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Good Morning {{first_name | Reader}},
What a stretch it has been. International Women's Day, World Book Day, and the BOB Awards all landed in what felt like the same breath, and honestly, we could barely keep up. There was even a window of brilliant weather in there somewhere, though looking outside right now, it already feels like a distant memory.
But what a time to be in Broxbourne. I had a conversation recently with a dear friend who couldn't stop talking about the history sitting right beneath our feet, stories waiting to be unearthed and told to the people who actually live here. We're working on something. Watch this space.
On a more sober note, if you've been following the news, you'll know the world feels heavy right now. Death, destruction, and uncertainty. We hope whatever is unfolding resolves quickly, because the ripple effects will reach all of us eventually. Our hearts go out to every family caught in the middle. You are not forgotten.
Closer to home, as always, I've done the legwork so you don't have to. Everything making headlines across the borough is right here, in one place, ready for your Tuesday morning.
One small ask, if my work has been useful to you, consider buying me a coffee. It goes directly towards the tools that keep this newsletter running. Every contribution genuinely helps, and I'm grateful for it.
💌 Enjoying Broxtown? Share it with a neighbour and buy me a coffee if you haven't already 😉
Real conversations, shared over a local table
Bringing people together over good food
Hertstown Dinners are small, curated gatherings of six people, hosted in local restaurants and built around a clear theme. Each dinner brings thoughtful locals together for focused conversation, not networking or pitches. Apply to join the next themed Hertstown Dinner.
Open Application Theme: Local Government Reorganisation
This is not a networking event and there are no talks or sales pitches. Just good food, considered discussion, and people who care about where they live. Spaces are limited and allocated by application to keep the experience intentional.
Future dinners will be announced via this newsletter.
🏛️ HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Lifesaving kit is being installed at public locations across Hertfordshire — here's how to find your nearest one
Hertfordshire County Council has partnered with Hearts for Herts Charity to place defibrillator and bleed kit units at key public locations across the county, available to anyone 24 hours a day. The network recorded 175 activations last year alone. Free training is available and you can locate your nearest unit at orlo.uk/5OqvI.
Roadside barriers upgraded on 28 routes across the county as Highways trial continues
Since launching a ten-week trial earlier this year, Hertfordshire's Highways team has completed 28 upgrades to pedestrian guard rails and roadside barriers across Watford, Three Rivers, Dacorum, St Albans, Hertsmere, and Welwyn Hatfield. The works are part of a broader push to improve safety for pedestrians and cyclists on the county's busiest routes. More upgrades are planned as the trial continues.
Free holiday activities for children on free school meals - Easter bookings now open
HAPpy Camps are returning for the Easter school holidays, offering fully funded activity provision for children and teenagers in Hertfordshire who receive benefits-related free school meals. Places must be booked in advance. Find out more and secure a spot at ow.ly/ahVj50YnSSu.
88% resolved. 22% stayed loyal. What went wrong?
That's the AI paradox hiding in your CX stack. Tickets close. Customers leave. And most teams don't see it coming because they're measuring the wrong things.
Efficiency metrics look great on paper. Handle time down. Containment rate up. But customer loyalty? That's a different story — and it's one your current dashboards probably aren't telling you.
Gladly's 2026 Customer Expectations Report surveyed thousands of real consumers to find out exactly where AI-powered service breaks trust, and what separates the platforms that drive retention from the ones that quietly erode it.
If you're architecting the CX stack, this is the data you need to build it right. Not just fast. Not just cheap. Built to last.
COMMUNITY UPDATES
🚧Eleven local people and groups honoured at the sixth annual Borough of Broxbourne Awards
The BOB Awards 2026 took place on Thursday 5 March at The Spotlight in Hoddesdon, celebrating individuals and organisations making a significant difference across the borough. Eleven winners were named from hundreds of nominations, ranging from community social media founders and voluntary arts leaders to a grassroots football coach and a baby loss support charity. Council Leader Cllr Corina Gander said every nominee is deserving of recognition for what they contribute to borough life.
