Search the Community

To commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the Falklands War and to celebrate Armed Forces Week, the Mayor of Hereford Mark Dykes was invited by Rear Admiral Wilcox to host a lunch for forces veterans at Hereford Town Hall. The 40th Anniversary of Falklands was particularly special to the City of Hereford, as during the conflict the City adopted the HMS Antelope, a frigate of the Royal Navy that was sunk by Argentine aircraft. 255 men died during the Falklands War, with 28 of those having their roots in Herefordshire. On Sunday 19th June, Hereford was honoured to receive both the Captain and the crew of HMS Antelope, along with many other armed forces veterans, including members of the SAS. Of those in attendance was also General Sir Michael Rose KCB, CBE, DSO, QGM, and many other high-ranking personnel. The Mayor of Hereford Mark Dykes, also an armed forces veteran, was delighted to have been presented with a shield from the SAS 22 Regiment, which will be displayed in Hereford Town Hall. The HMS Antelope, adopted by the City of Hereford, was sunk by Argentine ordinance explosives. Attacked by aircraft, the Antelope was struck by bombs which failed to explode, and though attempts were made to disarm these devices, the bomb ultimately exploded and the order was given to abandon the vessel. Two servicemen perished due to the attack, while the remaining 41 survived. It was an honour to commemorate the brave efforts of those who have served our Country and celebrate those who still serve. We also remember the fallen, who fell in the line of duty and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Lest we forget. The Royal British Legion have created a message board for those wishing to pay a tribute and honour the lives and sacrifices made at https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/ways-to-give/poppy-press/your-falklands-messages If you need support or someone to talk to locally, please contact Herefordshire Veteran Support Centre (https://herefordshire-vsc.org) on 01432 260656 or the Herefordshire Mental Health 24 hour helpline on 0808 196 9127. Source | Hereford City Council

Hereford City Council agreed to release this year’s grant of £15,000 to Close House in order to help fund their numerous projects, following a report presented by Ben Lea. Close House is a Youth Centre located in Hereford City Centre, and Hereford City Council have long been proud to support their brilliant work with young people. The Close House Project aims to be a safe, supportive and inspiring place for Hereford’s youth, breaking the cycle of negative experience and behaviour that some young people face, helping them find hope and aspiration and enabling them to control the direction their own lives take. The ongoing funding from the City Council covers the cost of running their drop-in service, as well as the Idle Hands programme. Close House also help run the Hereford City Youth Council, which gives young people a voice on the Parish Council and helps introduce them to the inner workings of Council and office environments. As unfortunately expected, the Covid-19 pandemic has made the work of Close House very difficult. Face-to-face appointments and meetings have not been possible, leaving many young people without the support they need without Close House. Though the group is now making a fresh start after the recent lifting of lockdowns, it has been difficult for staff to manage as several staff members have moved on and there is a marked lack of gap year students and volunteers. However, Close House has made progress on branching out to more young people to seek able and willing help, and business is picking up rapidly. It’s no surprise that young people are keen to delve into Close House’s inspiring work. The Idle Hands project has worked through three outreach programmes in large spaces to enable meetings during the pandemic; this helps tackle risks posed to young people such as County Lines drawing them into drug-related issues and associated crime. Close House enables those vulnerable to these issues turn negative behaviour into positive behaviour; a truly applaudable goal. City Councillors agreed that Close House’s work in the City is vital for young people in Hereford, and many spoke to express their appreciation for their ongoing work and support. It was agreed that the annual grant of £15,000 be released to help Close House continue their projects. For more information on Close House, visit: www.closehouse.org

Positive Hereford | The Royal National College for the Blind (RNC) have been awarded a grant of £3000 from Hereford City Council which will go towards funding new lawnmowing equipment. This will help the College maintain their grounds for the benefit of RNC students and guide dogs. Full details can be found HERE

At Hereford Voice our slogan has always been 'Having Your Say' and through our network we are going to give you the opportunity to ask your questions to some of our Councillors. Cabinet Member - Infrastructure and Transport Councillor John Harrington has agreed to be put under the spotlight to answer your questions in the first of our 'exclusive' Q & A sessions. Rules: Abuse will Not be tolerated and offensive comments will be deleted and may also result in that person being banned. Please ask sensible questions on any subject that Cllr Harrington maybe able to address and answer in his capacity at Herefordshire Council. Hereford Link Roads (Bypass) Turning Off Traffic Lights or making them Part-Time (Hereford Voice Campaigns) River Crossings Closure of the Old Bridge Pot Holes Maylord Orchards Shopping Centre Electric Buses Roundabouts Please ask your questions below 👇 and Councillor Harrington will answer as many as he can in a video which we will publish over the weekend.

Hereford City Council have replaced the notice boards at Beaumont Gardens (near The Courtyard) after they were unfortunately vandalised. They are looking much better now!

Friends of Castle Green are now able to begin the much needed renovations to The Pavilion after securing funding for the repairs. Hereford City Council are granting £7,000 towards the project, which will enable the community group to begin the first phase of improvements to the building. Paddy Nugent, Friends of Castle Green Director said; More details here #herefordvoice #herefordnews #positivehereford

Hereford City Council approved a grant of £1,510.38 for Hereford Canoe Club, which will go towards purchasing another two canoes for use of the club’s members. Hereford Youth Canoe Club is a voluntary club providing boat-loads of positive paddle-sport opportunities for the young people of Herefordshire. Vic Gamage, representing the Canoe Club, explained to City Councillors that the application covered the costs of two canoes large enough for their teenage members; the existing canoes simply cannot support the members and larger ones are needed. The Canoe Club has unfortunately lost much of their income over the last year due to the Covid-19 restrictions which have been in place, and so assistance was needed to cater to their members. Like many of our Youth Clubs, the Canoe Club has been fighting against the tide of uncertainty which the Coronavirus Pandemic has brought about. Mayor Kath Hey expressed her appreciation for the work the Youth Canoe Club does, and the importance of encouraging young people to undertake outdoor exercise and activity. City Councillors unanimously agreed to grant £1,510.38 for the purchase of two large canoes as stated in the application. For more information on Hereford Youth Canoe Club, visit their Facebook page. #herefordvoice #herefordcity #herefordnews #hereford

Hereford Mayor Cllr Kath Hey attended the renaming of the Canary Bridge (formally the Greenway bridge). The bridge has been offially renamed in memory of The Canary Girls who worked in the Rotherwas Munitions Factory. 📷 Nicola Goodwin #HerefordVoice #Hereford #HerefordNews #CanaryGirls #VEDay75