Month: March 2022

The new opening times will be 8am to 6pm on the following days:

Bromyard:              Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday

Hereford:               7 days a week

Kington:                 Friday, Saturday and Sunday

Ledbury:                Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday

Leominster:           7 days a week

Ross-on-Wye:        Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday

(10am to 5pm on Bank Holidays)

To ensure safety and efficiency, residents are still required to book slots to visit the Household Recycling Centres. Only those who have booked a slot will be allowed entry.

This can be done online or, for those unable to book online, by contacting the Herefordshire Council customer services team on 01432 260051, who will book a slot for you.

The Household Recycling Centres are only open to Herefordshire residents, and the booking system is in place to ensure safety by controlling numbers of visitors and prevent queues at sites. Residents can book up to four slots every two weeks and will receive a pass before visiting. An address and vehicle registration number are needed to secure the booking.

To book online and for more information, please visit Herefordshire.gov.uk/recycling

The Herefordshire Hoard is a very significant treasure that experts believe may have been buried by the Viking Great Army over 1100 years ago. Discovered in a field near Leominster, it includes three items of gold jewellery, a silver ingot and 29 silver coins, including a number of rare ‘two emperor’ coins.

Organisers are applying to heritage and art funders, corporate bodies and other interested parties to help raise funding towards the £776,250 purchase price of the hoard. The aim is to raise most of the necessary funding through those professional bodies.

If successful, the hoard could be given a permanent new home in the redeveloped, council-run Hereford Museum and Art Gallery*. More details on the hoard can be found at herefordshirehoard.org.uk.

Hoard set to attract more visitors to Herefordshire

The hoard has a truly significant heritage and cultural value and acquiring it would enhance the county’s heritage status and the museum’s collections, which are held in trust for the people of Herefordshire. As well as being of interest to the county’s residents, the hoard is expected to attract significant numbers of visitors from across Britain and beyond. This will help stimulate the visitor economy and benefit local businesses. This has been the experience of the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery and Potteries Museum & Art Gallery, which houses the Staffordshire Hoard.

Councillor Gemma Davies, cabinet member for commissioning, procurement and assets, says:

“The Herefordshire Hoard is part of the county’s history. The fact that some of the coins from different kingdoms share designs and features actually changes our understanding of the relationship between Wessex and Mercia at the time. The hoard would be an invaluable asset for Hereford Museum and Art Gallery, for the county as a whole and for anyone with the slightest interest in history. I really look forward to seeing it where it belongs, in Herefordshire.”

Jane Adams, chair of Herefordshire Museum Service Support Group (HMSSG), adds:

“It’s really important that this collection is on public display where it was found. For example, bringing the Herefordshire Hoard home will mean that all schoolchildren studying the Anglo-Saxon and Viking period will be able to examine evidence from our local region.”

Vikings to invade Hereford on Sunday 10 April!

HMSSG also hopes to raise £70,000 from the public towards the purchase of the hoard. People will be able to give cash donations during an event held between 10.30-3.30pm on Sunday 10 April at Hereford Rowing Club. This free, fun family day will feature a Viking village as well as a range of activities to suit all ages. The rowing club will be serving hot and cold snacks and drinks as visitors enjoy a flavour of life during Viking times.

Treasure hunters will be able to meet members of a metal detector club, who will offer advice on declaring valuable finds. Visitors will be invited to dress up in traditional Viking clothing and try their hand at everyday Viking crafts and enjoy displays of shield and combat skills. And experts will be on hand to explain the hoard and tell you about the Anglo-Saxons and the Norse invaders during the event.

Judy Stevenson, team leader at Herefordshire Museum Services, says:

“The stretch of River Wye alongside Hereford Rowing Club will provide a beautiful and appropriate backdrop to our Viking-themed family fun day.

“In many ways, we’re very fortunate because Viking culture seems to be more popular than ever, thanks to series like Vikings Valhalla and The Last Kingdom on Netflix. They have helped renew interest in Anglo-Saxon history. Among activities to suit all ages, we also have real experts providing some surprising details of our Viking invaders. Many people know the Vikings caused mayhem in small towns and villages over 1000 years ago. But there is much more to them than that, as our experts will reveal. We also have replicas of the Herefordshire Hoard on display so people will be able to get a sense of how skilful people were over 1000 years ago. The hoard is a really beautiful and surprising treasure.

“The event hopes to raise awareness of what life was like in 9th century England, before it was a united kingdom. We also hope those who can will make a small donation towards our campaign to bring the hoard home to Herefordshire.”

