Hello!

My name is Tom Lynk and I am employed by Nottingham City Council as the Senior Community Protection Officer (SCPO) with the Community Protection Central West Team. I have been in this role since May 2018 and mange a small team of dedicated Community Protection Officers (CPOs) that work in neighbourhoods close the University of Nottingham Campus, including Wollaton, Dunkirk, Lenton and Radford.

The operation of my team has recently been boosted, thanks to the financial funding the University of Nottingham has provided to keep my officers on the streets longer and later during key times of the week. This funding enables CPOs to keep students and all residents safe as well as being on duty to deal with any reports of anti-social behaviour and respond to any late night / early morning noise nuisance. As officers are out on the streets later and longer we are able to provide High Visibility reassurance for all of the community that we serve. One of our main roles is to keep people safe and this is really important late at night and into the early hours. The Derby Road corridor is very busy, with lots of traffic and people and we are there to make sure that you get home safely after a night out.

(Tom Lynk on patrol with UoN Registrar, Dr Paul Greatrix)

This city is a great place to live, work and study! There’s always so much to see and do. Nottingham appreciates the vast contribution students make in ensuring the city is a vibrant, youthful and fun place to be with a fantastic arts, music and theatre scene.

Students, as all residents of Nottingham, have a responsibility to respect their city. So please avoid:

• Making lots of noise in your neighbourhood. Please be considerate when arriving home from a night out – many of your neighbours will be up early for work or could have young children. Even closing the taxi door gently after a night out helps!
• Making a mess. Always throw your rubbish in bins and recycle where possible. Please put recyclable items separate in your recycling bin and not in plastic bags. Please bring in your bin as soon as possible after it has been emptied.
• Parking inconsiderately. Do not block any driveways or garages or park on the pavement (this makes things difficult for people using wheelchairs or pushchairs). Make sure you display a parking permit if you need one in your area.
• Late and loud house parties. These can cause an enormous amount of distress and inconvenience to neighbours living nearby. They prevent fellow students from studying and revising.

Myself and my CPOs are all a friendly bunch and please stop to say hello or ask any questions you may have when you see us out and about. Please follow us on twitter – @CP_CentralWest and you can email me directly at tom.lynk4137@nottinghamshire.pnn.police.uk

Please report neighbourhood anti-social behaviour (ASB) issues to the Police non-emergency number 101

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog post.

Best wishes, Tom Lynk

(UoN Registrar, Dr Paul Greatrix and Tom Lynk speak to a student on Derby Road in Lenton)

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Inspired by David Attenborough’s BAFTA award winning documentary series ‘Blue Planet 2’, Alison and Mitch rode the wave of single use plastic consciousness which has particularly pricked the attention of young adults and students.

You can see the video here as part of this blog post and let us know what you think with your comments below.

Now you’ve watched the video, if you want to learn more about household waste and recycling in Nottingham City follow this link:
https://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/bin-and-rubbish-collections/household-waste/

Commenting on the project, Mitch said “It was a great experience to learn about the work of the Off Campus department and about recycling in Nottingham. We all know its so important to manage waste effectively and that includes recycling but when you move to a new area you need to know the specific items you can and cannot recycle. This can be challenging for students and I hope the video helps”.

The Off Campus team regularly take students on work placement and they assist the department in a range of ways. From making videos such as this to conducting research and writing reports the team welcome the important assistance of work placement students and will continue to offer the opportunity.

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Moving In, Moving On (MIMO) is back again to help students get the most out of living off campus!

MIMO is an annual event designed specifically to give advice and information to students who are living off campus; including top tips on staying safe, and how to get involved in the local community. Advice, Information, Giveaways, Snacks, plus your chance to win a £100 Amazon voucher.

This year’s event will be held on Thursday 23^rd November 12pm-3pm in The Student Hub, C Floor, Portland Building.

A wide range of partners will be joining us this year, with representatives from external agencies including Nottinghamshire Police, Nottingham Fire and Rescue, Street Pastors, Nottingham City Council, Broxtowe Borough Council and many more.

Our Local Councils will be represented by key services including the following:

Waste management and recycling- promoting waste minimisation and handing out goodies to help you remember when to put your bin out and how to recycle it right in Nottingham.

