LERA needs volunteers

LERA relies very heavily on volunteers who help deliver the Newsletter three times a year and also to collect in the subscriptions. These "street representatives" can attend the meetings of the committee if they wish. It is not a very difficult nor time consuming task but without their support LERA could not function.

There are currently vacancies for the following street reps :-
Ridgeway Drive (Even Nos 52-74 and Odd Nos 57-105),
New Street Hill,
probably Treewall Gardens,
possibly Ridgeway (Nos 1-50)
possibly Broadlands Road

If you have a few hours spare a YEAR then please contact Peter Skipp at skipphouse@ntlworld.com  email us at leracontact@gmail.com or contact your nearest street rep whose phone can be found in any of our newsletters or you could come to the AGM on 23rd April and tell us there.

ST ANDREW’S CHURCH JUBILEE GIFT AND OPEN DAY

Please come to St Andrew’s Church Jubilee gift and open day

On Saturday 26^th MAY from 10am — 4pm

to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

There will be refreshments & ploughman’s lunches; a chance to write a message to the Queen which will be included in a special card for the occasion; an opportunity to make a gift to St Andrew’s for the work of the church and in thanksgiving for her Majesty’s 60 year reign; flower arrangements; organ music and coronation anthems; royalist artifacts and souvenirs including a facsimile of the anointing spoon Used at the Queen’s Coronation; films on a royal theme; a timeline of our church’s life in relation to the Queen’s reign. 

Please do join us! 

Classic Film Club St Andrews Hall, Burnt Ash Lane

South Pacific

Starring Mitzi Gaynor and Giorgio Tozzi

Monday 30th April 2012

Time 7.00pm doors open 6.45pm

Cost £2 minimum donation per person is suggested to include refreshments at the interval.

For more information ring:-
Brian at James Harper 020 8464 0080
Rev'd Angela King      020 8313 3434
Rev'd Liz Davis           020 6460 4672

All welcome

NOTICE OF ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Monday 23 April 2012 in St Andrews Hall starting at 7.30pm

The Hall will be open from 7.00pm and the meeting will start promptly.

A copy of this agenda together with the Chairman's Report for the year
to 31st March 2012 is being distributed by street representatives. 

Agenda

1. Welcome and introduction by the Chairman 

2. Apologies for absence 

3. To receive and approve the minutes of the AGM held 16 May 2011 

4. Matters arising 

5. Officers Reports 

6. Subscriptions for 2012/13 

7. To elect members of the Committee: Hon. Secretary, Hon. Treasurer and Committee Members (note overleaf). 

8. To appoint an Auditor 

9. LERA Website 

10. Open Forum 

Light refreshments will be served after the meeting

Notes for item 7

The Chairman was re-elected in 2011. The Hon. Secretary was elected in 2009 to serve for a period of three years and will be seeking re-election.  The Hon. Treasurer has moved away from the Links Estate and consequently is standing down at the AGM

Nominations for Hon. Secretary and Hon. Treasurer should be given to the Chairman at his address not later than seven days before the meeting.  Members wishing to stand for election to the Committee should notify the Secretary before the start of the meeting.

Help save Burnt Ash Library

Burnt Ash Library is under threat again. Bromley is conducting a survey based in the library which asks whether the opening hours should be reduced, days open reduced or the branch closed. Please go in to the library and complete the survey hopefully to oppose the reduction or closure of this important local resource. The survey will continue for the next two weeks so go there next Thursday, Saturday or Monday.

Identity Theft Fraud

Recently several people in the estate have been affected by an identity theft fraud. The crooks use your name and address to open an account in your name with an online retailer. They choose an online retailer who does not carry out security checks very carefully.  After a short while they will order something valuable such as an expensive laptop online. Using the tracking information they know when the laptop will be delivered and either follow the courier van or keep watch at your house. Most people will take in the laptop and sign for it. Half an hour after the laptop has been delivered one of the crooks dressed as a courier knock on the door and tells you that there has been a mistake. They are very convincing and many people hand the item over. The next you may know about it is when you receive a statement showing a charge of several hundred pounds.

There are several ways you can avoid the problems.

1. If you receive a statement of account from a company you have not opened an account with then ring the number on the statement and ask for the fraud department.
2. If a courier delivers something you are sure you have not ordered then insist they take it back. It will then be returned to the company.
3. If you do take a parcel addressed to you (because someone else in the house might have ordered it for you) and someone comes to ask for it back then refuse to return it and contact the police and the company that sent it.

Are there terrorists in the Links Estate?

