We are excited to tell you more about our SLING YOUR HOOK campaign running throughout July to help tackle scams

WHY ‘SLING YOUR HOOK’?
The campaign taps into the psychology that scammers use to hook people in, helping you stay one step ahead and protect yourself and your loved ones against the increasing variety of scams happening every day. We’ve identified the following five behaviours scammers commonly use:

• They imply they’re doing you a favour (reciprocity)
• They indicate everyone else is doing this (social proof)
• They say your only chance is to act now (urgency)
• They act like they’re similar to you, so you like them and want to please them (connection)
• They ask you to do one little thing which makes you do more (commitment).

We also know that often victims of scams report that in hindsight they felt something wasn’t quite right at the time.  This campaign aims to raise awareness of the tactics scammers use and encourages people to ‘stop and think’ if something doesn’t FEEL, SEEM, LOOK or SOUND right.  This allows them time to trust your gut instinct and help prevent becoming a scam victim.

“Everyone likes to feel special. But watch out! If a stranger is going out of their way for you, something fishy may be going on instead. Scammers like to offer one-off deals and favours. Don’t be afraid to tell them no.” John Hayward-Cripps, CEO of Neighbourhood Watch Network

How can you support this campaign?

• LEARN: Visit our scams website pages to learn more about common scams, preventing scams, reporting scams, supporting victims and a scams campaign toolkit
• SHARE: Follow us on our Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn channels and share our posts       
• JOIN THE CONVERSATION: Join us for an online talk (details below)

ONLINE TALKS
We are delivering a series of scams awareness online talks in partnership with the Dedicated Card and Payment Crime Unit (DCPCU), the National Trading Standards Scams Team (NTSST) and Avast.

Anyone can attend, but we are now running waiting lists only for all the webinars apart from one! Last week we ran an online talk on ‘Exploring the psychology behind scams and how scammers are so effective at their crimes’. It was so popular we have decided to re-run it on 27th July, 5pm.  Click here to book your place. Please note – this event will not be recorded.

Keep safe,

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK, Central Support Team
Follow us.. ourwatch.org.uk / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / LinkedIn
Neighbourhood Watch Network is a charity registered in England & Wales, CIO no: 1173349

Message Sent By
Central Support Team (NWN, Neighbourhood Watch Network, England and Wales)

Gloucestershire Libraries are inviting children to celebrate books, nature and the environment in this year’s Summer Reading Challenge.

The national event, led by the Reading Agency, began on Saturday 10 July and runs until Friday 10 September, with the aim of encouraging children to enjoy reading and visiting their library.

Children are invited to borrow at least six books over three visits and are offered rewards and opportunities to get involved with many other events and activities.

This year’s theme is ‘Wild World Heroes’, which aims to inspire families and children to enjoy reading, as well as get outside to visit their local nature reserves and wildlife parks.

Activities to celebrate books, nature and the environment will also be organised by libraries and cultural partners, including the Everyman Theatre and the Museum of Gloucester.

Nearly 10,000 families took part in the Summer Reading Challenge in 2019, when it last took place in Gloucestershire’s libraries. Last year online activities were provided instead, as well as makeaway packs. 

As well as borrowing books, children can again take away the popular makeaway packs which include crafty bits and pieces, plus instructions for families to make their own nature-inspired crafts at home. More information is available from your local library.

To find out more, including how to sign up to the challenge for free, visit: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-activities-and-services/facilities-and-activities-for-children/2021-summer-reading-challenge-wild-world-heroes/

Find out the latest opening times for your local library here: https://www.gloucestershire.gov.uk/libraries/library-locations-and-opening-hours/

You can also stay up to date with the challenge through a new Facebook group. Search for @Gloucestershire Libraries and look for the ‘Summer Reading Challenge Takeover Group’ for the latest news, along with activities and chat.

Jane Everiss, head of libraries and registration services at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming children and families back to our libraries for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Like last year we will be reaching out to vulnerable children by offering free resources and gifted books to foodbanks and we hope everyone enjoys taking part in the many activities on offer.”

With the closure of many local bank branches and ATMs across the country, it is good to know that you can access high-street banking services through the Post Office.

You can find out more via their website.

I have a walkabout planned for next week in Earls Park, with the Managing Director of Matthew Homes.

We will be looking at various issues including road surfaces, the new play parks (and bin provision), street lights and street signs, security and the cut-through.

I will also be raising the problem of these cobbled rumble strips which cause difficulties for cyclists.

Tomorrow will see the final of the Euro 2020 tournament and it promises to be a great match.

I’ve worried my way through plenty of England matches over the years and I’m sure this will be no different.

Whoever comes out on top, it’s a good thing to get behind the England team, and to be reminded once again of the values of teamwork, resilience and sporting honour. And for those who are not interested, it’s only one game to go!

Last month I had a walkabout with the city council tree officer in Podsmead.

