A guide to community events going on in Bushey, Watford, Three Rivers and the Langleys.

WATFORD:

An event to help drivers keep their vehicles’ number plates more secure will take place in Watford on today. The PL4TE S4FE event will be held at B&Q, in Lower High Street, where officers from the Watford and Three Rivers Safer Neighbourhood Teams will be fitting tamper proof screws free of charge. The event runs from 10am until 2pm.

Homelessness charity New Hope will host an open day at its community market garden today. The garden offers New Hope’s service users an opportunity to volunteer, developing new and existing skills and confidence through a range of creative, woodworking and gardening projects. The event will take place at the Community Market Garden, 64 Rickmansworth Road, Watford, WD18 7JA.

Hertfordshire Constabulary is celebrating 175 years of crime fighting with a day dedicated to the history of the force. The Hertfordshire Constabulary Historical Society has teamed up with Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies (HALS) to host an anniversary celebration today at County Hall in Pegs Lane, Hertford. The free event will run from 11am to 3pm.

W.I Beechen Grove has changed its name to Watford W.I. Its next meeting will take place at Beechen Grove Baptist Church on Wednesday, October 5 at 2.15pm. The meeting is being held in memory of the group’s late secretary Rene Magor.

The Princes Trust runs the TEAM programme based at Watford Fire Station. It provides a 12-week course for young people aged 16 to 25 that focuses on team work, building confidence and motivation and getting young people set up for the next step into further education or employment. In addition it also delivers a community project to renovate/benefit a local charity or place of need. It is currently open for applications for any young people that may be unsure of what to do next, those who have motivation/confidence issues or barriers to employment and welcome any local young people to get in touch to hear how we can support them and/or the local community as part of TEAM programme. For more information, contact: aimee.wilson@hertfordshire.gov.uk.

Unity in the Community Festival is taking place next month. The Moonsoon Restaurant’s Culture Bazaar will take place from 10am until 6pm on Saturday, October 1 and from 11am until 5pm on Sunday, October 2. There will be a mini film festival, world music, a photographic and arts exhibition and henna painting. To find out more, visit www.monsoonrestaurantwatford.co.uk.

Elliott’s Reeve hair salon in Watford is holding a fundraising day next week. The store is raising money for Macmillan from Thursday, September 29 until Saturday, October 1. It is going to donate £1 from every haircut to charity. THere will also be raffle prizes, cake and guess who games.

A bingo fundraiser will be held to raise money for Watford General Hospital. The event will take place on September 28 at Watford Synagogue in Watling Street and is being held on behalf of the Michael Green foundation.

THREE RIVERS:

A charity run in Moor Park, Rickmansworth, will be the biggest in its 15-year history with more than 1,000 children signed up to compete. The annual 10K race and junior fun-runs, which takes place at Merchant Taylors’ School on September 25, will raise money for the Lynda Jackson Macmillan Centre.

Book lovers should head to Croxley Green next month for a charity book sale. Coffee and cakes will be served at the event that starts at 8.30am on October 22. All proceeds from the sale at Croxley Green Baptist Church, in Baldwins Lane, will go to Christian Aid.

Familes are invited to remembrance ceremonies at the Michael Sobell Hospice. The Light up a Life services, on November 26 and 27, will include seasonal music and readings. A tree will also be lit and will remain switched on until January 12, 2017. The events start at 4pm and 6pm at the Michael Sobell Lecture Centre, in Rickmansworth Road.

People of all ages can take part in a Halloween colour dash. The event on October 30, starts at 11am with the mini-dash for children followed by the main events for adults. Participants can choose between one, two or three laps of the Mount Vernon Hospital grounds, in Northwood, where coloured paint powder will be thrown at them. For more information contact Ophelia or Trish on 020 3826 2637.

All Saints Church is inviting people to get on-board the Night Train for an evening of jazz, blues and funk. The Night Train event will take place at the church hall, in Croxley Green, on October 22. There will be a bar and nibbles will be available at the dance, which starts at 7.30pm. For more information, call 01923 772 109.

BUSHEY:

The next Bushey and Radlett Community Safety Partnership meeting is due to be held at Queen’s School on October 10. The meeting addresses all sorts of issues including antisocial behaviour, parking, traffic and many other issues affecting residents in the area. Anyone with issues they would like to be addressed should contact Raymond Coffer on raymond.coffer@richardgerstl.com.

On Friday, September 30 there will be a Macmillan coffee morning at 14 Woodlands Road, Bushey, running from 10am to 3pm. There will be a cake competition and the organisers are asking for guests to bring entries to the competition. There will be a prize for the winner. For more details ring Marion on 01923 245058.

There is an opportunity for men to get in shape this autumn as a new weight management course will start in Bushey. Shape Up is a free weight course for men funded by Public Health Hertfordshire and delivered by Watford FC’s Community Sports and Education Trust, with funding support from Hertsmere Borough Council. The course is aimed at men aged 18 to 65. Sessions will take place at Queens School in Bushey on Tuesday nights from 7.30pm to 9pm starting on September 20 for 12 weeks.

Hertsmere Borough Council is tackling childhood obesity after telling takeaways they could face tougher measures if they want to open near schools. Anyone applying for planning consent to open a takeaway visible from a secondary school entrance or access point in the borough will have to show that the proposal ‘would not undermine any existing or proposed healthy eating policy at that school’. Almost a third (30.2 per cent) of 10 and 11 year olds in the borough are overweight or obese. Childhood obesity is likely to continue into adulthood and can lead to increased risk of diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Health problems associated with excess weight cost the NHS over £5billion each year.

LANGLEYS:

Kings Langley Parish Council is beginning its ‘war on weeds’. The regular litter pick will be replaced with a weeding session on September 25. Volunteers will be weeding in High Street and surrounding areas, and may also tackle the ivy in the village garden. The group are meeting at the council offices, in Charter Court at 10am. Weed-pickers, gloves and hi-vis jackets will be provided.

On October 16, Abbots Apple Fest is returning to School Mead, Abbots Langley, from 11am to 3.30pm. There will be apple bobbing, a petting zoo, falconry display, drumming sessions, live music, children’s entertainment and food to buy and taste. Abbots Apple Fest is organised by Abbots in Transition, which works alongside Abbots Langley Biz, Sunnyside Rural Trust and Watford Community Housing Trust.