Police in Armagh are helping householders show doorstep criminals the door through a new scheme to keep 'rogue traders' at bay.

Using the 'No Cold Calling Zone...no uninvited traders' window stickers, developed in association with Trading Standards, cold callers can now be warned away and a contact number provided to report those who ignore the sticker's warning to Trading Standards.

The stickers are available from police and can be displayed in the front door or front window of your home to discourage cold calling.

While it should be noted that not all cold callers are rogue traders, the project has been developed by police to put a stop to those unofficial traders who may over-charge for poor quality work or work that is never completed at all. The stickers give a householder the opportunity to warn cold callers that they are not wanted at their door, that ignoring that warning could constitute a breach of 'Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading' regulations and that further action may be taken by Trading Standards.

The project is not designed to apply to established callers such as a milk delivery or window-cleaners.

Inspector Kieran Quinn, Armagh Neighbourhood Policing, said, " No Cold Calling Zones are designed to discourage rogue traders who may be trying to sell shoddy or over-priced goods, or who try to trick their way into the house to commit a burglary. They also help to tackle fear of crime by making people feel more secure in their own homes, and give them the confidence to tell unwanted callers to leave. Most callers at your door will be genuine but someone could be trying to gain access to look around your property or charge you far too much for shoddy or non-existent work. The best place for would-be scammers is well away from your door, which is why we are providing these schemes to help people show doorstep criminals the door.”

No Cold Calling Zone stickers are available on request from your local Crime Prevention Officer by calling 101.

Neighbourhood Policing Officers, Constable Alix Matthews and Constable Brendan Thompson are working in your area and can provide no cold calling stickers and further information.
Alix can be contacted on mobile: 07825181742 or email: alix.matthews@psni.police.uk and Brendan can be contacted on mobile: 07825146801 or email: brendan.thompson@psni.police.uk
 
For further information log onto www.nidirect.gov.uk/scamwiseni

Dementia NI is well established across Northern Ireland but was relatively new in the ABC, and Newry & Mourne areas, when the pandemic hit. 
 
Their plans to launch face to face groups was put on hold, and so they want to reach out to local organisations and groups to let you know that we are still accepting referrals and working with people with dementia in the area.
 
Dementia NI is a member-leg organisation giving people with dementia the opportunity to have their voices heard, taking part in research, consulting on services, and raising awareness. As well as that, they have a great group of people living well with dementia, all offering each other peer support and friendship.  Usually, they meet at venues in Banbridge, Armagh and Newry, but during the pandemic they have been hosting a range of online opportunities for members, including online yoga, quilt making, and Empowerment Groups.
 
Please share the information via social media, email lists, or on notice boards. I would be happy to post out some of our leaflets (see attached) if you have somewhere to display them? I would also be pleased to hear about any community engagement events, or any opportunities to raise the profile of Dementia NI in the area.

Farming and Food Photography Competition
 
With farming at the heart of our borough, Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council is currently in the process of developing an innovative Agriculture Strategy – leading the way as the first council within Northern Ireland taking a strategic approach to the agriculture industry.
 
Your help is needed! Amateur photographers are invited to put their skills to the test and enter the Farming and Food Photography Competition – with the winning photos being featured within this strategy and online gallery.
 
There will be eight categories to choose from and each entrant can enter a maximum of two photographs across the following categories:
·         Farming Generations and Family
·         Farming Innovation
·         Food Production
·         Landscapes
·         Local Food
·         Livestock
·         Machinery
·         Young photographer (open to anyone under 16 years of age on the closing date)
 
The winner of each category will also receive a £50 meal voucher at an independent restaurant or cafe within the Borough.
 
The competition opens on Saturday 1st May and the closing date is Friday 28th May at 4pm. The competition is for amateur photographers only. All entries should be emailed to agri@armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk and should be labelled with your name and category.
 
All competition rules can be found here: https://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/farming-food-photo-comp
 
More information on the strategy, which aims to set the direction for agriculture, agri-food, agri-business and agri-tech in the borough can be found here: https://www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/business/agriculture-strategy/

Please see attached flyer for Libraries NI April Zoom programme

​May is national walking month and we would like to encourage everyone, to walk more, whether it’s through active travel, short walks or walking more in the office, strut your socially distanced stuff and get out there.

​Walking has huge benefits to health and walking in greenspace and parks is even better. 

If you’re working from home, even if it’s not full-time, you can now make a tax relief claim of up to £125 for the new 2021-22 tax year.
During the 2020 lockdown, HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) launched a 'microservice' which, even if you only needed to work from home for a day, allowed you to get a whole year's tax relief.
This now applies for the new 2021/22 tax year. The tax relief is provided to workers provided they have been told by their employer to work from home and provided they have not received home expenses payments directly from their organisation.
If you've already claimed for 2020/21, you MUST CLAIM AGAIN for the 2021/22 tax year, via the same microservice.  If you haven’t claimed for the previous tax year  (2020/21) you can do both at once.
To apply use the HMRC working-from-home microservice.

Article curtesy of NIVCA