Fortnightly update

Good morning all

Heat wave

I hope you are all surviving this glorious weather we have been having and aren’t currently in a puddle of your own sweat on the kitchen floor wondering when it will end. Personally, I love a bit of heat but trying to do everyday jobs can be hard. I have attached a website to offer advice on how to handle the heat. Please have a look and please keep yourself safe. It is hot out there so that is a great excuse to take it easy and don’t push yourself too much.

How to keep cool and stay well during hot weather  – UK Health Security Agency

Wimbledon

It’s that time of year again — Britain’s best tennis tournament rolls into town. Having worked on it for eight years in my previous life, I can’t help but love it: the atmosphere, the tradition, the sheer grandeur of it all. For two weeks, parts of the borough come alive, and Merton is firmly on the map for the world to see.

Of course, there’s a downside. The crowds (and the flying ants — they were always my personal nemesis during the fortnight) can cause their fair share of disruption. To help with that, I’ve attached details on how to contact the Neighbourhood Wardens. If you experience any issues, please reach out to them — they’ll do everything they can to support you.

MOPAC Bids

We can finally reveal what our bids are, for those of you who don’t know, every year MOPAC give community funding across all boroughs including Merton. This year NHW has had two very different bids accepted and I am very excited to tell you about them

BID 1

Security equipment – This year we will be updating our stocks o various security equipment that we will then give to you for completely free at various events or meetings, or you can just ask anyone from the committee. This will be such things along the lines of Personal alarms, shed alarms and security lights while a full list hasn’t been written up yet, we will be discussing this at our next committee meeting at the end of July. This doesn’t mean we don’t want to hear suggestions from you so if you have anything you would like to suggest, I can put it to the committee. 

BID 2

The DIY Project – This initiative is a little different from our usual NHW work, and it’s one I’m genuinely excited about. While NHW normally focuses on protecting our streets, this project aims to make a difference before problems begin.

We’ll be working with ten young people aged 18–24 who haven’t had many opportunities and may feel they don’t have much to look forward to. Over the course of the programme, we’ll teach them practical DIY skills and support them in gaining their CSCS card. The goal is to give them the tools—literally and figuratively—to secure a job, an apprenticeship, or further training. More importantly, it will help build their confidence and show them that a brighter future is within reach.

The project will run twice this year, supporting around twenty young people in total. Participants will also contribute to community improvement projects across the borough. As this is our first year, most participants will come from the Pollards Hill area, where the venue is based, but there’s no reason this can’t expand to other parts of the borough in future years if it proves successful.

If you’d like to get involved or have any old equipment you no longer need, please get in touch with me. We’re looking for old tools, scrap wood, and any other DIY materials that could help the group learn and build. This is an NHW project, so we’d love for you to be part of it. If you have any questions, just ask.

And finally, if it is too hot, here’s a link to paddling pools in Argos, you’re ever to old to cool down in Ice cold water.

Swimming Pool | Argos

Have a great fortnight everyone.

Take care

Mark Robinson 

(He/Him)

Community Resilience Officer 

Community Safety Team

Mark.robinson@merton.gov.uk