Preston Parish Council
Parking On The Green
As residents will be aware, there are some weekends in Spring and Summer when there are a lot of visitors to the village, some of whom park on The Green. To try to avoid this happening, the Parish Council intends to put up signs on The Green indicating that there is additional parking on the hard standing on Back Lane and on the layby on Church Lane.
Anyone who would like to comment on this proposal, should contact Margaret Trinder
by Friday 16 April.
A Free Tree For Your Garden
North Hertfordshire District Council has organised a tree planting project that encourages people living in North Herts to plant a free tree in their garden. Trees will be small saplings and will be delivered in the Autumn.
Anyone who would like to order a free tree should contact Lisa Lathane, Clerk to Preston Parish Council: email: prestonclerk@gmail.com or 07887 875442 as soon as possible and by Friday 30 April at the latest. An order for Preston will be submitted via District Councillor David Barnard.
OWL Messaging
Preston Parish Council has been asked by Hertfordshire Police to promote the OWL system which they use to send out information on local crime to Hertfordshire residents. Only 26% of households are currently registered. To sign up to OWL, simply visit www.owl.co.uk or contact your local PCSO Heather 07847 364955 or heather.burrows@herts.pnn.police.uk.
Preston Parish Council: Wednesday 21 April
The next meeting of Preston Parish Council will be held on Wednesday 21 April at 8pm via Zoom video conferencing. Any member of the public who would like to raise an issue to be discussed at this meeting should contact the Clerk. Anyone who would like to join in the electronic meeting should also contact Lisa Lathane, Clerk to the Parish Council:
by Friday 16 April. A link to join the meeting will emailed about 15 minutes before the meeting is due to start.
St Martin’s Church and All Saints’ Church Services
St Martin’s Church will re-open for services on Easter Day, April 4.
www.achurchnearyou.com/church/7580/
| Sunday 4th April – Easter Day |
11am | Holy Communion Acts 10:34-43 Mark 16:1-8 |
| Sunday 11th April | 10am | Sunday Worship at All Saints |
| Sunday 18th April | 10am | Family Worship Acts 3:12-19 Luke 24:36b – 48 |
| Sunday 25th April | 10am | Holy Communion at All Saints |
| Sunday 2nd May | 9:30am | Holy Communion Acts 8:26 – end John 15:1-8 |
Team Vicar of St Paul’s Walden with Preston:
A Letter From Our Team Vicar
Like me, you may see Easter as an important turning point in the year. Spring is well on its way, the days are lengthening and things generally look and feel more hopeful. How true that is this year! We are getting a little more easing of lockdown, the vaccine programme is very well advanced and summer is beckoning.
What will it all mean for us and for our village communities? Well at the most basic level, it will mean more community – more getting together, more doing things together, recovering something of what we have lost over the past year. That will be a welcome improvement. It will also mean a return to a normal pattern of family life. I am looking forward to that too, because family life matters hugely, as we all know.
I am delighted that the extension work at St Martin’s is now complete, with our first service back there on Easter Sunday. I also look forward to seeing you at the Easter Day service at All Saints.
Happy Easter!
With every blessing,
Stephen
St Martin’s Church 120 Club Draw 2020/2021
The winners in the first draw (March) in the 2021/22 120 Club (£30 each) were:
No. 60 Capt. M R Lowle
No. 107 Mrs M A Reintjes
There are a few unsold tickets and we welcome any new participants – tickets cost £20 for the year, with 25 prizes of £30. This is an important source of income for St Martin’s church to help maintain the building and churchyard. If you would like to join please call Richard Blockley 457631.
Neighbourhood Watch
The number to contact at North Herts Police for all non-emergencies (including witnessing of fly-tipping) is 101 or 01707 354000.
For removal of fly tipping which has already occurred, call NHDC 01462 474000 or online at www.north-herts.gov.uk, then follow the links to Transport and Streets, Street Cleaning and Fly Tipping where there is a form to complete to report the details. If you use the What3Words app, please include the three words for the location of the fly tipping.
PC Johnie Streeter and PCSO Heather Burrows can be contacted regarding local community issues. Their contact details are as follows:
PC Johnie Streeter: 07525 905431 or 01438 757604 Johnie.streeter@herts.pnn.police.uk
PCSO Heather Burrows: 07740 745168 or 01438 757604 or heather.burrows@herts.pnn.police.uk
In the event of an emergency or if you witness a crime taking place please call 999.
Reporting suspicious activity
Please report any suspicious activity or vehicles you may witness in the locality.
Call the police on the non-emergency number 101 or report it online by using the website www.herts.police.uk/report and follow the links.
Hitchin Foodbank Shortages
Due to recent strong demand the following items are most urgently needed: Tinned Rice Pudding; Sponge Puddings; Tinned Potatoes; Dried Milk; Ladies’ Deodorant. Thank you for your continued support. Please ensure items are undamaged and in date. Donations can be deposited in the blue box in the garage at Lychgate House, Church Lane, or at Waitrose and Sainsbury’s.
COVID 19: Preston Help Line – Closing Friday 2 April
Preston Parish Council and The Preston Trust would like to inform Preston residents that, since there have been no requests for help in recent months, the helpline will close on Friday 2 April. Should circumstances change and the need arise in future, the helpline will start again and everyone will be informed as soon as possible by all the available means of communication.
If you do find yourself in need of COVID related help after 2 April you may still contact either the Preston Trust or the Parish Council for assistance.
Preston Parish Council and The Preston Trust would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all the volunteers for their support for the helpline since it started in March 2020.
Please stay safe and remember to follow the latest Government guidance.
COVID-19 and the Newsletter
Producing our Parish Newsletter is a community initiative. Between us, we have taken steps to protect both the volunteers who produce and deliver as well as our readers. We have reduced the number of people involved in production – Howard edited the newsletter and e-mailed it as a Word file for printing; Rae and Wal printed, folded and sorted into delivery rounds this month; then distributed, contact free to the volunteers who deliver.