This seems unlikely but the Met Police have published the following advice:-

COMMUNITIES CAN DEFEAT TERRORISM

Terrorists live amongst us when they are planning attacks. We want you to look out for the unusual - some activity or behaviour which strikes you as not quite right and out of place in your normal day to day lives.

You may feel it’s probably nothing, but unless you trust your instincts and tell us we won’t be able to judge whether the information you have is important or not.

Remember, no piece of information is considered too small or insignificant.

Our specially trained officers would rather take lots of calls which are made in good faith, but have innocent explanations rather than not getting any at all.

We know you may have concerns about speaking to the police - possibly because your friends or family may find out.

But all information passed to the police is treated in the strictest of confidence. It is thoroughly analysed and researched by experienced officers before, and if, any police action is taken.

Suspicious activity could include someone:

• Who has bought or stored large amounts of chemicals, fertilisers or gas cylinders for no obvious reason.

• Who has bought or hired a vehicle in suspicious circumstances.

• Who holds passports or other documents in different names for no obvious reason.

• Who travels for long periods of time, but is vague about where they’re going.

For more information and advice visit www.met.police.uk/terrorism

In an emergency always call 999

Burnt Ash Library Reading Group March

The next meeting at Burnt Ash Library is on Thursday 29th March at 2.15 pm and everyone is welcome. The book to be discussed is

Water for Elephants by Sarah Gruen

When Jacob Jankowski - recently orphaned and suddenly adrift - jumps onto a passing train, he enters a world of freaks, grifters and misfits in the form of the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a travelling circus struggling to survive the Great Depression.

For more details visit the library or contact the librarians on 020 8460 3405 or by email at burntash.library@bromley.gov.uk

Ma Kelly's doorstep returns to Bromley

From the Safer Neighbourhood Partnership

Dear All
I am pleased to inform you that Ma Kelly’s Doorstep is coming to Bromley once again.
This time we will be holding the show in three venues and it's all FREE:

• Wednesday 14th March at 10.15am at The  United Reform Church, 20 Widmore Road, Bromley  BR1 1RY
• Thursday 15th March at 2.30pm at Anerley Town Hall, Anerley Road, London, SE20 8BD
• Friday 16th March at 2pm at Bromley Central Library Large Hall, 4th floor, Bromley  BR1 1EX

Ma Kelly’s Doorstep is a free fun and informative play, with a song or two, for older audiences about the serious issue of bogus doorstep callers and scams and how we can protect ourselves from them. A brief talk will be given from Bromley Council’s Trading Standard’s Team and the London Fire Brigade before the show.

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided at each event.
You can turn up on the day but in order to guarantee a seat please RSVP to amanda.davis@bromley.gov.uk  stating your name, which date you would like to attend and how many seats you would like. Alternatively you can leave a voicemail for me on 020 8313 4395.
Please note that at the moment these are the only performances of Ma Kelly’s Doorstep planned in Bromley this year.
Best wishes
Amanda Davis
Saferbromley Partnership
Safer Neighbourhood Officer
Telephone 020 8313 4395
Email at  amanda.davis@bromley.gov.uk

 More details about the 2011 show can be viewed at Ma Kelly's Website

Below is a summary of the play which was written by Jane James

 Attic Theatre Company provides an hour's entertainment, including a song or two, on the serious issue of Bogus Callers and how we can protect ourselves from them.


Ma Kelly is faced with a problem.
She likes company and she trusts people, but sometimes the callers at her door are people she doesn't know. Should she let them in when they need help?

If they are from the Water Board or the Gas Company, they'll have a job to do. There's all sorts call at your door these days, and sometimes they're up to no good.

Ma Kelly is a wise old bird. She knows you can only tell a chocolate box by its contents. She's got a little plan to sort 'em all out - come and see Ma Kelly in action, with Nisha, her neighbour and Puss, her cat.
 Remember it is all free!

Bike marking event Saturday 10th March

Plaistow and Sundridge Safer Neighbourhood Team

BIKE MARKING EVENT

Bike marking event Saturday March 2012 12am - 3pm at Plaistow and Sundridge Safer Neighbourhood Team Office 121 - 123 Burnt Ash Lane

It does, not matter whether your bike is new or old, it may still get stolen. Come to our free bike marking and registering event; then have peace of mind that if your bike is found we will be able to reunite you.

Most bikes have a serial number on the frame when they come from the factory. If that is the case, we will register that serial number on a database that most police forces recognize.

If your bike does not have a serial number, we can provide you with a holographic tamper-evident security sticker that attaches to the bottom of the frame. `

If you have any queries, please contact PCSO Salter or PCSO Brown.