https://www.benfleethistory.org.uk/

Rayleigh Weir Fire Station will be opening its doors for an open day where you can meet our team, explore our fire station and find out more about how we work to keep Essex safe. There will be activities for the whole family as well as local stalls.

Rayleigh Fire Station
500 Rayleigh Road
Benfleet
SS7 3TR
United Kingdom

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https://www.scooploop.com/thread/scooploop-update-94f92

https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/UKORGESSPO/bulletins/391925c

https://www.echo-news.co.uk/news/24196787.benfleet-attempted-dog-theft-sees-pensioner-attacked/?fbclid=IwAR3QBRV4leixxsMXqT9b4uItkjyH-CBHeNwqDu_E65254FAxYsW3z08If20

Ron HURRELL who is 97 yrs old gets about by trike… his only means of transport . Some one has stolen his trike from outside Hadleigh Methodist church, Chapel Lane on Tuesday afternoon… nice. Any info or sightings would be appreciated. Thankyou

Benfleet charity store, 2nd Time Around, was formed in 1984, has been based in two locations over 40 years and has donated the whopping sum to children’s charity Unicef since its formation.

Managers and volunteers will be throwing a celebratory event on February 17, with Castle Point MP, Rebecca Harris, set to join the community to celebrate their incredible track record of helping Unicef improve the lives of children around the world.

Volunteer and committee member, Jacqueline Newman, 77, said: “2nd Time Around sends all its profits to Unicef.

“Last year we sent £85,000 and we couldn’t have achieved that without our wonderful customers and the donations we receive.

“We do fundraising events, which Covid did stop, but we have been getting back into the swing of it doing cake sales and other events with our small and loyal band of people.

“We are very proud to have made a difference and it is good to celebrate with our customers, we thank them all and it is such a lovely place.

“I am about to turn 78 and I love working there, it is such a happy place to be in and we all have so much fun.”

Ms Newman explained the store has a unique history with the shop having a special partnership with Unicef to fundraise on their behalf.

She said: “Unicef don’t have charity shops, it is not how they raise their funds, mostly they hold corporate events, marathons, and other events but our store was opened under their logo.

“They allow us to give all our profits to them and they are happy to let us use the Unicef logo on all that we do.

“Unicef has morphed into a fantastic organisation over 77 years and wherever there is a disaster, they are on the ground.”

“It’s been about 40 years, we have been run in two different locations in those years and eventually we knocked through the wall between the two stores, all that on top of having to pay a full rent,” Ms Newman said.


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Come along and support our local Youth at our Festive Youth Market, this is a free event to enter. Some beautiful items on offer and all made with love.
Our Santa's Grotto will be there also - £6 per child - book online to avoid disappointment.
Before seeing Santa, go on an adventure to find all you need for Christmas Eve - Magical Reindeer Food, A bell to hang on your tree so Santa knows you believe and a magic key to place outside so Santa can visit. This is all included in the booking price.
Then on to see Santa, receive a gift and take as many photo's as you would like, then head in to the Youth Market where the Elves will be waiting to make Christmas cards and decorations with the children, while you have a leisurely look around the stalls, grab some last minute gifts, grab a cup of coffee/hot chocolate and maybe a cheeky slice of cake.
Hope to see you all there.

Advert free version, original article in link.


Stolen - Benfleet family's Christmas house display charity box in memory of their two-year-old son (Image: George's Windmills/Canva)
A FAMILY feel “violated, hurt and saddened” after a donation box raising cash in memory of their two-year-old son with a dazzling Christmas lights display was stolen from outside their home.

Hayley Hatfield, her partner Anthony, and their son, Thomas, decked their Benfleet home out in Christmas decorations in a bid to raise money for their charity George’s Windmill.

The family launched the charity to support the families of sick children in memory of their son, George, who died in December 2019, after a battle with a rare liver disease.

Dazzling - the family's Christmas lights display (Image: George's Windmills)

The home, in Kents Hill Road, was covered in Christmas lights at the end of November and the charity tin was stolen between Thursday last week and Saturday morning.

Hayley, 37, said: “I am fuming and disappointed more than anything.

“I cannot even imagine someone would steal from a charity, but it has happened.

“On the box was my little boy George’s face, who has passed away and we raise money for.

In memory - George (Image: George's Windmills)

“We do have a replacement donation box for George’s Windmills that we can put out but if it has happened one, it could happen again – which is what I am fearing.

“We are all feeling violated, hurt and saddened.”

On Saturday evening, Mrs Hatfield and her nine-year-old were about to start their walk in the street to see the lights, when she noticed the box was missing.

All that was left on the wall were the screws.

Remains - screws in the brick wall (Image: George's Windmills)

All proceeds were set to go to George's Windmills, which was formed in 2021.

George was born on July 18, 2017, but after some “extremely precious weeks” at home, it was discovered he was suffering from a very rare liver disease called biliary atresia, which affects the bile ducts of infants.

On January 14, 2019, he received a donor but after six months, his health deteriorated and by December, he was diagnosed with post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PITLD) – a rare and aggressive form of cancer.

At Great Ormond Street Hospital, he passed away at just two-years-old.

Remembering - George (Image: George's Windmills)

To donate and find out more information about George’s Windmills, visit: georgeswindmills.co.uk.


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Detectives investigating an assault on two teenage girls at Benfleet railway station on Tuesday 10 October, at around 7.30pm, have released two CCTV images in connection.

https://ow.ly/k6o950Qbt2M

If you usually only look in on the usual loop(s), then, if you don't explore Scooploop, or don't know how to, you may be missing the latest loops. If you browse loops on the website, you can see all loops with 2 or more members. However, if you use the app, you will be able to see newly formed loops with only 1 member.
To browse all loops on the website, click on the eyes icon on the menu bar, then click 'Browse Loops'.
To browse all loops on the app, tap 'Loops' in the menu, then 'All'.

Here is a link to all the loops visible on the website by using the menu bar:
https://bit.ly/3skoHKJ

Can you help?

At the top of the hill in the loop photo is the oldest true mini-roundabout in the UK and probably the world.


https://bit.ly/3nkrG7m

https://bit.ly/3ELobx0

Items recovered by police:

https://bit.ly/3TjmFX0

Please look out for this Range Rover which was stolen from Benfleet yesterday.