Nottingham in Bloom- bringing exciting giveaways and launching the return of their student photography competition- with an exhibition of some of the best photos from last year’s competition.

Community Protection officers who can give you advice on how you can be a good neighbour, letting you know where to go if you need any help during the year.

We are really pleased that so many representatives from other organisations want to come along to support our student population, all of whom will share key information about how their services can help you this year.

A range of University and Students’ Union services will also be there including:

Security, Accommodation, Student Advice Centre, Student Living, Chaplaincy, Student Volunteer Centre, Healthy U and UniTemps.

New to this years event, Off Campus Accommodation providers will be attending the event, including:

Derwent Students, Manor Villages, Nottingham Two, Unite Students and UPP.

Please spare a few minutes to pop in- there is a lot to take part in and learn, it’s a great opportunity to get a lot of handy information in a short space of time. We also have plenty of Free Popcorn and a fantastic £100 Amazon voucher prize for the person who visits the most stalls!

For more information on the Moving in, moving on event contact Kirsty McKeown on kirsty.mckeown@nottingham.ac.uk or 0115 74 84517.

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Hooray, Autumn term is finally here, and we are in the process of welcoming new and returning students to off campus living in Nottingham and the surrounding areas. Read on if you are making that unforgettable step of moving out of halls into your first student house and becoming part of the local community.

To welcome you back we have prepared some hints and tips to help you settle in to your new home and to be a great community member. Here are our top tips:

Introductions- Why not introduce yourself to your neighbour? Saying hi and getting to know your neighbours can make for a really enjoyable year. We have developed a brand new Hello Neighbour campaign and we hope you will see our posters around campus or in Lenton itself as a reminder to say hello and embrace the fact you are living amongst so many different people!

Bins- Find out when your bin collection day is and if you live in Nottingham you can even sign up for text reminders. Keeping your bins tidy will keep you and your neighbours happy. It sounds simple but it really is true! Find out more on your local Council’s webpages:

• Nottingham
• Beeston
• Kegworth

Noise- Think about your neighbours and how their lifestyle may differ from yours. If you have a gathering of friends please remember to always let your neighbours know in advance, keeping the windows and doors shut and keeping any noise to a reasonable level. When students leave their homes to go to club nights and return in the early hours, this is often the time when we get calls about loud noise in the streets, particularly in Lenton. Please keep noise down when you are travelling to and from the city centre. Your neighbours will probably be going to bed earlier than you; many will have children or will be getting up early to go to work.

Safety- Nottingham is a safe place but there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe including keeping your doors and windows locked to protect against theft, going out and coming home in pairs or groups and ensuring that you only use licensed taxis. For more information have a look at our safety page.

DPPO- Nottingham is subject to a Designated Public Places Order (DPPO) which means that alcohol can be confiscated if you are caught drinking it in the street. This order helps to keep issues such as ASB and littering at bay so please respect this and don’t drink or litter the streets.

Volunteering- many students find that a great way to fully integrate into the Nottingham community is to get involved in some local volunteering opportunities. There are some fantastic projects that are invaluable for local people and really benefit from student input. Find out more about the volunteering opportunities that are on offer by contacting the Students’ Union Volunteer Team.

Keep in touch:
Sign up for our off-campus blogs  and comment to let us know your views. Why not follow @UoN_Off_Campus on Twitter for up to date community information and advice? More detailed information on living in the community and being a good neighbour can also be found on our webpages.

Welcome back and have a great Autumn term!

The post Welcome to off campus living! appeared first on Off Campus.

Keep calm and celebrate responsibly!

We know that the end of the academic year will be a time of celebration, all we ask is that you remember that wherever you are you are still an ambassador for the university. The end of summer term can cause worry for residents who need to get a full night’s sleep, including those with children who are taking exams. You can help us to allay these fears by keeping noise to a reasonable level.

Stay Safe

As you celebrate and let your hair down remember to look out for each other on nights out. Make sure you only use licensed taxis, the Students’ Union have a Safer Taxi Scheme which includes provision for emergencies if you don’t have money for a taxi home http://www.su.nottingham.ac.uk/make-the-change/campaigns/safe-taxi-scheme/

Lock Up

Over 50% of burglaries in student areas occur through an open door or window and this continues to be a risk at empty properties throughout the summer if they aren’t secured properly. Please help to keep burglary figures in Nottingham low by locking all doors and windows when you leave for the summer.

