Croughton Village

Croughton Parish Council

Please see the Parish Council page for a report on the latest meeting.

Village Break-ins

There have been a number of break-ins in and around the village recently.  The Community Police have issued the following advice to all of us:

Crime Prevention Advice

FREE DRIVING COURSES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN SOUTH NORTHANTS

Young people in South Northamptonshire are being offered free driving skills sessions at Silverstone as part of the Rightracks rural road safety initiative.

Find out what is involved!

Calling for community  support

As previously reported, the Emergency Planning working party of Croughton Parish Council has been working on a response document that would be activated in the unlikely event that a major incident occurs in the village.

We would like to incorporate other members of the local community who may be able to offer the team assistance with a range of services and resources at the time of an emergency.  For example, this might include doctors, nurses, first aiders, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, solicitors, teachers and people who can offer the use of vehicles, equipment or useful supplies.

If you would be willing to support the Parish Council Emergency Response Team if and when an emergency occurs, please contact us so that we know who to call upon: e-mail clerk@croughton.org.uk  or telephone 01869-819905.

House Security Tips

1. Always lock your doors - in particular UPVC doors are often left unlocked when people are at home. Offenders will often approach UPVc doors to see if they can be used as an easy point of access.

2. Make sure that all doors, windows and access points are locked securely before leaving your property, even if only for a short period of time.

3. Only leave ground floor windows open if you are in that room for a period of time.

4. Do not leave back doors open if you are going to be away from that area for any length of time, and do not leave upstairs windows open if you are going out.

5. If you are out in the evening make sure you leave a light on and draw the curtains.

6. Use your house alarm if you have one and install outside security lighting.

Personal Security tips:

1. Walk in well-lit areas and avoid short cuts through alleyways or wooded areas.

2. Always let someone know where you are going, how they can contact you and when you are likely to be back.

3. If you feel concerned about someone walking close to you, cross the road to avoid them and if necessary go into a shop or public building to ask for help.

4. Never accept a lift from someone you do not know, if a car pulls up alongside you, turn around and walk in the opposite direction.

5. Keep your possessions like mobile phones, out of sight.

Congratulations

We extend our warmest congratulations to our Parish Clerk, Ann Le Druillenec, who has recently obtained the Certificate in Local Council Administration with a Distinction. Well done, Ann!

Thank you to our Volunteers

Croughton Parish Council would like to thank all our volunteers who gave their valuable time and commitment in 2009 to help Croughton be a safer, well-informed and attractive village. These include:

• our team of Speedwatchers, co-ordinated by Lesley Ramsay;
• Georgina Lucas, our Newsletter Editor, our newsletter distributors throughout the village and Tom Millington, our Webmaster;
• Jean Coles, our Environmental Park Warden; Paul Jones, our Footpaths Warden; residents who carried out work at the cemetery; residents of Portway area who undertook landscaping work at the Portway Pocket Park; Croughton WI and residents who supported the village Litter Pick; and any other unsung heroes who help keep our environment clean and tidy.

All your contributions are much appreciated and we wish you all the best for 2010.

SNC Compost Bin offer

Compost bins area available in 2 sizes:
220 litre height 900mm diameter 740 mm price £7.00. 330 litre height 1,000mm diameter 800mm price £10.00. Delivery is £5.00 per order. Order online at www.northants.getcomposting.com or call 0845 130 6090

Also a very limited supply is available of:
the Kitchen Composter Kit - converts all food waste into compost £15.00-used to make liquid fertilizer
Can-O-Worms Wormery £69.00 - great for children!

Composting is easy, it's good for the environment and it produces nutrient rich compost year after year, which will keep your garden and allotment blooming!

Protect our Children

For the safety of our children, please exercise extra care and consideration when parking near the school. Please do not obstruct the pavement near the main entrance and do not park in the 'Keep Clear' hashed area at the Wheeler's Rise gate—it is a 'No Parking' area for the children's safety.

For One Year Only! Parish Litter Wardens

CPRE in partnership with Keep Britain Tidy's 'Big Tidy Up' campaign is offering an honorarium of £75 to a limited number of volunteers from Northamptonshire villages who are willing to litter pick on a weekly or fortnightly basis throughout 2010 and to record the number of bags collected on the Big Tidy Up website. If you would be interested in putting your name forward on behalf of Croughton please contact the Parish Clerk on 01869 819905 or email clerk@croughton.org.uk

Protect Your Valuables

Croughton Parish Council is considering a joint project with Northamptonshire Police to help us protect our valuables. This involves the use of "Smartwater", a liquid which is applied to individual items of value to uniquely identify the item, if found, and the criminal who stole it. By working with the Police, we will be able to purchase individual tubes of Smartwater for our household use at significant discount. If you are interested in learning more or would like to benefit from the project discount for Smartwater, please contact our Parish Clerk by 31 January 2010. You are also welcome to attend a presentation by Inspector John McKinney, Project Co-ordinator for Northamptonshire Police, to be held on Tuesday 9 February 2010 at 7.00 p.m. in the Parish Room at Croughton Village Hall.

What's On

Want to know what is happening at Croughton Village? Visit the What's On pages for all local events.

Please note. The dates below are correct. Those printed in the newsletter are not.

Wednesday 20 January, 7.30 pm
Croughton W.I. meeting in the Croughton Village Hall.

Friday 22 January, 8pm
Croughton Wine Appreciation Group wine tasting evening in Croughton Village Hall.

Saturday 23 January 9–12pm, Sunday 24 January 10–12pm and Monday 25 January 9am.
Croughton Preschool Bags2School jumble collection.

Tuesday 26 January, 7.30 pm
Croughton History Group meeting in the Village Hall.

Wednesday 27 January, 7.30 pm
Chris Garrick & John Etheridge in the Village Hall.

Friday 29 January, 7.30 pm
Croughton Cinema, Gran Torino” in the Village Hall.

Tuesday 9 February, 7.00pm
Presentation by Inspector John McKinney, Northamptonshire Police, at Croughton Village Hall.

The Village

Visit The Village pages, to find information on local facilities, and also six interesting walks mapped out around the village.

Parish Council

Visit the Parish Council pages to find information about the Parish Council, including recent news, projects, up-to-date minutes, council members and contact details, and much more.

Local Business

If you would like to know more about local business's around Croughton, visit the Business pages.