Pride in Surrey’s next event will be held at Priory Park in Reigate. The Event is moved around Surrey each year to allow everyone a chance to attend.

As part of their campaign to educate and celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, Pride in Surrey has also set up a Pride Hub in Redhill.   The hub – open only at the weekends from 10am - offers a one-stop shop for all things Pride. It is an addition to the one set up in Dorking in December 2021.

“The Redhill Hub will be the place to get involved in this year’s Pride. Visitors will be able to sign up to take part in the parade and volunteer, but also shop Pride merchandise and LGBTQ+ gifts. It is thanks to the kind and welcoming team at The Belfry Shopping Centre that we are able to bring this important space to the town," said Charlie Watts, Chief Executive, Pride in Surrey.

To support or sponsor the event in September, or to book your tickets, visit their website.

Rethinking your waste and changing your habits can earn you prizes

Would you like to win prizes when you rethink your waste? Rethink Waste is up and running and rewards you when you help the planet by reducing your waste. You can collect points by completing weekly activities such as quizzes, making a pledge, or watching a short video. Points can be transferred into prizes!

The scheme launched last month and so far, residents have been focusing their efforts on getting as much material out of the rubbish bin as they can. Over the coming months, the scheme will focus on reducing waste when cleaning the house and cooking. After that, if you've signed up, you will learn about some of the tools that can be used to make sure we're respecting the all-important waste hierarchy!

You can use your points in several ways. You can use them to donate money to charity or enter prize draws.

Rethink Waste is available for free and is exclusive to Surrey residents. It is being delivered by Surrey Environment Partnership, which is a partnership of all the councils in Surrey set up to deliver projects to reduce waste and increase recycling across the county.

If you're not signed up already and want to earn points, sign up today on the Green Redeem website.

It is still a challenging time, with many of us struggling with the cost of living crisis. Making your home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly is a great opportunity to reduce energy bills and do your bit for the environment and reduce your carbon footprint.

What funding is available?
We've been awarded Government funding through the Home Upgrade Grant scheme (GOV.UK), which means you could be eligible to receive a free grant.

Who is eligible?
If your home is not heated by gas you might be eligible for this grant. Anyone living in hard to heat homes and on lower incomes could receive up to £38,000 to fund measures that; improve a range of insulation including wall, loft and underfloor; install solar PV, solar thermal and air source heat pumps and ensure ventilation meets the industry standards.

Your property must have an EPC rating of D to G, the primary form of heating must not be mains gas and you will need to meet the financial eligibility criteria. Funding is limited and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Find out more
For more information and to check if you're eligible for the grant, visit the Action Surrey website or call 0800 783 2503.

Help for landlords
If you're a private landlord, your tenant might be eligible for the funding. You can also check The Domestic Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) Regulations Guidance for Landlords web page for details on updated requirements.

Earlier this year, Surrey Police introduced a new website portal which enables members of the public to upload home CCTV or smart doorbell footage to us, which shows someone acting suspiciously.  

We are asking you to be the eyes and ears of our community by submitting this footage as they might be connected to thefts and burglaries in the area. This may be in the form of photos, CCTV, dashcam, or doorbell footage. 

Examples of suspicious behaviour could be someone lurking around on your driveway, looking in your car and trying the handles, or conducting occupancy checks prior to a burglary. 

We understand that sometimes this type of footage might get uploaded to community groups on social media but sending the footage to us will help us to identify offenders operating in the area and will potentially link individuals to offences which have occurred.  

Although realistically we may not be able to identify every person in a piece of footage, especially if they have a face covering, every clip feeds into our understanding of the bigger burglary picture in your area. In the long-term we hope that this initiative will help us reduce the number of burglary offences and provide reassurance to residents.  

You can submit your footage via this link: https://www.surrey.police.uk/suspiciousactivityportal

You can also pass information via the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

Steve left the forces to work locally at Hall & Co, later becoming a mechanic at Gatwick Airport. He retired to look after his wife Pat until her death at the age of 72, but then took up agency work to care for the elderly, although many clients were younger than himself.  He remained fiercely independent to the end of his life, still driving, cutting his hedge and helping an elderly neighbour when needed.  He was an inspiration to all who knew him and is much missed.

Large community and religious WhatsApp groups are being targeted by scammers who infiltrate them to try and deceive their members into sending them money. Since January of this year, 268 people have reported falling victim to this scam.

The fraud often begins when a member of the group receives a WhatsApp audio call from the fraudster, pretending, or claiming, to be a member of the group. This is done in order to gain the individual’s trust, and often the scammer will use a false profile picture and / or display name, so at first glance it would appear to be a genuine member of the group.

The fraudster will then call the victim and say they are sending a one-time passcode which will allow them to join an upcoming video call for group members. The scammer then asks the victim to share this passcode with them so they can be “registered” for the video call. What’s really happening is that the scammer is asking for a registration code to register the victim’s WhatsApp account to a new device where they then “port” their WhatsApp profile over.

Once the fraudster has access to the victim’s WhatsApp account, they will enable two-step verification which makes it impossible for the victim to access their account. The scammer will then message other members of the group, or friends and family in the victim’s contacts, asking them to transfer money urgently as they are in desperate need of help.

“We urge people always to be wary when receiving contact via WhatsApp or other messaging platforms. This is particularly the case when being asked to provide account information – despite the fact that you may recognise the individual’s profile picture and / or name.

“Never share your account information with anyone, and if you think it’s a fraudulent approach, report the message and block the sender within WhatsApp. To make your account more secure, we advise setting up two-step verification to provide an extra layer of protection. This makes it increasingly more difficult for fraudsters to gain access to somebody else’s WhatsApp account”.

Analysis of Action Fraud reports indicate that victims targeted by this scam are often part of large WhatsApp community, alumni and academic, work groups, and religious groups (such as church or prayer groups).

What can you do to avoid being a victim? 

• Never share your account’s two-factor authentication (2FA) code (that’s the six digit code you receive via SMS).
• Set up two-step verification to give an extra layer of protection to your account.
• Tap Settings > Account >Two-step verification > Enable.
• THINK. CALL. If a family member or friend makes an unusual request on WhatsApp, always call the person to confirm their identity.
• You can report spam messages or block a sender within WhatsApp. Press and hold on the message bubble, select ‘Report’ and then follow the instructions.

If you have been a victim of fraud or cybercrime, report it at www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. In Scotland, victims of fraud and cybercrime should report to Police Scotland on 101.

Court Lodge Fields & River Mole Litter pick.

"In July's litter pick 12 bags of rubbish and one shopping trolley were collected in just two hours from one small area. 

A very big thank you to EVERYONE for taking time out of their busy schedules to help, not forgetting those who advertised and spread the word (you know who you are!). We couldn't have done it without any of you. We really are making such a difference

Whilst there will be future litter picks from Riverside along the Gatwick Stream & Ponds, our focus turns to the River Mole because the Gatwick Stream area is much cleaner and tidier. These litter picks will cover a wider area, starting from Court Lodge fields, along Lee Street towards Thames water sewage works, clearing litter from this stretch as well as the side streets along this path. (Court Lodge field won't be litter picked though as it is covered by contractors on behalf of Horley Town Council)." 

- The Main Organiser Samantha Mearing