Whaddon Neighbourhood Watch

Update 23 February 2017

Whaddon has had an active Neighbourhood Watch (NHW) scheme since it was re-launched in 2003 after a series of shed and car break-ins. So successful did it become after the re-launching that Whaddon won the South Cambridgeshire Community Safety Competition at the end of that year.

There are five Coordinators at present who cover all of the village. We aim to have a close working relationship with the local Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) and also to attend the police panel meetings for the Cambourne sector every four months. We also attend the Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood Watch Executive Group Annual Conference in November. Although Whaddon has a low crime rate it is important to keep resident’s minds on personal and property security and to this end a Neighbourhood Watch village-wide e-mail system was introduced in 2012 to enable both rapid communication to villagers as well as a more routine channel of contact. Any villager interested in joining the NHW team and becoming a Coordinator would be very welcome and should ring the Cluster Coordinator, Malan Peyton in Dyers Green (01223 207358), for further information. They can be sure of a warm welcome!

Speedwatch, an officially sponsored volunteer-based activity which uses speed sensor equipment to monitor speeding vehicles also comes within the responsibilities of Whaddon Neighbourhood Watch. Information and statistics will be found on a separate tab.

A link to the police.uk web site will be found on the Services menu.

• The local policing profile is available to view at https://www.police.uk/cambridgeshire/SCambs_Cambourne/
• Cambridgeshire Neighbourhood Watch Executive Group web site

Speedwatch

Speedwatch is a scheme being run by Cambridgeshire police that permits local residents to monitor the speeds in their villages. Some details can be obtained from the Cambridgeshire Police speedwatch website.

The police have a small number of speedwatch equipment sets which can be used by suitably trained volunteers. These individuals, usually in groups of three, note down speeds of vehicles exceeding the speed limits and hand the information on to the police. No prosecutions will result from this, although the police will, send out polite notes to those breaking the speed limit — only a police officer (or a police speed camera) can actually cause a driver to be prosecuted. The idea is that of peer pressure — the very presence of visible persons noting speeds tends to slow traffic down, and lets drivers know that the particular area is being monitored.

Whaddon owns a quarter share of its speedwatch equipment in conjunction with Meldreth, Steeple Morden and Litlington. Our small team is active and takes part in at least two sessions per month. Should you feel like contributing a small amount of time to the wellbeing of the village, please see the Volunteering tab below.

Village email list

Whaddon has had its own email circulation list since 2012. The system, originally started by Mike Monks, is currently run by Nigel Strudwick, and he will send round any messages which are thought appropriate to ensure the village is kept informed. All villagers who have email are encouraged to sign up for it so that you can be kept as well-informed as possible.

You can sign up for the list by sending a message to Nigel on this address:

emaillist[at]whaddon.org

Nigel had to change the email address and server for this in December 2019 because of problems with Gmail.

Likewise, please contact him if you would like a message circulated. All he asks is that you identify yourselves by christian name and surname, and that if there is any personal information in the message (e.g. who to contact regarding a lost dog) you indicate to him that you want the message sent out and that you are OK to have your name/email address/phone number (as appropriate) in it. This is to ensure he stays on the right side of the new GDPR regulations.

Whaddon Wednesdays (formerly Mainly Gardening Club)

Whaddon Wednesdays is the successor to the village’s Mainly Gardening Club and reflects the even greater diversity of topics and occasional outside visits that we now see in the programme. Over the five years since we started in 2014 we have expanded the range of subjects while continuing with gardening as the core topic. In 2018 alone, besides a whole range of gardening speakers, we have been gliding at Gransden Airfield, heard from one of the country’s leading stone carvers, visited Clare College Fellows' Gardens, learned about working in leather and enjoyed seeing the results of a professional wildlife photographer’s work  in the Falklands.  We shall still ensure that gardening is at the core of our programme but we feel a village as diverse as Whadddon has the capacity to appreciate a wider range of speakers. Also, of course, these gatherings offer a great opportunity to meet neighbours as well as someone from the other end of the village - Bridge Street meets Meldreth Road and all places in between! We normally meet on the third Wednesday of every month (bar August) at 7.30pm in the village hall for refreshments; the speaker starts at around 8.00 and we finish soon after 9.00pm. The cost is £3.00 which mainly goes towards the speaker’s costs as well as the hire of the hall.

Our regulars clearly enjoy the evenings and outside visits but we would really like to see a few more faces, particularly from more recent residents. The refurbished village hall is warm and very welcoming with excellent facilities. Why not break out in 2019 and do something different once a month? You would be very welcome – promise. If you would like to know more please contact Jan Gibson on 01223 208343.

As at the beginning of January, the programme for 2019 is being put together and will be published as soon as possible.  

Programme for 2019 (most dates to be arranged)

 (Third Wednesday of each month/mostly; † = confirmed)

Table Tennis

Whaddon now has a thriving Table Tennis Club.  We have two brand new tables and plenty of bats and balls purchased for us by the Parish Council after the refurbishment of the hall.  We currently play on Tuesday nights at 20:00 in the village hall.  Please just turn up if you would like to play.  If you would like to use the tables another at any other time please book the  village hall via whaddonhalltrust [at] whaddon.org.  No extra hire cost for the tables – but please do look after them!  Any questions please contact Roger van Poortvliet, 01223 208450, r.vanpoortvliet [at] outlook.com

Coffee mornings

Walks

Whaddon is a small village, and like many small villages in the UK, over the past 20 or so years it has lost its shops and pubs. So it's not like a town or even a bigger village, but for its residents, that's the charm of the place. The village is located in the middle of some very pleasant countryside, and here are many footpaths and walks around the village. Here are a few suggestions, starting at the Village Hall as it is central.