Clear Out

Hopefully you have already seen the information about our end of term waste campaign ‘Don’t waste it, donate it’ detailing all the easy ways you can donate unwanted items and get rid of excess waste. We hope this guidance will make the task of clearing out your house/room as easy as possible. If you haven’t read it yet, it will only take you a couple of minutes to read here https://blogs.nottingham.ac.uk/offcampus/2017/06/01/dont-waste-it-donate-it/

That’s all from us- have a brilliant Summer!

For further advice on any of the messages mentioned in this blog please contact Kirsty McKeown in the Off Campus team on 0115 74 84517 or kirsty.mckeown@nottingham.ac.uk

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As we get closer to the end of term we are working in partnership with local councils and charities to promote good waste management whilst boosting recycling and charity donations.

This years’ campaign includes banks in Nottingham, Beeston and Kegworth, a drop-off point for food parcel donations and a collection day in Lenton on 13^th June, collecting your bag of reusable items directly from your doorstep!

Our aim is to ensure that moving out at the end of term is stress free, leaves residential areas clean and benefits local and national charities.

British Heart Foundation banks

British Heart Foundation banks are currently available in the following locations:

– Lenton Gatehouse- Derby Road

– Corner of Willoughby Street/Park Road (by Tesco Express)

– Ilkeston Road/Midland Road (adjacent to Nottingham 2 development)

– Corner of Garden Street and Ilkeston Road

– Dunkirk Community Centre car park

– Bromley Place, City Centre

– Spaniel Row, City Centre

You can donate a range of items, anything that can be sold in a BHF shop such as clothing, shoes, handbags, DVDs, CDs, small electricals and books.

Keggy donates!

If you live in Kegworth you can leave bagged clothing and any other items with the Air Ambulance on Side Ley, and for your convenience any smaller items and bagged clothing can be taken into the Parish Council office on London Road at the following times:

Monday 9 am – 1.30 pm

Tuesday and Thursday 9 am – 4 pm

Wednesday 9 am – 12 noon

Beeston

Any clothes or books can be taken to local charity shops in Beeston or alternatively there are Oxfam clothes and book banks in the car park at Sainsbury’s. 

On Campus activity

If you’re living in University managed accommodation, donation bins will be available in all hall main areas from 9-24 June. Donated belongings are collected by Moving On, a Beeston based community interest company who provide supportive volunteering opportunities to those facing supportive barriers in the local community. Ask your Hall Manager for more information. 

Food Bank donations

If you have any non-perishable food items left at the end of term, these can be put to excellent use by Tommy’s, who will redistribute food to people in need in the local community, helping to fight food poverty.

Please drop off any non-perishable food items to Tommy’s c/o Thomas Helwys Baptist Church, Church Street, Lenton, Nottingham, NG7 1SJ on Mondays or Tuesdays

Lenton Collection Day- Tuesday 13^th June

Student ambassadors will be visiting a number of streets in Lenton on Monday 12^th June, dropping off British Heart Foundation bags and giving advice on end of term waste management. Filled bags need to be left out at the front of your property by 10am on Tuesday 13^th June for collection by Nottingham City Council. Alternatively they can be dropped off at the donation banks listed above.

General waste management advice

Remember that as a tenant, it is your responsibility to remove all rubbish from your property and front/back gardens before you leave.  Rubbish left on the pavement outside of the collection window could result in a Community Protection Warning Notice from the Council. Likewise, landlords may be able to deduct money from any deposit given for rubbish left in the property or gardens.

You can avoid this and keep your neighbourhood clean and tidy by checking your bin days with your local Council and by making sure your waste is disposed of correctly.

Happy Holidays!

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The One Kegworth team can’t wait to see you at the Family Fun Day and Food Festival on Saturday 3rd June 2017. The event, held at Sideley Recreation Ground, will be held between 10am and 4pm and attracts a wide range of food providers, arts and craft stalls, local businesses and performances. You will probably recognize some familiar faces amongst the organizers’ too!

