Northamptonshire County Council have the Covid-19 Household Winter Support Scheme available to help households, especially those with children, who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic and are struggling to stay warm and put food on the table this winter.  There are many reasons why a household may be struggling and this scheme is intended to provide one-off assistance to help families with their essential bills.

For more information please call NCC’s Community Resilience Support Line 0300 126 1000 option 5 or visit their website www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/coronavirus-updates

Daventry District Council (DDC) is reminding people of the following schedule changes: 

• Collections which would have been due on Christmas Day (Friday 25 December) will instead take place on Sunday 27 December
• Collections due on New Year’s Day (Friday 1 January) will instead take place on Saturday 2 January
• Everyone will receive an extra collection of their blue-lidded recycling bin in either the week beginning Monday 21 December or the week beginning Monday 28 December, depending on their collection schedule

There will be a fortnight-long break in the garden waste service starting Monday 21 December, to allow residents to receive their extra recycling collection.

Details of the extra recycling collection, as well as day changes for Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, are printed on the collection calendars which were sent to households across Daventry District in August.

People can also check what bins to put out each week by using the ‘What’s my collection day’ tool at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/recycling or by downloading the free Daventry District Council app from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play store.

DDC is also reminding people of the range of items that can be recycled in the blue-lidded bin, including sweet tins and foil-free wrapping paper and Christmas cards. As a rule of thumb, wrapping paper that can be torn is probably made from paper and can therefore be recycled.

If people find they have too much recycling for their blue-lidded bins they should put it in clear or white bags and place it next to their bin on collection day.

People are also advised to make good use of their weekly food waste collection, remembering it can be used to recycle leftover raw and cooked foods, including vegetable peelings, egg shells, out-of-date food, plate scrapings, solid fats, meat and fish bones. Please do not put any liquids in the caddy.

Black bins containing general waste will continue to be collected on a three-weekly cycle, and residents are reminded to make good use of the recycling services, as bins with raised lids, or additional bags left at the side of the bin will not be collected.

Residents can put their real Christmas trees out for recycling on their first garden waste collection day after January 10.  People do not need to be subscribed to the garden waste service to have their trees collected – simply place it next your bins on your usual collection day. Subscribers can choose to chop up their tree and put it in their garden waste bin if they prefer.

Garden waste collection days are listed in the calendars sent to all households in August or can be checked at www.daventrydc.gov.uk/recycling or on the mobile app.

There are no communal collection points for real Christmas trees, but trees can be taken to household waste recycling centres.

For more information about recycling services and changes over the festive period, please visit www.daventrydc.gov.uk/Christmas

https://youtu.be/hGyReYC0sPc 

The festive season is a time for giving, but sadly also for taking – the dark nights, social occasions, gifts and increased cash people have on them mean there are lots of attractive opportunities for criminals. We’re working hard to keep you safe, but there are simple steps you can take to help us.

At Home

• Don’t leave Christmas presents under your tree if they are in view of windows or doors. Make sure windows and doors are kept locked.
• Property-mark presents and valuables with your postcode, house number or name, then register them with Immobilise at www.immoblise.com. Note down model numbers and serial numbers of all electrical items.
• Never keep large amounts of cash at home and check you have adequate home insurance.
• Be mindful of what you post on social media – don’t advertise you have expensive new gifts or that you’re out and your home is therefore empty.
• Make your house look occupied if you’re not at home. Invest in a timer to turn your lights on or, if you can, ask a family member or neighbour to pop in and do it. If they can also open and close your curtains at random times of the day it helps prevent criminals from seeing a pattern, making it harder for them to target your home.
• Dispose of boxes and rubbish discreetly. Leaving boxes outside will give away the fact that you have new and valuable items in the house.

Personal safety

• When Christmas shopping, be aware of how much you are carrying with you. Things like smart phones, digital devices and extra cash to buy presents mean you could be the ideal target for thieves. Don’t take out valuables you don’t need.
• When you are out and about at Christmas, don’t leave your bag unattended. Keep your purse safe in an internal pocket, and never write down your PIN.
• Don’t leave your drink unattended. It takes a matter of seconds for someone to tamper with your drink.
• Consider getting a personal safety alarm. Don’t allow threats of crime to intimidate you into never going anywhere alone. Just be aware of what’s going on around you and be confident that you can keep safe.
• Plan your journey home. If you use a taxi, ensure it is registered. If you have to walk home, only walk with friends you know well, stick to well-lit and busy streets, and make sure someone knows the route you are taking.

Vehicle security

• When you’re out Christmas shopping, look for a well-lit, busy area to park in. For additional security look out for the Park Mark security approved car parks.
• Make sure nothing is left on display in your car. Even small items can be tempting to a thief.
• Avoid going back to your car to leave your shopping part-way through your trip. If you have to keep presents in the car, make sure they are out of view in the boot, the car is locked, and keep the receipts with you.
• Car crime accounts for more than a quarter of all reported crime in the UK, so always lock your car and make sure windows are closed every time you leave it, even for very short periods.
• Never leave your keys in the ignition while your vehicle is unattended, even for a few minutes. Thieves will steal cars that have been left with the engine running to defrost the windows.

Christmas can sadly be a time when family tensions are heightened and domestic abuse can occur or increase. If you, or someone you know, is suffering any form of domestic abuse, call us on 101, or 999 in an emergency. Help is also available from Northamptonshire Domestic Abuse Service – www.ndas.co or 0300 0120154

The festive season also presents extra fire hazards, from fairy lights to flammable decorations and Christmas trees. Find fire prevention advice at www.northantsfire.org.uk.

In the event of a fire get out, stay out and call 999.

To speak to our crime prevention team email crimeprevention@northants www.northants.police.uk