This year's winners:
Adam and Alexandra Whiting - founders of the As Seen on Bury Green community social media page, connecting over 2,000 residents
Alison Gordon and Leone Rayner - decades of support for the voluntary arts sector through BArts
Barry Cressey - President of Goffs Oak Community Association, leading community events for 14+ years
Kelly Matthews - founder of The James Foundation, supporting families through baby loss
Malcolm Briggs - long-serving Chair of the Wormley and Turnford Society
Marjorie Boulton - volunteer with Love Hoddesdon Events and the Friends of Barclay Park
Pat Higgins - St Mary's Church coffee morning host and school governor
Sporting Aid CIC - free sports sessions for young people across the borough
Sheila Farmer — former Hertfordshire Maths Adviser, school governor and CHEXS trustee
Siobhan Ferrandes - founding Event Director of Barclay Park parkrun, ten years of weekly events
Jack Ferris - Dame Marion Roe Young Citizen of the Year; youth football coach and CHEXS support worker
World Book Day Brings Stories to Life at St Joseph’s
Colourful costumes and beloved storybook characters filled classrooms as pupils across the country celebrated World Book Day last week, with one standout moment at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School Cheshunt. Year 5 pupil Thomas stole the show, delighting classmates and parents as he embraced the spirit of the day while children arrived proudly dressed as their favourite characters.
Beyond the costumes and laughter, the day served as a powerful reminder of the importance of reading, storytelling and encouraging children to develop their own creativity through books. Local authors also joined the celebrations with book giveaways, with lucky winners taking home free copies thanks to the support of children’s author MG Vaciago, who continues to promote reading initiatives with young people across the county.
Broxbourne teenager cancer charity gets planning permission for England's first dedicated youth retreat
Teens Unite has secured planning permission to build a new retreat at its 1.6-acre site in Broxbourne, designed exclusively for teenagers and young adults living with and beyond cancer. The facility, described as the first of its kind in England, will include a multi-functional activity centre and a ten twin-bedroom residential building set in landscaped gardens, and is expected to double the charity's current service provision. Teens Unite still needs to raise £3 million to complete the build and is welcoming donations at teensunite.org/donate-the-home-of-teens-unite.
Sunshine, Sawdust and Community Spirit: MP Visits Cedars Park Men’s Shed
On one of the sunniest days of the year, Broxbourne MP Lewis Cocking visited the Men’s Shed at Cedars Park to see first-hand the work local volunteers do to care for the historic park. Guided by volunteer lead Andy Massey, the MP toured the grounds, meeting residents and learning how the team’s daily efforts help keep the park thriving for the community.
Local MP Lewis Cocking holds drop-in surgery in Goffs Oak
MP Lewis Cocking visited Goffs Oak Community Library last week to hold a drop-in surgery for residents, hearing concerns on issues ranging from crime to local health services. He also stopped in at Goffs Kitchen for lunch during the visit. Residents who missed the surgery can contact Cocking's office directly to raise issues.
📅 UPCOMING EVENTS
☕ Working Well: Preventing Burnout in the Workplace
📍 The Spotlight Theatre, High Street, Hoddesdon, EN11 8BE
🗓️ Thursday 12 March 2026
🎟️ Free entry (booking required)
👉 Book: https://ow.ly/Y97Y50Yi05P
🧠 Sópers House Quiz Night
📍 Sópers House, Broxbourne
🗓️ Thursday 12 March 2026
⏰ 7:00pm – 10:00pm
👥 Teams of up to 6 people
🎟️ Free entry (prizes up for grabs)
📝 Expect geography, sport, music, TV and film, plus sound and taste rounds. Food and drinks available all night at The Terrace
👉 Register by 10 March: [email protected]
🚀 Space Explorer Workshop
📍 Hoddesdon Library
🗓️ Saturday 14 March 2026
⏰ 11:00am – 12:00pm
💷 £4.40 per child (ages 4–7, adult must accompany)
👉 Book at the library or message via Facebook
🚀 Cosmic Curiosity – Space Explorer Family Session
📍 Waltham Cross Library
🗓️ Saturday 14 March 2026
⏰ 11:00am – 12:00pm
💷 £4.40 per child
👶 Ages 4–7 (children must be accompanied by a parent or carer)
📝 Fun family session exploring space, real-life space careers, and exciting stories about the universe.