This year will see the event laid out in different areas of interest including a food festival with over 25 stalls and live demonstrations, an arts and crafts area, Viking Camp, animal arena and a performing arena. Sounds good, right?

We hope you have a great time. See you there!

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The British Heart Foundation (BHF) shops’ partnership with University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and Nottingham City Council is going from strength to strength and last year surpassed all expectations with a record amount of items collected.

The Pack for Good campaign asks students to donate any unwanted clothes, shoes, books, DVDs, bags and small electricals  at the end of the academic year, enabling the charity to recycle goods that might otherwise be thrown away. The campaign has proved to be a huge success and the 2016 campaign alone raised £180,068, making Nottingham second only to Manchester for the amount collected!

Throughout last summer Nottingham students were incredibly supportive and made full use of the donation drop-off points located around the city. The UoN campaign included a number of banks placed in key locations, a highlight being the day a horse and dray took to the streets of Lenton to collect bags!

For over 50 years the British Heart Foundation has pioneered research that has transformed the lives of people living with heart and circulatory conditions. The BHF’s work has been central to the discoveries of vital treatments that are changing the fight against heart disease. But so many people still need help, from babies born with life-threatening heart problems to the many mums, dads and grandparents who survive a heart attack and endure the daily battles of heart failure. Join the fight for every heartbeat in the UK. Every pound raised, minute of your time and donation to BHF shops will help make a difference to people’s lives. The money raised from this campaign goes into the fight against heart disease and helps fund BHF researchers who are relentlessly working towards the fight for every heartbeat.

Look out for details of our 2017 campaign coming soon, please donate your unwanted items to help raise money to fight heart disease. Our goal is to raise even more than last year (and knock Manchester off the top spot if we can) so we need your help more than ever!

For more information on British Heart Foundation shops or to find your local shop please visit bhf.org.uk/shops

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Hooray! The spring round of the Nottingham In Bloom student photography competition is now open for entries. Apply before midnight on 13th March to be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher.

What is Nottingham In Bloom?

The Nottingham in Bloom campaign is a city-wide partnership led by Nottingham City Council that involves residents, businesses, students, schools, community groups and a wide range of volunteers. Together they work hard to produce horticultural excellence and to enhance the local landscape, the environment and the character of Nottingham.

Nottingham has 29 Green Flag parks and has been crowned East Midlands in Bloom ‘Best Large City’ 22 times. Our award-winning city prides itself on the innovative horticultural displays in the parks and on the traffic islands. Have a look round for some of them next time you are in the city.

Each year Nottingham In Bloom runs a project specifically aimed at interacting with students as they love to get creative input from the city’s large student population.

Student Photography Competition

Last year Nottingham In Bloom launched a student photography competition to find out which green spaces catch your eye whilst you are living in Nottingham. This term it is your chance to photograph this vibrant, green and colourful city to be in with a chance of winning a £50 voucher. Pictures can be of campus, parks, gardens, flowers, trees or nature.

To inspire you here are two recent winning entries that went down a storm with the judging panel:

University Park sunset

GSK building and cyclists

Spring term Competition

The spring round of the competition is now open for entries and will close at midnight on Monday 13th March.  If you would like to enter please send your entries to bloom@nottinghamcity.gov.uk  There is no limit to the number of entries you can submit.

You can find out more about Nottingham in Bloom and further details of the competition here

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We are very pleased to announce that our popular Advantage Award PR Project Management module is now open for applications! This year the successful applicants will run a pilot project designed to help fellow students through the delivery of an event designed to impart useful information to students choosing to move off campus into the community. Your project management and PR skills will develop as you design your project, creating a project brief and communications plan, delivering an event and writing a press release.

Successful applicants will work in a small group with support and guidance from University staff members. The project will be completed in 6 weeks so will give you a taste of working in a fast-paced environment.There will be a budget for the group to use, this is a real project that we hope will be a great success! If the project is successful it may be taken on and used in future years by the Off Campus team.

The aims of the module, key dates, application and assessment methods are all detailed on the Workspace for this module so have a look before you apply. The module reference is XX1N08N. Any informal enquiries can be directed to kirsty.mckeown@nottingham.ac.uk

The closing date for applications for this module is Friday 10th February.

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