Category Archives: Uncategorized

How to create strong passwords to prevent your accounts being hacked

Fraudsters regularly hack into personal online accounts to obtain details which will allow them to defraud you. To prevent fraudsters, it’s very important to use strong passwords when setting up and accessing online accounts and online banking.

Passwords should be memorable enough not to have to write them down and long enough to be unique and hard to guess, which will ensure they are less vulnerable to being stolen. If it is not possible to remember passwords a password manager could be used to store them securely.

Protect yourself:

• Make sure passwords are memorable so that you don’t have to write them down. Make sure they are unique.

• Th!nk ab0ut how you could change the l3tters in your n0rmal passw0rds to make them more difficult to gue55!

• Use long, non-dictionary words and use different ones for each of your personal accounts and online banking. Make sure you change them regularly.

• Make sure passwords are not stored on devices that have shared access by other people, for example in internet cafes and when using other public Wi-Fi.

If you believe you have become a victim of account hacking, change your passwords immediately and report to Action Fraud: www.actionfraud.police.uk/report_fraud

Havering Museum Winter Events Schedule

Havering Museum has published its winter events schedule. These include:

National Archive, Saturday, 24 January at 1pm
Family Tree Workshop, Saturday 31 January at 1pm
Beer Tasting Evening at the Golden Lion on Monday, 16 February, 7pm
Romford Market Pubs talk – Patricia Pound

For more information on these and other events visit http://www.haveringmuseum.org.uk/whatson.php

Or download the following document

Trifold programme Dec February 2014

Age UK London’s “Tell Me!” Campaign – You can help by filling in survey

We would love you to fill in a survey about Age UK London’s next campaign, ‘Tell Me!’, on public information for older people.

Age UK London is starting a new campaign called ‘Tell Me!’ to improve the information older people get from Councils and the NHS to help access vital public services. We hope to work with older people and local organisations to develop this campaign, which comes from our Your Priorities consultation on older Londoners’ top asks for change. As part of this campaign we want to:

• Find out more about the exact issues older Londoners are experiencing when trying to find important information

• Hold a participatory ‘Information Scavenger Hunt’ event where people in different places will look for the same information, and we will report on how everyone gets on! This will be in early March 2015.

Our first campaign activity is to ask you if you could fill in a short survey telling us your experiences of accessing public information in London. You can access and fill in the survey online. Alternatively, you can print out the survey after downloading it below, and then post it free to; Age UK London, FREEPOST LON 7615, London, SE1 6BR.

We plan to publish our campaign research and recommendations in April 2015.

We will keep updating this information and in the meantime, please contact Gordon Deuchars on gdeuchars@ageuklondon.org.uk if you would like more details.

survey for older people -final

How to contact your Havering Police Safer Neighbourhood Team

You can get full information by going to http://content.met.police.uk/Borough/Havering/Contact

This will give you

  • The location and opening times of Romford Police Station and the contact points in Collier Row, Hornchurch, Rainham, Elm Park, Upminster, and Harold Hill
  • Adivce on which numbers to use 999, 101, and your local SNH Team
  • Links to each of the SNH Ward Teams contact pages which will give you
    • Pictures and names of the members of each team
    • A way of sending them an email
    • Their phone number
    • Their pririties and promises
    • Any loacl meeting dates and events.

You can find information about Havering’s Safer Transport team at http://www.met.police.uk/teams/transportne/havering/

Age UK Electric Blanket Testing – Friday 19 December

Age UK Redbridge, Barking & Havering is running an Electric Blanket Testing Event for Older People to prepare for the colder winter months by having FREE Electric Blanket Testing.

The Event will be taking place on:

Date: Friday 19th December 2014

Time: 10am – 4:30pm

Venue: Liberty Shopping Mall, Romford.

On the day, blankets will be tested by a company that specialises in Blanket Testing and has worked with Age UK’s across the country in running these events. We will check that your Electric Blanket is working properly and is safe to use.

It is very important that your Electrical Blanket is regularly tested to ensure that it is safe to use and so we are urging all Older People with an Electric Blanket to come and have it tested or if you have an older relative, friend, neighbour that may not be able to come along then you can bring their blanket along for testing.

You will also have the opportunity to speak to a member of our Advice & Information Service who will be promoting our Spread the Warmth Campaign and so you can speak to an Advice Worker about: Benefits Checks, Winter Fuel Payments, Warm Home Discount, Practical Advice on keeping Warm over winter, Information on Energy Efficiency, Tariff Checks to ensure that you are on the right energy tariff in order to reduce gas & electricity bills, advice on using your electric blanket safely and information from Trading Standards about accessing approved traders as well as lots of other useful information about local services that will be able to offer help and support during the cold winter months. We shall be giving out Winter Warmth Information Packs which include a free room thermometer and recipe book.

If you have an Electric Blanket that you would like tested, please call Priti Mistry on 020 8220 6000 for further information or to book an appointment for your Electric Blanket to be tested on the day.