Notice of Casual Vacancy

Following the resignation of a parish councillor, please see the Notice of Casual Vacancy below.


BorrowBox - Hampshire Libraries

BorrowBox is the number one digital library lending solution for eBooks and eAudiobooks. We provide the best range of UK and International titles directly to library users. So, if you are a member of your local Hampshire library you can gain access to Hampshire’s BorrowBox collection of titles for FREE. From new releases to the very best backlist, you can borrow authors like Margaret Atwood, Adam Kay, Michelle Obama, J.K Rowling and Lee Childs. If you’re not a member of your library, go to the Hampshire library website and become one today!

 

For further information please contact Hampshire Library, at www.hants.gov.uk/librariesandarchives/library

 

To get the free app, visit Hampshire Library or install the BorrowBox app on your Apple iOS or Android device from your app store. To start borrowing immediately, select Hampshire Library within the app and enter your library membership details found on your membership card.

 

Hampshire BorrowBox website can be found at: https://fe.bolindadigital.com/hampshire

 

Get the app now and browse, borrow and enjoy bestselling titles with BorrowBox today!



Message from Ian McAulay, Chief Executive, Southern Water


“We would like to reassure customers that Southern Water will continue to provide services – including emergency repairs – during lockdown. We have developed safe ways of working during the pandemic and we ask our customers to keep their distance from our frontline colleagues for the safety of both workers and customers, especially if we need to visit your home. In an emergency you can call us on 0330 303 0368.

 

“If you are struggling with your bills, help is available. Also if you, or someone you know, is vulnerable then being included on our Priority Services Register will ensure help will be provided when it’s needed. To join the Register contact us through our website, https://www.southernwater.co.uk/account/extra-help-and-support or call 0330 303 0277.”

 

Ian McAulay, Chief Executive, Southern Water


Tips to Help You Be Ready with Scottish and Southern Electricity

Get Free Extra Support During Power Cuts - Register for Priority Services

What To Put In Your Grab Bag in Case of Emergency

Update to the Test Valley 2020 Borough of Culture

Best Practice when using Buses

Please see poster below issued by Hampshire County Council

Courier Fraud

What is courier fraud?

Fraudsters telephone a potential victim, claiming to be from their bank, the police or another law enforcement authority. They then trick the person into revealing their PIN and agreeing to hand over their debit or credit card.

What should I look out for?

Calls where someone claims to be from your bank or the police. They may say that a fraudulent payment has been spotted on your card, or that someone has been arrested using your details and cards. They may then ask you to ring back using the phone number on the back of your card. This is to make you believe that the call is genuine. But the fraudster keeps the line open at their end, so you are actually connected straight back to them or an accomplice.

They will ask for your PIN, or sometimes ask you to key it into your phone’s handset. The scammer then sends a courier or taxi to pick up your card from your home. It is possible the driver does not know they are being used as part of the scam. Once they have your card and PIN, the scammer can spend your money.

What should I do if this happens to me, or someone I know?

If you have given the fraudster any details, you need to call your bank to cancel your cards. Either use a different phone, or wait at least ten minutes before calling, so that the fraudsters will be disconnected from the line. Report it to Action Fraud or to the police by calling 101.

Remember:
Your bank will never send a courier to your home
Your bank and the police will never collect your bank card
Your bank and the police will never ask for your PIN
If you receive one of these calls, end it immediately.

Report a fraud
Need to report a potential fraud? Call 0300 123 2040 or visit the Action Fraud website.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Latest

For details of the very latest UK Government response, check the Website below:

Go to NHSUK/coronavirus for information about the virus and how to protect yourself.

Use the 111 online coronavirus service to check if you need medical help.

The government has published its coronavirus action plan and expanded its public information campaign.

Test Valley Borough Council and Unity have been working in close partnership to set up a community support network as a result of the coronavirus pamdemic. If you’re isolating due to COVID-19, and have no existing support networks in place, then please call the below number. We’ll put you in touch with your local group who will be able to obtain food and medicines on your behalf. Alternatively, you can find the direct contact details of your local support group here:

Volunteer Police Cadet Leaders Needed In Andover


Our Hampshire Volunteer Police Cadets need you!

