Santas got his socks, now he needs more sweets!

Thanks to the nimble fingered residents of York who have donated over 800 stockings to this years Santa’s socks appeal we now need more sweets to fill them all!

These will then be given to those who are the most in need across the city.

The Santa’s Socks initiative is a community arts project organised by the council’s York Learning team. The project encourages groups and individuals to make stockings which will be filled with sweets and stationery items. They will then be donated to food banks across the city, IDAS, (Independent Domestic Abuse Service) and homeless shelters for young people. Extra stocking will be donated to changing lives organisations.

Due to the overwhelmingly generous response we’re asking residents and businesses to donate sweets to help fill the stockings. People are asked to ensure that the sweets will still be in date by 30 December 2017 and that they have all the wrapping intact, but not wrapped in Christmas paper.
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Revised services at York Crematorium

Following significant cremator maintenance issues at York Crematorium, Bishopthorpe Road, recent repairs have meant cremation services can continue at a reduced capacity.

Cremations will reduce to five a day throughout December and January, less than half the normal daily average of 10-12.

An on site temporary cremator can provide limited cover if the permanent cremator is unavailable.

York funeral services will continue as normal.  Funeral directors will use facilities in neighbouring areas to provide cremation services if York Crematorium is unable to meet demand.

A decision about whether to increase the number of cremations will be made once City of York Council officers are confident the issues have been permanently resolved.

Funeral directors are supporting bereaved families to understand their options and help them through this difficult time.

Pauline Stuchfield, Assistant Director for Customer and Digital Services, City of York Council, said:

“We are grateful for funeral directors’ and cremation teams’ dedication and hard work during this sensitive time.  The loss of a loved one is hard enough and plans are in place to make these arrangements as easy as possible.  Timescales for the permanent repair are not yet known as they are complex and involve altering the fabric of the building. Although waiting times may increase, so far we are finding demand is largely being met by the alternative arrangements in place. ”

Chris Fielder, Funeral Director at J G Fielder & Son said:

“The staff at York Crematorium have been doing a great job under very difficult circumstances, arrangements have been swiftly and efficiently made over the past 6 weeks to ensure cremations could take place. All of our families have been notified of any impact prior to services taking place. The service limitations have impacted the normal timescales for funerals to take place, which is likely to continue until permanent repairs are complete, and so different options are being discussed with families.”

Extra bin collection in York – Reminder

Every household in the city will get a black bin or sack collection next week and after Christmas.

City of York Council has organised the extra black bin collections to help households manage the extra waste over the festive period.

Residents need to put their black bins out on their usual black bin collection day next week. With no normal collections over Christmas week, residents are also being urged to check which week their recycling collections are due.

There are also special arrangements for anyone whose bins would be collected on New Year’s Day – these will instead be collected on Friday 29 December.

The Christmas arrangements in full are:

Monday 18 – Friday 22   December

·         Every household has a black bin collection on their normal black bin collection day

·         Recycling collected as normal

Monday 25 – Friday 29 December

·         No normal recycling or bin collections

Monday 1 January

·         All collections due on Monday 1 January collected on Friday 29 December

(including the extra black bin collection)

Tuesday 2 – Friday 5 January

·         Every household has a black bin collection on their normal black bin collection day

·         Recycling collected as normal

Councillor Andrew Waller, interim deputy leader and executive member for waste, said:

“This extra festive black bin collection shows how the council is working residents to help with waste and recycling, and encouraging people to reduce waste.

“I’d like  to wish everyone a happy Christmas, and remind them to check their calendars, our website and household waste centres to see just how much – from trees to wrapping paper – can be recycled.”

Residents can check their collection days using:

  • ·         the  calendar which the council distributed to households across the city in October and November
  • ·         online at www.york.gov.uk/refuselookup
  • ·         get free alerts to smartphones or tablets by downloading the OnePlanetYork app from itunes or google playstore.

The city’s household waste centres are open every day except Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s day.  To check what can go in your recycling boxes, visit www.york.gov.uk/waste

What’s on in York: Safe & Sound – An Introduction to Online Safety for Parents and Carers

Oct _23Safe &Sound

Acomb Explore Library :

Mon 18 Dec :

6.00pm – 7.30pm :

Free

Join us for a free 90 minute introduction to online safety during which you’ll learn about potential online risks, using parental controls and filters, staying safe on social networks such as Twitter and Facebook, helping your children to alert you to possible dangers and other useful resources.

You don’t need to bring anything with you; tablet computers will be provided during the session and refreshments will be available.

Free of charge – Booking is essential.

Please contact (01904) 552651 or email acomb@exploreyork.org.uk to reserve your place.