Councillors Use Funds to Help Create Cleaner, Greener, Healthier Hertfordshire

Hertfordshire’s 78 county councillors are provided with a Locality Budget of £10,000 to spend on projects that support Hertfordshire being a county of opportunity for all; where people thrive, our places prosper, and our planet is protected. The funding enables councillors to support a wide range of projects that centre around the county council’s four key corporate areas of:

• improving the health and wellbeing of our people
• protecting and improving our environment
• supporting the sustainable and responsible growth of our county
• providing excellent services that are accessible for all

In line with a vision to help make a cleaner, greener and healthier Hertfordshire, grants made by county councillors during August reached a value of £13,345 and include the following:

Hertfordshire and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT)

Restoring the visitor hide at Amwell Nature Reserve

Cllr Jonathan Kaye has awarded a grant of £1000 to restore the visitor hide at Amwell Nature Reserve near Ware. The boardwalk to the White Hide was installed over a decade ago. Due to the very wet ground conditions, the boardwalk up to the hide has deteriorated with significant subsidence. If it isn’t replaced it will have to be closed. The reserve has over 2,000 visitors per year.

Amwell is one of the most important places for wildlife in the county, significant for its populations of dragonflies, damselflies and birds. Key bird species that can be viewed from this hide include the gadwall, smew and the bittern. Funding from the Locality Budget Scheme will support the costs of specialist contractors to restore/replace the treated-timber boardwalk up to the hide making it safe and useable for visitors to enjoy the beautiful wildlife and nature.

Cllr Kaye said: ‘We are lucky to have this nature reserve near Ware which is popular with local people in Ware, Stanstead Abbots, Great Amwell and beyond and I am happy to help support Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust in their endeavours to make the relevant repairs that are needed.’

Always Bee You CIC

Enabling adults with learning disabilities to enjoy good quality social and work opportunities

Cllr Jonathan Kaye has awarded a grant of £1000 to help fund professional art tutors, dance tutors, a singing coach and drama storyteller.

Many group members have struggled to get back to normal socialising after the pandemic and feel supported and more comfortable attending the activities provided by the Herts Mental Health team. Many young people have been referred to this service who have lost confidence and friendships due to mental health issues during COVID.

The grant will support 52 adults with learning disabilities and those recovering from mental health issues to access good quality social experiences during difficult times. The group have been isolated and lonely for long periods of time and are now back to face-to-face activities meeting with their friends. These activities are supporting people who have struggled with their mental health, and some have been hospitalised during COVID. It also supports parents who have lost all their respite during COVID and desperately need time for themselves to enable them to carry on caring. The funding will also enable the group to express their feelings through therapeutic art classes, dance and drama sessions.
Many of the members have made meaningful and lasting friendships and 100% say they are happier. The funding will also enable the provision of services to more people in East Herts who need our support.

The image shows some of the adults attending Always Bee You.

Cllr Kaye: ‘The work that Always Bee You organises in Ware is priceless. I often see its members in the town centre informally and the activities that are put on go towards alleviating social isolation for many young adults with learning difficulties – more formally I have watched them build lasting friendships.’

Hertfordshire County Council

Multi-culture participatory dance theatre

Cllr Tina Bhartwas has awarded a grant of £1000 to cover the costs of performances in Hertfordshire Libraries of Apple ‘n’ Spice, a multi-culture participatory dance theatre piece for children and families. This will include fees for Artistic Director, performers and the puppeteer. The funding will also cover costs for transport, the performer, equipment, planning and development and marketing.

This event will be part of a portfolio for developing the library as a vibrant community asset, it will enable libraries to encompass their vision of enriching their communities by fostering local culture and heritage and provide opportunities for citizens to participate actively in community life.

It brings theatre to the people – giving those that might not normally pay to go out to the theatre a chance to watch a professional show in a local, community setting at an affordable price. The piece literally brings stories to life, demonstrating to children that a story is not just words on a page. It fires their creativity, showing them how better to imagine stories that they read. It shows them stories bring pleasure and enjoyments – reading for pleasure is one of the strongest indicators of educational attainment in children.

Cllr Bhartwas: ‘I am very pleased to support a performance in Letchworth Library of Apple ‘n’ Spice, a multi culture participatory dance theatre piece for children and families. Events like this really enrich their communities by providing an affordable opportunity to watch a show, highlighting creativity and fostering community cohesion.’

Herts Musical Memories

Musicial Therapy for Dementia sufferers

Cllr Nigel Bell has awarded a grant of £500 to help pay for sessions to bring people living with dementia and their carers together to improve physical and mental wellbeing through musical therapy.

Supporting the day-to-day running costs of the charity will also help with freelance professional singers who join the groups and help lead each session and with general admin costs.

The charity has lost many of its members to the pandemic and more people have gone into care homes than at any time in its five-year history. The services provided are important for those living with dementia to help them stay healthy both mentally and physically. The £500 requested will significantly help to relaunch and promote the sessions and ensure people in Watford are able to access this wonderful service.

Cllr Bell: ‘I am very pleased to support ‘Herts Musical Memories’as the work they do is so important in helping our residents who suffer with Dementia and the vital support and partnership work with their families and carers.’

Headway Hertfordshire Limited

Support and care of those affected by a brain injury

Cllr Tony Kingsbury has awarded a grant of £500 to support the delivery of services for a highly vulnerable group of people with brain injuries. Headway Hertfordshire is the only organisation in Hertfordshire offering this service and has been for 20 years. (Every 90 seconds someone is admitted to hospital with a brain injury). Clients have commented on how much they have benefited and how much the support has changed their lives

Cllr Kingsbury: ‘Headway do great work to support those with a brain injury. Having had a discussion and been talked through how they provide this help to local people, I certainly felt that my support would be worthwhile to help those affected, especially given increased demands for Headway’s services.’