continuing to respond to requests for help, the new automated service is contacting more than 1,200 people each day to ensure the right help, gets to the right people, at the right time. Graham Allen, Director of Adults’ Health and Care at Hampshire County Council said: “Introducing this new automated system has meant we are able to reach out quickly to the most vulnerable in society. However, we are finding that some of the calls are not being answered, and we think this is because people may be concerned about their authenticity. While we want people to be alert to scams – always – we are worried that the very vulnerable may potentially miss out on vital support. So, our message is - if you receive a call from us, please don’t hang up – we’re here to help.” What to expect from the automated service: • e call will come from 01962 418072 • A recorded voice message will explain that this is an automated wellbeing call from Hampshire County Council, and will con rm the person’s name • If the named person con rms they are in need of help, the call will automatically be transferred to one of the specially trained advisors • If the call is unanswered, a text will be sent from HampshireCC It is important to note, that neither the HantsHelpforVulnerable automated service, or the person-to-person advisor service will ever ask for national insurance numbers, bank account details, or for any other nancial information. Any vulnerable person residing in the county of Hampshire can contact the helpline for support on 0333 370 4000 with calls charged at local rate. e service is available seven days a week, from 9am to 5pm. e helpline is part of a wider initiative by the County Council, Hampshire’s district and borough councils, alongside the county’s community and voluntary sector to support vulnerable residents during the Coronavirus pandemic. The re-opening of Hampshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres (HWRCs) last month caused expected queues and tra c delays and the very high level of demand continued throughout the rst week. erefore, residents are being asked again to only travel to them if their journey is essential, and to reconsider if they encounter long queues at the sites when they arrive. Councillor Rob Humby, Deputy Leader of Hampshire County Council and Executive Member for Economy, Transport and Environment, said: “When we reopened the Household Waste Recycling Centres, with social distancing restrictions in place as required by Government advice, we expected demand to be high. As such we implemented traffic management measures across all our sites to help manage the flow of traffic and make it as easy, and as safe, as possible for the public to drop off their essential waste and recycling. However, with demand exceeding that in many other parts of England, long queues have been forming so I would urge residents to only travel to our HWRC’s if absolutely essential. We are reviewing our traffic management plans on site and will do what we can to try to improve throughput at the sites, but if severe traffic disruption continues at individual sites, we will have to consider whether the sites can stay open. Visitors who choose to visit, should expect to queue, potentially for some considerable time before entering. He added : “If you can, please store your waste safely at home, and visit us at a later date.” Some 4,000 visits have been made to Hampshire‘s HWRC’s each day since they re-opened which, by the end of rst the week, equates to almost 30,000 visits in total, despite the appeals to limit to essential visits. Each site is currently operating temporary revised daily opening hours of 10am–4pm, with social distancing measures in place for the safety of sta and the public. For more detail on social distancing procedures and what to expect if you have to visit anHWRC, please visit: www. hants.gov.uk/News/060502020HWRC Anyone who has had COVID19 symptoms in the last 14 days, or who lives with someone who has been symptomatic in the last fortnight, should not travel to, or enter an HWRC. A er this period, any COVID-19 contaminated waste should be double bagged and put aside for 72 hours before being brought to a site. e start date for the HWRC vehicle registration scheme has been postponed in light of the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. However, the online vehicle registration system remains open in readiness for implementation later this year. Visit www.hants.gov.uk/coronavirus for more information Only Essential Travel to Hampshire’s Household Waste Recycling Centres Urged