Seasonal Financial Advice from H&F CAB

HAVE A HAPPY CHRISTMAS

Whether it’s the most wonderful time of the year, or just the chance for a few days off work? Don’t end the festive break with a financial hangover. Little changes now can mean big improvements to your wallet. And, if you have big money problems now, there is probably a solution that can change that.

I'm not talking “the little known piece of legislation that can wipe off up to 75% of your debts!” I assume you have seen that on TV ads. This legislation has been around for 2 decades and is highly profitable to the debt companies that advertise on TV. You just need to have £15,000 or more unsecured debt. Call one of these companies and see what they will charge but don’t sign up as this service can be FREE for you. (Not from them of course.)

What about a Debt Relief Order – less than £15,000 in unsecured debt can be written off in certain circumstances – mainly for people struggling on low pay or benefits. DROs are aimed at people with few or no assets who have very little money to pay back to their creditors, and little prospect of their situation improving.

If you want good information on managing your money, visit the Citizens Advice Bureau website at www.adviceguide.org.uk

Creditors make a lot of money because people assume they can do nothing.

Let me leave you with something to think about. Most people can justify asking their banks and credit cards to freeze interest and charges – especially if you are only able to afford minimum repayments. Write to them and start taking control.

• H&F Citizens Advice Bureau
• H&F CAB Tel: 020 7385 1322

H&F app to Report Dumped Rubbish

Reporting litter, fly-tipping or graffiti just became a lot easier now H&F have joined the smart-phone world, with the launch of their free to download 'H&F Report it' app. You can use a phones built in camera to photograph the rubbish and its GPS map to locate the exact position of where it's been left; just add a description and send a report over to the councils 'to do' list, for the local street cleaners to take action. All the major smart-phone varieties are supported.

• 'Report it' page – to download the app
• H&F news report – to read full story

Government Energy Grants

The Government and a number of energy suppliers are providing The Warm Home Discount scheme, to help toward paying the energy costs of pensioners or those on benefits, you could receive a grant of up to £130 towards this years bills.

To check if you qualify call the number or click the link below:

• Discount Scheme Helpline - 0845 603 9439
• The Warm Home Discount Scheme

Also, see other Government energy payment and grant links:

• Winter Fuel Payments - for pensioners
• Warm Front Scheme - grants for heating or insulation
• Fuel Help Booklet - by H&F CAB, lots of info and links (pdf)

Crisis at Christmas centre in West London College

Crisis at Christmas are again providing a centre on campus at Ealing, Hammersmith & West London College. The charity for single homeless people are looking for volunteers to come and help out over the Christmas holiday period, between the 23rd & 30th of December. You will be helping in the offering of food, clothing, healthcare and a range of educational facilities to homeless people. If you have some spare time during the holiday and want to help out, contact Crisis, at the link below.

• Volunteer for Crisis at Christmas
• To Make a Donation 
• West London College Christmas Crisis Centre Info

High winds fell tree on North End Crescent

The high overnight winds in London have felled a tree on North End Crescent, between the Lytton Estate apartments blocks of Samuel Richardson and Glenallan House. 

Nobody was injured, but there is damage to parked cars and the road is blocked by the tree

• 11 am Update:

The tree has been removed and the road is now clear.

• Monday 9am Update

Workmen clearing the fallen wood on Monday

Well done H&F for removing the fallen tree from the road  very quickly on Sunday morning and returning to collect the cut wood today.

•  Story in Chronicle

Christmas Day Town Hall Dinner for Home Alone Pensioners

2011's Christmas Party

The festive season is only a few weeks away, so for those H&F pensioners on their own, it's time to get your application in for a Christmas Day dinner and party at the Town Hall.
 If you are over 60 and alone this Christmas, you are very welcome to join in for a roast turkey dinner with all the trimmings.

 Volunteers (also needed) will prepare, over 1,500 sprouts, 60 kilos of turkey, 500 stuffing balls and 15 kilos of custard for the trifle; then serve a full Christmas dinner for all who attend this festive celebration.

There are still places for the dinner, see below for information:-

• For an application form call 020 8753 2135 or
• Email: events@lbhf.gov.uk
• H&F website Xmas Dinner page
• Volunteer to Help, if you can spare some time please apply
• To make a donation, gifts or cash
• Flickr picture gallery of the 2011 Dinner, some great photos

Thanks to H&F for the use of their pictures.

Brook Green playground opening ceremony

If you want to catch some of the late autumn sunshine and maybe enjoy some cupcakes, the reopening of the Brook Green playground takes place this afternoon, November 13th, with the Opening Ceremony, at 4pm.

Gold-medallist rowing champion Tom James, who played on the green as a boy, will be there to start things off.

Britain from Above website

1928 aerial picture of North End Rd. - click for page

The Britain from Above website has a tremendous collection of 'Aerofilms', with photographs from 1919 to 1953, some of which are superb aerial images of West Kensington. The screen capture above, shows a 1928 shot of the area and the old route that North End Road followed (part of which is now North End Crescent), before being altered after 1945.

 The Lytton Estate was yet to be built and the former home of pre-Raphaelite artist, Edward Burne-Jones, The Grange (now the site of Samuel Richardson House) and his garden studio, were still standing (both circled).

 There are many more images of the area to view, Olympia Exhibition Centre features a lot. Also, the site has a great zoom-able map/search facility, to enable uses to locate pictures of interest, plus the photos are magnifiable, so you can study the images in close up (works in Chrome).  
 To try, click the links below and check it out.

• Britain from Above home
• Link to page shown above

Chronicle guide to Remembrance Sunday services

Click to donate

Here is a link to a useful guide to this weekends Remembrance  Sunday services in the local area published by the Chronicle:

• Local Remembrance Sunday services
• The Royal British Legion page

Lewis Trust Open Day, Saturday, 10th November, 11am to 3pm

Artists impression of a redeveloped building on the estate

The main redevelopment building works are due to start shortly on the Lewis Trust Estate, so an Open Day at the Lisgar Terrace Community Centre, on Saturday 10th November, 11 am to 3 pm, is being hosted by Southern Housing. 
It's open to all Lytton Estate residents, with an opportunity to meet the contractor of the redevelopment and talk with the project team, about how aspects of the plan effect you.

The Community Centre is located in the estates rear far right corner.

• Southern Housing Group
• H&F Planning Application
• Email: service.centre@shgroup.org.uk
• Phone: 0300 303 1061