WHAT'S ON: Community news from Watford, Bushey, Three Rivers and the Langleys

WATFORD:

Watford and Three Rivers residents can find out more about plans to transform health and care services in Watford and Three Rivers by joining in the debate about future provision across west Hertfordshire at an event early next month. The Your Care, Your Future event takes place on Wednesday, February 8 at West Herts College Watford Campus, Hempstead Road, from 7pm until 9pm, with doors opening at 6.30pm. It is being organised and attended by local NHS services, including Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust together with Hertfordshire County Council. It will be an opportunity for people to shape thinking on plans under the Your Care, Your Future programme to increase tests, treatments and support for people with less complex care needs in community locations and reduce the need for hospital appointments. There will be a particular focus on the health of people in Watford and Three Rivers and how services can be tailored to meet local needs.

Children and families from the Meriden attended a fun Christmas event for free, thanks to the Meriden Residents’ Association and Watford Community Housing Trust. The event was partly funded using fees paid by a television production company for some filming that recently took place at the Meriden, with authorisation from the trust. This money allowed volunteers from the Meriden Residents’ Association to set up an affordable and fun afternoon during the festive break for families living in the community. Weeks of planning led to a great afternoon for 25 families from the local area.

A Momentum event in support of Jeremy Corbyn is taking place at the Multi-cultural Community Centre in Durban Road, Watford, between 4pm and 6pm on Sunday.

THREE RIVERS:

A youth council is seeking ideas on how to spend their grant. Three Rivers’ Youth Council is looking for ideas on who to allocate money to from their £1,000 grant. Groups or organisations that provide services or facilities for young people in Three Rivers are invited to apply for a grant. To be considered, groups should send applications to the council by January 30 and members will discuss on February 7. Forms from the council website at www.threerivers.gov.uk or you can call 01923 776 611.

Northwood Holocaust Memorial Day is holding its annual ceremony on February 7, between 2pm and 5.30pm. There will be a series of guest speakers and an art exhibition at the Northwood and Pinner Liberal Synagogue, in Oaklands Gate, Northwood. A holocaust survivor will speak first, followed by a rabbi. Guests are then invited to view Sira Soetendorp’s exhibition Vanished Families. For more information call Debbie Bello on 07786 263 498.

A quiz night in aid of a charity that supports local people affected by cancer and other serious conditions will take place at Rickmansworth Golf Club, in Moor Lane. The quiz night, which will be held on Friday, March 3, will help fund new MRI, CT and PET scanners at the Paul Strickland Scanner Centre in the Mount Vernon Hospital, as well as fund medical research. To book a place in the quiz, which starts at 7.30pm, call 01923 844 920. Entry costs £14 per person, which also includes a supper.

An art exhibition and silent auction will celebrate 70 years of two hospices’ care. The Michael Sobell Hospice, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, has joined forces with St Luke’s Hospice, which opened its door 30 years ago, for the event on Friday, February 10. The exhibition will be open between 10am and 7pm at Moor Park Golf Club. Tickets for the event are free and guests can expect a collection of temporary and traditional artwork. There will be work from local artists as well as patients, staff and volunteers from each hospice. All artwork will be available to buy on the day via a silent auction bid. All the proceeds will be split between the hospices. For more information, call Karen Shardlow on 020 3826 2354 or email kshardlow@michaelsobellhospice.co.uk.

BUSHEY:

There will be two Amnesty talks about the arrest in May 2011 of a grandfather currently being held in an Iranian prison on spying charges. Kamal Foroughi is the father of Hertsmere man Kamran Foroughi, who is campaigning for his release. The public meetings are open to all. The talks are being held on January 30 at 8pm, at Reason Coffee Shop, in The Parade, Watford and on February 8 at 8pm at The Friends Meeting House, in Upper Lattimore Road, St Albans.

On January 25, from 12pm to 2pm a new community project, Soup and Chat, begins at St James’s Church, in Bushey. It is open to the whole community and will take place once a fortnight. A simple soup lunch will be provided. There is no charge but donations are welcome. Many people, including local councillors, have been generous in offering help and support for this new venture.

St James’s Church in Bushey is looking for any individuals or groups in Bushey or Oxhey who are keen to take part in a summer art exhibition at the church. If anyone is interested contact stjames@busheyparish.org for more information.

There will be a sale of toys, books and equipment at St Andrew’s Methodist Church, in Bushey Heath as the pre-school has closed. The event will run from 12pm to 2.30pm on Saturday.

On February 14, St. James Flower Guild will hold a brief Annual General Meeting, followed by a flower arranging demonstration by Familiar Faces. The meeting, to be held at St James’s Church House, High Street, Bushey, begins at 7.45 pm. All arrangements will be raffled and refreshments are available. Admission is £5. All are welcome. Enquiries to Jenny Pryra, 020 8950 3280.

A free movie night at Holy Trinity Church, Bushey, will screen a different film once a month until June. On February 10 Storks will be shown, with Trolls a month later on March 10. After the Easter break there will be a screening of the new Disney film Moana on May 12 followed by Sing on June 9. Doors open at 4pm with the movie starting at 4.30pm. The event is free and there will be drinks, popcorn and sweets for a small fee.

There will be a rare opportunity to learn about trees and fungi who live in a symbiotic relationship on a walk around Aldenham Country Park led by professionally qualified horticulturalist and arboriculturalist Alan Williams and other professionals in this field on January 29. Learn more about the natural environment and breathe some fresh air after the festive season. This walk is subject to weather conditions and it will be rescheduled if the weather is bad for the day. If you want to come then send your name to michelle@aldenhamcountrypark.co.uk to book in and be updated. Ages of children will be helpful for the preparation of the event activities. The day starts at 10am, but come from 9am to make sure you are all set up. Hot drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. The walk and activities are to last for two to three hours and why not visit the farm afterwards. The day is open to all ages but recommended from four upwards to adults. There is free admission but car park charges apply.

THE LANGLEYS:

The first SOLO Lunch of 2017 is on January 26 at 12.45pm in the Refectory, of St Mary’s Church in Kings Langley. Anyone wishing to attend should sign the list inside the church. The first PCC meeting of 2017 is on the same day at 7.45pm in the refectory.

Children from nursery age upwards are encouraged to join the junior church in the Trinity room of Holy Trinity Church, in Kings Langley, during the 10am service. They will go through with their leaders just a few minutes into the service and parents are welcome to accompany them. There are toys in the Alban Room for babies and tots. Anyone with a pre-school child who becomes restless in the pew is able to use this space or the children’s corner at the front of church under their parents’ supervision.

The history of Kings Langley will be celebrated through the art of film. The Kings Langley History Society will be holding An Evening of Old New Kings Langley Films on February 15. The event, which starts at 7.30pm, will take place in the Baptist Church in The Nap. For more information, visit www.kingslangley.org.uk/. The society is also telling the story of Hemel Hempstead through postcards. On March 15, Roy Wood will be speaking at the event at the Baptist Church in the Nap. The event starts at 7.30pm.