We looked at a number of trees, some of which had had some work carried out on them already, such as the trees by the athletics changing rooms by the Poplar Close entrance to the running track.

We also identified some work to be done elsewhere. Some trees have now been removed at Redwood Close after our walk and some contact from a resident, and there is a need for some pruning at the back of Chaucer Close to allow the residents more light.

I have been in touch with Gloucester City Homes over the pruning and the moss on the roofs at Chaucer Close. I hope that we can organise a walkabout with GCH officers soon.

If you have an issue in your area of Podsmead that you want me to take a look at, please let me know.

A resident alerted me to a sinkhole that had appeared on Tuffley Avenue and I made sure it was reported to the county council.

Arrangements have been made to repair the hole and I hope this safety work will be done soon.

If you know of any other highways safety issues in our area please let me know.

A £2million Build Back Better Fund is set to be launched by the county council later this month, subject to Cabinet sign off on 21 July. The fund has been developed to help communities recover and rebuild from the impacts of Covid-19.

The fund is set to be allocated evenly across the county’s 53 divisions to allow each county councillor to support bids in their area and ensure the benefits of the investment are shared right across Gloucestershire. Each councillor will be able to allocated a total of £40,000 in grants to support their local area.

Recognising the diverse nature and needs of Gloucestershire’s communities and neighbourhoods,  criteria for bids is likely to consist of key themes including ‘community health and wellbeing’, ‘digital inclusion’, ‘nature and/or the environment’, ‘healthy lifestyles’ and ‘safer neighbourhoods’.

A range of groups and bodies will be able to submit bids including but not exclusively; community and voluntary organisations, charities, community interest companies, town and parish councils, sports groups.

Funding will need to be spent by 31 January 2025.

Further details about the proposed fund will be set out in a cabinet report, due to be published next week, that Cabinet will consider at its meeting on 21 July.

In a countywide social media campaign, residents are being encouraged to recycle their metal packaging to make every can count.

Metal can be recycled endlessly so the county and all six district councils have teamed up with MetalMatters to highlight the benefits of recycling our metal packaging to inspire everyone to get involved and do their bit.

With more than 12 billion items of aluminium packaging alone sold every year in the UK, householders are being encouraged to recycle their cans, foil, empty aerosols, trays, tubes and metal screw tops. 

Every district in the county provides a frequent and convenient door-to-door recycling service so it’s never been easier to recycle our metal packaging; and once recycled, it takes around 60 days for a drinks can to return to the supermarket shelf.

Tom Giddings, general manager of the Aluminium Packaging Recycling Organisation (Alupro) said: “While our MetalMatters programme has been operational for nearly ten years, Gloucestershire will be the first local authority that takes the campaign online. By educating the general public about the benefits of recycling metal packaging, in a simple yet relatable fashion, we aim to make a measurable difference to Gloucestershire’s recycling rates.”

For more information on the MetalMatters campaign or recycling and waste reduction in Gloucestershire visitwww.gloucestershirerecycles.com.

Gloucestershire County Council is offering £200,000 to support digital community projects across the county.

Through its Digital Innovation Fund the council has £200,000 worth of grants available to community or voluntary groups and charity organisations to fund digital and technology-led initiatives.

This is the second year of the fund and applications of up to £20,000 per project will be accepted from Monday 12 July. Collaborative partnership bids will be considered for combined funding but would need to clearly demonstrate the added benefit of the collaboration.

The funding panel is particularly keen to hear about projects that could continue this support, address digital exclusion and help people remain independent. 

Successful applications would be likely to demonstrate how their use of technology or digital methods will support adults in Gloucestershire by:

• Improving literacy, including digital literacy
• Preventing a decline in independence, health or wellbeing
• Encouraging digital access opportunities amongst BAME communities
• Providing equipment and support to those with disabilities and sensory impairments 

In 2020, funding was used for projects that enriched people’s lives by tackling social isolation, helping to maintain independence and improve personal wellbeing.

Last year’s grant was oversubscribed, with 38 applications received and 21 projects funded. Some of the projects funded supported teaching residents digital skills to help them use video platforms to keep in touch with family during the pandemic. Others used the funding to purchase health and exercise monitoring devices to support virtual fitness and wellbeing classes.

Successfully funded projects will work together to bring their ideas to life within a Digital Innovation Forum group, in which all the other funded projects can support each other.

Members of the council’s Adult Transformation Team will be attending Know Your Patch meetings and sharing information about the funding through this network. The Know Your Patch network is a multi-sector network bringing together the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector and public body organisations for effective partnership working across each district of Gloucestershire.

Further information on this grant, including access to application forms, can be found at https://www.yourcircle.org.uk/Information/DigitalInnovationFund.

The closing date for applications will be on Friday 6 August, with successful applicants receiving grant funding in September.

For more information, please email asp@gloucestershire.gov.uk.