👉 Book online or in the library: facebook.com/walthamcrosslibrary
💼 Generation Broxbourne — Free Careers and Opportunities Event
📍 The Spotlight, High Street, Hoddesdon, EN11 8BE
🗓️ Tuesday 17 March 2026
⏰ 3:30pm – 5:00pm
🎟️ Free entry (booking required)
👉 Learn more and book: ow.ly/Ik3U50Yp1kp
📝 Open to young people aged 14–21, or 18+ with barriers to work or education
🧹 Great British Spring Clean – Community Litter Pick
📍 Location TBC (contact organiser)
🗓️ Friday 27 March 2026
⏰ 10:00am start
🎟️ Free entry
📝 Volunteers are invited to take part in a community litter pick as part of the Great British Spring Clean campaign. Residents can pledge to pick up litter between 13–29 March.
👉 Contact: [email protected]
👵 Older Persons’ Fair – Broxbourne
📍 The Spotlight, Hoddesdon
🗓️ Friday 10 April 2026
⏰ 10:00am – 2:00pm
🎟️ Free entry
📝 Join local MP Lewis Cocking and more than 30 exhibitors offering advice and information on health, services, and support for older residents.
👉 Learn more: lewiscocking.uk/fair
🐣 Easter Fayre — Waltham Cross
📍 Queen Eleanor Square, Waltham Cross
🗓️ Date TBC (Editor to confirm before publishing)
🎟️ Free entry
📝 Activities include an Easter Garden, Easter Trail, live music, craft stalls and a free Easter egg
MEME of The Day
Better late than never. Love you ladies 💕
HEALTH & WELLBEING TIPS
March is the cruelest month for energy levels - the dark isn't fully gone yet and the year is already demanding a lot. If you've been running on empty, the fix isn't another productivity hack. It's permission to stop.
Block 20 minutes today with no screen, no task, no goal. Just sit somewhere quiet, preferably outside if the weather holds. Research consistently shows that unstructured rest, not sleep, not scrolling, actual mental stillness, is what restores decision-making capacity and reduces cortisol. You don't need a wellness retreat. You need a bench and ten minutes where nobody needs anything from you.
Sponsored by Our Resident Doctor.
🎨 TUESDAY MOTIVATION
“Opportunities don’t happen. You create them.”
— Chris Grosser
“Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.”
— Henry Ford
“The brain is the organ of your experience. You’re not stuck with the brain you have.”
— Daniel Amen
JOB OPPORTUNITIES
Cheshunt, Broxbourne – March 10, 2026 – Broxbourne Borough Council is actively recruiting for key public service roles amid ongoing local growth, with five standout openings at its Bishops’ College headquarters in Cheshunt (EN8 9XQ) and nearby sites. These positions span housing, planning, finance, and operations, offering stable council salaries and hybrid work options for many hires.
Housing and Community Support in Demand
The council seeks experienced Apply Now: Housing Solutions Officer (£38,518 p.a.) and a Apply Now: Trainee/Financial Inclusion Officer (from £30,957 p.a., hybrid up to 2 days WFH) to tackle homelessness and financial aid. Apply Now: Trainee Housing Solutions Officer (FTC) is also open. Apply Now: Assistant Planning Officer (£33,881 p.a.) targets development control in this expanding Hertfordshire borough.
Entry-Level Operations Hiring
Apply Now: Cleaner/Operations Assistant across local leisure centres like Laura Trott and John Warner sites offers council-scale pay (around £25k full-time equivalent), ideal for reliable team players.
Weather ☀ Tuesday - Friday
Tuesday 10 March 11°C 🌡️ 6°C | ☁️ Cloudy | ☀️ Sunrise 6:25am | Sunset 5:55pm
Wednesday 11 March 10°C 🌡️ 6°C | 🌧️ Sprinkles, broken cloud | ☀️ Sunrise 6:23am | Sunset 5:57pm
Thursday 12 March 9°C 🌡️ 6°C | ☁️ Overcast with sprinkles | ☀️ Sunrise 6:21am | Sunset 5:59pm
Friday 13 March 9°C 🌡️ 4°C | 🌧️ Light rain, cloudy | ☀️ Sunrise 6:18am | Sunset 6:00pm
Saturday 14 March 8°C 🌡️ 4°C | ⛅ Cloudy, late sprinkles | ☀️ Sunrise 6:16am | Sunset 6:02pm
Source: Time and Date — updated 9 March 2026
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Wishing you a fantastic rest of your day!
Cheers,
Editor-in-chief | Emeka Ogbonnaya
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