The scheme is run by teams of fantastic volunteers from the force and the local community. We are always looking for new adult volunteers to help as leaders within the scheme.

Leaders do not have to have previous police experience, only an interest in helping young people achieve their best and reach their full potential.

If you can spare at least two hours a week and are interested in becoming involved as a Volunteer Adult Leader, you can find out more information by visiting

https://www.hampshire.police.uk/join-us/volunteer-police-cadets/

Scottish & Southern Electricity (SEE) Networks - FREE Extra Support during Power Cuts

At the last Parish Council meeting, a presentation was given by SEE on useful information and tips in the event of a power cut. The leaflets that were given out at that meeting are available below. The first leaflet below provides useful guidance and help on keeping warm and saving money.

The second leaflet provides details on organising a Household Emergency Plan. If a major emergency happens, it may be some time before help arrives. It is very important that you and your family get together to prepare. The advice from SEE is to agree a plan in advance with those in your home and complete the template contained in the document by way of a plan in advance with those in your home. Complete the template together and keep it safe in case you need it to use it.

The final document provides details of the Priority Servies Register. This is a service which provides additional help to people who need it most. If you are eligible and meet the conditions as set out in the document, you should consider contacting the SEE and other utiltities on the numbers contained in the document.

Covid19 Scam Awareness


Criminals are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to defraud people.

Below are some of the most common scams to be aware of:

EMAIL, TEXT AND PHONE CALL SCAMS:
  • An unexpected email from the government offering you money.
  • The 'infection list' scam mimicking the World Health Organisation (WHO) claiming to provide a list or map of local infections.
  • An email from HM Government asking for donations for the NHS.
  • An HMRC email stating you are ‘eligible to receive a tax refund’.
  • Sale of fake COVID-19 swabbing tests, supplements, and anti-virus kits.
  • A text message asking you to pay a fine as it says you have been ‘recorded as leaving your home on three occasions’ during the lockdown.
  • A phone call stating ‘government guidelines now require everyone to wear a mask outside the house, press 1 to purchase your mask’.
DOORSTEP CRIME
  • Cleansing services that offer to clean drives and doorways to kill bacteria or offering to 'decontaminate' the inside of your home.
  • Bogus healthcare workers offering to take your temperature or provide 'home-testing' for the virus.
  • Criminals offering to do your shopping. They take the money and do not return.

ADVICE AND SUPPORT:
Always question unsolicited calls, texts or emails requesting your personal or financial information (name, address, bank details). To verify the company contact them directly using a known email or phone number. For advice on cybercrime, or to report suspicious emails, visit www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberaware Anyone who has been a victim of fraud or cybercrime can report it online at www.actionfraud.police.uk or call 0300 123 2040





New Campaign Launched - Use the Right Service

A new campaign, Use the Right Service, which helps people access the correct NHS service, has been launched across south west Hampshire and Southampton.

Use the Right Service promotes alternatives to A&E for non-emergencies, such as home care, pharmacies, 111 and Urgent Treatment Centres (UTCs), and is designed to support the reduction of pressure on A&E at Southampton General Hospital.

Over the coming months we will be promoting our integrated, cross partner campaign, via radio advertising on Heart FM and Smooth FM, digital and social media updates, street and transport advertising, as well as spreading the message through the distribution channels of local partners, such as GPs, councils, schools, voluntary organisations and community centres.

Use the Right Service has its own website – https://usetherightservice.com/– and has been formed through a collaboration of 10 partners across the region:

·         Care UK

·         Hampshire County Council

·         Partnering Health Limited (PHL)

·         Solent NHS Trust

·         South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust

·         Southampton City Clinical Commissioning Group

·         Southampton City Council

·         Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust

·         University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust

·         West Hampshire Clinical Commissioning Group

As NHS staff we have an important role to play as ‘ambassadors’, to ensure that people access the right NHS service, receive the highest quality care and to ensure that A&E and 999 services are used for those that urgently need them.

