STAFF and governors from many of Thurrock’s schools received a lesson in how to ensure their charges were kept safe online at a training event on Tuesday (4 June).
The Thurrock Children’s Partnership e-safety group organised the event to tell those who have leadership responsibility for e-safety about the challenges faced around safeguarding children and young people in the online environment.
FROM Monday (17 June) to 21 June there will be free Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) recycling collections across the borough.
For the first time Thurrock will be sending out a caged vehicle to various sites to collect unwanted small electrical items, and people are being asked to bring old hairdryers, kettles, electric blankets, fans or small items along to be disposed of properly.
THURROCK Council’s Leader has congratulated senior officers and post office officials for finding a temporary solution keeping the service in Grays. Cllr John Kent said: “The council and the Post Office have been working closely together to try and secure its long-term future in Grays.
The Purfleet Marshes site had been a victim of graffiti tagging and as one of the borough’s most visited areas the council assisted the clear-up, without charge. Terry Robinson, the RSPB’s office manager said: “It’s rare we get graffiti here and we are really grateful that the council were able to help us out on this occasion.
AS part of the regular summer schedule of works, Thurrock Council’s environment department will be carrying out work at war memorials across the borough. Every year the council cleans, maintains and plants flowers at the memorials to make sure they are in good order.
PEOPLE are being invited to get on their bikes and take part in this year’s national Bike Week between Saturday, 15 and Sunday, 23 June.
Thurrock Council together with TRUP (Thurrock Re-Use Partnership) and Sustrans – a national charity – have organised several free cycling events, from those aimed at families to seasoned cyclists and even those who have never cycled before.
LOCAL manufacturing businesses are being offered a chance to quiz a panel of experts on ways of maximising the effectiveness and efficiency of what they do as well as finding support for their plans for innovation and growth.
Thurrock Council’s business team is hosting an Innovation and Growth Surgery for Manufacturers event at the Thurrock Centre for Business in George Street, Grays early next month.
THIS year a series of events are being planned to mark the 65th anniversary of the ship carrying 492 West Indians, the first wave of Caribbean migrants to work in Great Britain – starting this nation’s multi-cultural society.
Saturday, 22 June marks the anniversary of this iconic voyage and a celebration is planned which will involve a number of national partners culminating that weekend.
THURROCK Council’s new “transformation” chief, Cllr Val Morris-Cook, says she was pleased that the first item she had to introduce concerned the authority’s IT systems.
Speaking at Wednesday (5 June) evening’s cabinet meeting, she said: “I don’t think I need to explain this to members, they all know the council’s ICT and telephone system is not only old fashioned but totally out of date.
THURROCK Council plans to issue licenses after inspecting “homes in multiple occupation” in the borough. Wednesday (5 June) evening’s meeting of the council’s cabinet heard from housing portfolio holder Cllr Val Morris-Cook about the proposals.
FOUR out of every five Thurrock homes are having the day their bins are collected changed. The council has tried to ensure that everyone affected was informed of the change in the week before it took place.
In April, Thurrock Council in partnership with the England Illegal Money Lending Team and a number of local partners ran a week-long campaign to raise awareness of the dangers of loan sharks Part of the presentation was asking people to fill in a loan shark questionnaire and, after getting all the answers right, Mrs Doyle’s entry was chosen at random from all those who had correctly answered the questions.
FROM Monday, June 3, Thurrock Council will be making changes to waste and recycling rounds across the borough, but it will only affect the day of collections – nothing else.
Cllr Victoria Holloway, portfolio holder for environment, said on Thursday (9 May): “Thurrock Council is committed to providing weekly collections for all three waste and recycling streams – general waste, recycling and kitchen/garden waste.
FEELING inspired by the likes of Bradley Wiggins and Mark Cavendeish? If so, the Rotary Club of Mardyke Valley is hosting the annual Thurrock Cycle Marathon with the aim of raising money for local charities.
THURROCK Council is asking residents to let them know of any child who is being “privately fostered”. To support this, it is running a free workshop to educate residents about private fostering and what it means.
THE first Thurrock Writers’ Festival was held at the Thameside complex in Grays on Saturday (18 May) Many visited the day-long event organised by Thurrock Council’s libraries service, including Mayor of Thurrock, Cllr Yash Gupta.
CAN you or your company help people make their homes more environmentally friendly? Thurrock Council, along with Basildon Council, is on the lookout for local firms which may be able to help them deliver the government’s Green Deal a new initiative designed to help home owners use more green technologies in their properties.
When Thurrock Council launched its six-month CCTV vehicle trial, local schools were invited to come up with a name as the car’s main aim is to try and bring an end to dangerous and thoughtless parking outside schools.The winner was eight-year-old Jodie Fullerton, from Grays a pupil at St Thomas of Canterbury primary in Ward Avenue.
A FUND raising afternoon was held at Piggs Corner sheltered housing and extra care complex in Grays on 21 March in aid of The MacMillan Nurses.
A big joint effort from residents and staff enabled them to raise £510 from a table top sale at the complex with refreshments and a raffle. The sale was attended by members of the public as well as some relatives of the residents.
THURROCK’S new mayor is Cllr Tony Fish – elected at Wednesday (22 May) evening’s annual council meeting. Cllr Fish congratulated Cllr Yash Gupta – whose term of office ended that night, saying: “Yash and Pushpa did a great job and will be a hard act to follow but I’ll do my best.”
DO YOU want to be part of the most spectacular Pantomime that has ever been staged at the Thameside Theatre? Polka Dot Pantomimes and Thurrock Council are presenting a GIANT of a Pantomime for 2013/2014 in the shape of Jack and the Beanstalk – a great hit with all the family whether you are 3 or 103 years old! It runs for 53 performances between Friday 6 December 2013 to Sunday 5 January 2014.
ON Saturday, we spoke to Zambian writer, Grace Chama-Pupe who was one of the invited writers at the Thurrock Writers Festival. Grace’s book is entitled “Me and my mum” and charts her relationship with her mother as dementia takes a hold of her. You can find the book on amazon.
They managed to find overnight accommodation in the Knight of Aveley public house. Working with members of the British Red Cross and the Knight of Aveley, volunteers from Thurrock Council assisted the 25 people young and old who could not find alternative accommodation. Staff supplied welfare support and some goods for them as well as offering help to residents in the wider community that night and the following day – assisting a doctor’s surgery log a call to get help get their electricity supply back up and running, for example.
THURROCK Council has launched two public consultations into the future of home-to-school transport for the borough’s young people.
They are the School Transport Consultation (for ages eight to 11) which runs until 2 July, and the School Transport Consultation (for post-16) which will close a little earlier on 18 June.