We are working with a range of agencies across the county to respond to the unfolding situation in Ukraine. You can offer your support in a number of ways:

Donation of money:

Disasters Emergency Committee – you can donate:

• Online
• Phone: 0370 60 60 900
• SMS: To donate £10 text SUPPORT to 70150. Texts cost £10 plus the standard network charge and the whole £10 goes to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer’s permission. (Full terms and conditions and more information are available on the DEC website)
• Or donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office or send a cheque by post to Post: DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA.

Donation of items

Details of collection sites across the county are available on the Talk Community website. Please check the Hereford Help for Ukraine Facebook group for details of items required.

Local Support

For support available locally, please see the  Hereford Help for Ukraine Facebook group. There is also information on our Talk Community website.

Volunteer as an interpreter

If you speak any relevant languages and would like to volunteer as an interpreter or for translation, please contact the Herefordshire Language Network at diversity@herefordshire.gov.uk or visit our translation and interpreting services page.

Volunteer your time

To volunteer your time please take a look at the HVOSS website or email volunteer@hvoss.org.uk

Homes for Ukraine

Following the government announcement of the Homes for Ukraine scheme we are working closely with local, regional and national organisations to understand the council’s role in supporting both local sponsors and Ukrainians coming to Herefordshire.

This is an emerging situation and we expect more details about the scheme to be released over the coming days.

Register your interest in the Homes for Ukraine scheme on the government website.

If you already have a named contact you wish to sponsor you should get in touch with them directly and prepare to fill in a visa application with all of their details and yours. The visa application route will go live on Friday 18 March. In the short term, the government is starting with named individual contacts.

Find further details about the previously announced Ukrainian Families Scheme con the Gov.uk website.

If you have emailed the council to offer assistance in housing Ukrainian nationals, our strategic housing team will be in contact with you while awaiting further advice and guidance from central government. You should please also register your interest on the government’s Homes for Ukraine website.

Chairman of the Council, Cllr Sebastian Bowen

 I stated in my speech to Full Council on Friday (4 March 2022) that I knew that Herefordshire has always been known as a generous County and you have made me very proud to learn of your swift and magnificent generosity in response to the request for aid to the citizens of Ukraine.

It is very heartening to see that the Ukrainian Army is putting up a remarkable and powerful response to the vile onslaught by Russia. I hope that the rapid and generous answer to the call for aid will not only bring them some physical help but also let all Ukrainians know that we are in full support of them, both in material aid and in our very best wishes for them and their Nation.

In practical terms, I understand that many Parish churches are acting as collection points and Halo has also offered its centres as collection. I believe that both money and materials are piling up! I am told that the first seven ton lorry load of materials is at this moment, making its way to Poland and the Ukrainian border.

The details of collection sites across the county are available on the Talk Community website, if you would like to make a donation of money please use the  Disasters Emergency Committee appeal fund details on this page.

With very best wishes and many thanks for your truly wonderful generosity.

Disasters Emergency Committee

Charities are in Ukraine and neighbouring countries meeting the needs of all refugees and displaced people:

You can donate:

• Online
• Phone: 0370 60 60 900
• SMS: To donate £10 text SUPPORT to 70150. Texts cost £10 plus the standard network charge and the whole £10 goes to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal. You must be 16 or over and please ask the bill payer’s permission. (Full terms and conditions and more information are available on the DEC website)
• Or donate over the counter at any high street bank or post office or send a cheque by post to Post: DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal, PO Box 999, London EC3A 3AA.

Local Support

If you would like to find out what support is available locally, then the Hereford Help for Ukraine Facebook group has more information.

There is more information and advice available on our Talk Community website.

Feb 28

Cllr David Hitchiner, Leader of Herefordshire Council

I was coming into the Council Offices this morning listening to the news from Ukraine, reflecting on the statements being made nationally and wondering what response was appropriate from us in the Council

We have real connections with Ukraine.

For many years Herefordshire has relied upon workers from Eastern Europe, Ukraine included, to work here.  Some have stayed and are bringing up their families here. Many of us travel internationally and might have visited Ukraine.  We have a strong global presence in the security industry and there are workers from Herefordshire in Ukraine providing services.

Given the seriousness of war breaking out in Europe today for the first time in over 80 years It is appropriate for me, on behalf of the Council, to send a message of solidarity and sympathy to all democratically elected representatives of the government and of councils across Ukraine and to the people of Ukraine whom they all serve and represent.

The fabric and freedom of their society is under threat and our support, thoughts and prayers are with them all at this difficult and distressing time.

On behalf of the Council I want to reach out to Ukrainians living in our County.  Our thoughts are with you and our residents who have friends and family in the region. If we are able to support you, please let us know.