Scam Messages Offering Argos Gift Cards

Scam Messages - Beware of text, emails and Social Media messages purporting to be from Argos. The message will be asking you to click on a link which will take you to a website controlled by criminals to steal your personal and financial information.


If in doubt do a separate web search for Argos and look on the official website for the gift card offer. Do NOT USE any part of the link above.

NETFLIX PHISHING E-MAIL WARNING

Please be aware of a new Netflix scam/phishing email that is going around.

Emails are being sent from a fake Netflix email account saying ‘updating your payment details’ or ‘expired membership’ in an attempt to steal your personal or financial information.

If you’re worried about the security of your accounts, we’d emphasise the importance of having strong passwords in place, especially for accounts such as Netflix in which two-factor authentication (2FA) isn’t in place.


For advice on how to keep yourself safe from online fraud and cybercrime, please click the following link which will take you to the Hampshire Constabulary website:

https://www.hampshire.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa/fraud/online-fraud2/

Theft from Motor Vehicles

Recently there has been a spate of thefts from vans in the Andover area, whereby tools have been stolen. The Police appreciate it is not always practical to remove all tools when your van is left overnight, but you can reduce the risk by following some simple advice:
  1. Close all windows and ensure your vehicle is locked to avoid opportunist thefts.
  2. Take all personal possessions with you and do not leave items on display.
  3. Fit an alarm or immobiliser to your vehicle.
  4. Consider fitting a tool safe with a good quality lock.
  5. Try to park your vehicle near a building or hedge to restrict access.
  6. Mark tools that are stored in your vehicle with the name of your company, postcode, house/building number or name. Items that are marked are less desirable and more difficult to sell on.
  7. Consider registering tools on the free site www.immobilise.com
If you see anything suspicious, contact Police on 101.
 
If you witness a crime in progress, or you believe a crime is about to happen, call 999.

Your Hampshire - Latest News from Hampshire County Council

For the latest edition of Your Hampshire - providing helpful and useful news from Hampshire County Council click here

Fraudsters Targeting Social Media Influencers

Be Aware

The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau has received intelligence to suggest that fraudsters are contacting social media influencers, based in the UK and abroad, offering them the opportunity to market a bogus product, service or investment opportunity.

Fraudsters will present professional and credible pitches to the social media influencers and try to convince them to feature the opportunity for a fee on their social media profiles in order to entice unsuspecting followers of the influencer to sign up or make a purchase.

Additionally, fraudsters are using the names of well-known public figures, implying that their opportunity or product is endorsed by the figure when it is not.

The public should be aware that any apparent endorsement by celebrities, influencers or personalities does not necessarily mean that an investment, product or service is genuine. The public is urged to exercise a cautious approach to any such offer of investment, product or service with the same caution they would at any other time.

What You Need To Do
  • If you are purchasing goods from a company you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, or ask friends or family for advice before completing a purchase.
  • Professional-looking websites, adverts or social media posts do not guarantee that an investment opportunity or product is genuine. Criminals can exploit the names of well-known brands or individuals to make them appear legitimate.
  • Avoid paying for goods or services by bank transfer unless you know and trust the person or company. Payments via bank transfer offer you no protection if you become a victim of fraud. Instead, use your credit card or payment services such as PayPal as they offer you greater protection if you become a victim of fraud.

Criminals Targeting People With Universal Credit Scam


Action Fraud has received 63 reports about a scam in which fraudsters target people with offers of “low cost” loans or “free” government grants. What the victims aren’t told is that the money they’ll receive is actually an advance payment for Universal Credit. The criminals use the personal information they’ve obtain under false pretences to make an application in the victim’s name. After the fraudsters have taken their “fee” from the advance payment, the victim is then left to pay back the total amount once their repayments begin.


How you can protect yourself:
  • Never share your personal or financial information with someone you don’t know and trust, especially if it’s in response to an offer of “free money” or a “free grant”.
  • Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) staff will never approach you in the street or ask for your personal/financial details over social media.
  • If you have concerns about your benefits, you should visit www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus
  • If you suspect your identity may have been stolen, you can check your credit rating quickly and easily online. You should do this every few months anyway, using a reputable service provider and following up on any unexpected or suspicious results.