Trading Standards Alert – Cost of Living Scams

~ admin

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute has issued a stark warning in regards to the number of scams appearing in relation to the cost of living crisis and wants to warn consumers about unwittingly engaging with scammers.

CTSI Lead Officer for Scams and Doorstep Crime, Katherine Hart, said:

“There has been a huge surge in energy-efficiency scams offering rebates and offers to apply for grants. With the rise of costs in fuel bills and the cost-of-living concerns during the upcoming winter months, I urge the public to be on its guard because these types of emails and texts are attempts to scam.

“I also expect that scammers will target households in the coming weeks regarding the £150 Disability Cost of Living payment. Households don’t need to apply for the rebate as suppliers are automatically applying it to bills for six months from October. If consumers receive emails or texts out of the blue, then report texts to 7726, emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and delete the message.

How to protect yourself

Energy Bill Discount: £400 off energy bills for households in Great Britain from October 2022. You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.

Disability Cost of Living Payment: £150 rebate. You do not need to apply for the scheme and you will not be asked for your bank details.

Spotted a suspicious text message? Forward it to 7726 (it’s free of charge). If you forward a text to 7726, your provider can investigate the origin of the text and arrange to block or ban the sender if it’s found to be malicious.

Received a suspicious email? Do not click on any links – simply forward the email to report@phishing.gov.uk and the National Cyber Security Centre will investigate.

Please remember to report any scam to Action Fraud 0300 123 2040.
If you have actually been the victim of a trader or scam such as the above and need help, or you require consumer advice, please call the Citizens Advice Consumer Helpline 0808 223 1133

MHA Communities South London Celebrates Black History Month

~ admin

On Sunday 30th October from 11am to 4pm at the Wilderness garden, MHA Communities South London is hosting a fundraising event to support MHA’s aim at tackling loneliness and isolation in vulnerable older adults and to celebrate Black History Month by recognising the contributions that Black people make to the UK every day.

We should be delighted if you and your family, friends and colleagues would be able to join us for either the whole, or part of the day.

Please book your ticket as soon as possible via Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/418818797297

Throughout the day there will be music and entertainment; poems and shared experiences, stalls with food and refreshment all provided by black owned organisations and businesses from the local community, but also activities and fun for all alongside a face painter.

We really hope that you will be able to join us and support our charity MHA Communities South London as we progress our endeavour to support vulnerable older people in Croydon.

*** TICKETS PLEASE READ BELOW ***

All amounts are suggested donation.
TICKETS are purchased online and on the day and will guarantee you access to our event.
TICKET Entry is £3 suggested donation for online tickets and £5 suggested donation on the day of the event.

Reserve your place by booking the General Admission ticket.

Due to Eventbrite settings, you can only purchase one ticket at the time per person. Children up to 12years old are free and do not need a ticket.

TICKET *sales* end on Saturday 29th October at 6pm.

We are still looking for donations for baking and cakes for MHA together with additional volunteers to help us to make the event a great success.

If you are able to assist and support our cause, please get in contact with our Communities Manager, Marco Galli, on 07597 135 220 or email at marco.galli@mha.org.uk

Are you a black-owned business providing food and/or merchandise?
Do you perform and would like to participate and promote your organisation?
Get in contact with us!

Follow us on our social media pages:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MHACommSouthLondon/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MHA_Wilderness

Blood Donor Appeal

~ admin

NHS Blood and Transplant has issued an amber alert on blood stocks and asked hospitals to put measures in place to ensure that blood remains available for those in greatest need.

Hospitals will continue to carry out any urgent, emergency or trauma surgery, cancer surgery, transplant surgery and blood transfusions to treat people with long term conditions, but this could mean making difficult decisions to postpone some non-urgent elective surgeries.

We’re currently asking O positive and O negative donors who live or work near our Donor Centres in Bradford, Bristol, Liverpool, London Tooting, London Westfield Stratford City, Luton and Southampton to book a slot and asking all other donors to please keep any appointments already booked.

Donors can help by filling empty appointments at permanent donor centres in towns and cities which have extended hours and greater capacity. O blood groups are in particular need.

Each donation can save or improve up to three lives.

The amber alert will last initially for four weeks which should enable blood stocks to be rebuilt.

Blood can only be stored for 35 days, which means there is a constant need for donations – and a need for specific blood types. The NHS Blood and Transplant appointment system carefully balances the supply of blood with the changing demand from patients and hospitals. Collecting too much blood and the wrong type would mean lifesaving blood is wasted and hospitals may not have the right type available for patients when they need it.

NHS Blood and Transplant is working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England, the other UK blood services and hospitals to manage the current stock shortage.

New to Donation? 
Find out more about giving blood for the first time.

Please visit the Give Blood Website for more information or to register or sign in to your account.

NHS Covid Vaccine Van Visit – 17 October

~ admin

Shirley Neighbourhood Care Scheme has arranged for the NHS (Covid) Vaccine Van to attend at West Wickham & Shirley Baptist Church from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. on Monday 17 October.

Who can use this service
This mobile service is for these groups:

  • 65 years old and over
  • health and social care staff
  • those at higher risk or who are pregnant
  • people who have or live with someone who has a weakened immune system

When you arrive, the staff will ask you questions to ensure you’re only offered suitable vaccines.

Please contact SNCS to advise them you wish to attend, so that the NHS staff can ensure an adequate supply of the Covid vaccine.

SNCS’s telephone number is 020 8662 9599 and their email address is sncs@shirleyneighbourhoodcare.co.uk

You can also book a Covid-19 Autumn Booster online or via 111.

Covid-19 Autumn Booster

~ admin

People aged 50 years and older, residents in care homes for older people, those aged 5 years and over in a clinical risk group and health and social care staff will be offered a booster of coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine this autumn.

Who is being offered an autumn booster?

COVID-19 is more serious in older people and in people with certain underlying health conditions. This winter it is expected that many respiratory infections, including COVID-19 and flu may be circulating at high levels – this may put increasing pressure on hospitals and other health care services.

For these reasons, people aged 50 years and over, those in care homes, and those aged 5 years and over in clinical risk groups are being offered an autumn booster of COVID-19 vaccine. A booster will also be offered to front-line health and social care staff, those who care for vulnerable individuals and families of individuals with weakened immune systems.

The autumn booster is being offered to those at high risk of the complications of COVID-19 infection, who may have not been boosted for a few months. As the number of COVID-19 infections increases over the winter, this booster should help to reduce your risk of being admitted to hospital with COVID-19.

Timing of the autumn booster

You should be offered an appointment between September and December, with those at highest risk being called in first. You should have your booster at least 3 months after your last dose of vaccine.

If you are eligible for a flu vaccine, you may be able to have them at the same time – if not please go ahead anyway, you can catch up with the other vaccine later.

Please accept the vaccination that is offered to you as soon as you are able to – it is important to have your booster and build up your protection against severe illness before the winter.

Click here for more information.