News in Maldon

The following is an article from Heybridge U3A:

Perhaps it was inauspicious to have our last AGM on Friday 13th March 2020. In normal times Heybridge U3A meets each month in Plantation Hall and usually we would be preparing now for our next AGM but this past year has, as we all know, been different.

Census 2021 will take place on Sunday, 21 March - and any Maldon district residents who are worried about completing the forms online can now get help through the process.

The census will open on Monday, 1 March and although the census date is set at 21 March, people will have from 1 March and through April to complete it.

AN appeal for witnesses has been made by police after two teenage girls at the main gates of Maldon's Promenade Park car park were inappropriately approached by a man who grabbed them.

The incident happened on Sunday (31 January) at around 2.30pm when the man tried to engage the girls in conversation. As the girls attempted to leave, the unknown male grabbed them by the arms. The girls pulled away and the man shortly left the area in the direction of the High Street.

Essex County Council has warned that while the infection rate across the county - including in Maldon - is dropping, it is still vital that the community continues to follow pandemic guidance to take cases down further.

There is also a reminder that, wherever possible, residents who cannot work from home are advised to take regular lateral flow tests - now available at West Maldon Community Centre in Sunbury Way - without booking.

In an interview earlier this month, British Army oil painter Hugh Beattie told Maldon Nub News how he will be bringing an exhibition of his work featuring Ancient Essex to the Maeldune Centre in July - and now we can reveal that more of Hugh's paintings depicting the county can be seen on his website, including an incredible painting of 'Maldon at 300ft'.

There are also oil paintings of many other areas of Essex, including Colchester, the River Colne and St Osyth's Creek, among others.

The Covid-19 infection rate for Maldon district has almost halved again in seven days, according to the latest Public Health England data - dropping to well below 100 cases per 100,000 population.

In the seven days leading up to Sunday, 14 February there was a total of 48 new cases recorded in the Maldon district. This is equal to an infection rate of 74 per cases per 100,000 population.

Police are appealing for information after three men attempted to fraudulently use credit and debit cards - before one of them assaulted a female shop worker when challenged.

The trio ran up a four-figure sum across multiple cards at the Maharaj General Store in Maldon Road, Hatfield Peverel, just before 5.30pm on Friday, 5 February.

A Maldon charity for young carers is starting up a monthly lottery to raise funds to support the many new referrals it has had during the pandemic.

Action for Carers, based in Brickhouse Farm, Poulton Close, wants to start the monthly draw next month if it can get enough people to sign up.

A new cohort of student nurses are eagerly awaiting the start of their degree placements at local hospitals including Broomfield and St Peter's in Maldon.

A total of 80 student nurses from the University of Essex are set to begin their work placements across Mid and South Essex NHS Foundation Trust to help improve the lives of local people and become the future face of nursing.

The air ambulance serving Maldon is celebrating after taking possession of its new purpose-built airfield.

Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) now has its new state-of-the-art airbase at North Weald Airfield following its completion by Barnes Construction.