2 Welcome to your May Newsletter. How is this year moving so fast? I truly believe the older you get, the faster the years seem to go, or at least it feels that way to me. The month of May brings with it another public holiday, which will be celebrated on Monday 5 May, and is the month that we celebrate all mothers with Mother’s Day occurring on Sunday 11 May. It takes a village to raise a child and so many people are kind enough to extend their motherly love to other people’s children or their extended family. It’s not always the biological mother raising and caring for our children, and I want to let you know, you are seen. Thank you to everyone who is providing that motherly love, care and protection to our community’s younger generation. Wishing everyone that is celebrating Mother’s Day a wonderful day fill with love, laughter and time with those you care about. This month, I would like to highlight safety tips for our seniors. Feeling safe in your own home is essential to your health and wellbeing. As a senior, it’s important that you are able to enjoy your home, community and lifestyle in comfort and security. The Queensland Police have provided the below steps you can take to protect your safety and security: • If you have a phonebook listing, only list your initials and surname to limit the amount of personal information available. • If you use an answering machine service, ensure you leave a message saying ‘we’ will call back if you live alone. • If you and your family communicate on the internet via social media networks, make sure you don’t give out personal details such as your home address or phone number. • Be cautious about information you give to strangers – don’t tell them where you live or when you will be away and don’t give out any personal, family or financial information. • When shopping, avoid carrying large amounts of money and never leave your handbag, wallet or personal items unattended or in a shopping trolley or mobility device. • If you’re travelling on public transport, ensure you sit where you can see and be seen by the driver or guard, and always check timetables beforehand to avoid long waits. • In your phone, program in the contact numbers of a relative, neighbour or close friend you can contact if you need assistance. Also program the emergency number, Triple Zero (000). • If you receive mail, emails or phone calls requesting money, even if it’s for charity, verify where the request has come from before donating. If you are unsure, contact your local police station. • When out and about, always appear confident and self-assured. Research shows that people who appear confident and take personal safety precautions are less likely to become victims of crime. • Consider installing an alarm system in your home, particularly if you live alone, to help protect your home and personal safety. • Medical or personal alarm systems are also a good idea to consider and are easy to set up. There are many options available, depending on your personal needs. Further information and a fact sheet can be found at https://www.police.qld.gov.au/safety-and-preventing-crime/ personal-safety/seniors-safety. Our seniors are a vital part of our community, and we want to assist you in remaining safe. Labour Day For many, Labour Day signifies a long weekend, a short holiday away, time at the beach, beside the pool or having friends over for a backyard BBQ. There are so many other things that people do to celebrate the long weekend, even if it’s just finding a little more ‘me time’. Many of the younger generation do not have a good understanding of what Labour Day is, or why we have a public holiday to celebrate it. The day know as Labour Day in Queensland and the Northern Territory and May Day in other Australian states, is a celebration of workers' achievements throughout our nation's history ensuring generations to come remember those who struggled and succeeded to ensure decent and fair working conditions in Australia. One of the main outcomes is the 8-hour working day. After significant lobbying, Stonemasons in Melbourne and Sydney won the right to an 8-hour working day as a general industry standard in 1856. This set an international benchmark. In the decades to come workers from Australia and many other countries around the world campaigned to extend the right to other industries. Police Update Thank you to Acting Sargent Matt Dowling, who has been kind enough to supply us with the following crime data relating to Oxenford: • 2 Burglaries • 4 Motor Vehicle – steal, unlawfully use, possess • 3 Motor Vehicle – stealing from/enter into • 5 - Property Damage • 3 - Drug offences That is a total of 17 offences for the period 1 February to 4 April 2025. Analysis of this data shows that these offences are occurring mid-week in Oxenford. No other trends are apparent at this time. Final Thoughts With the last of our long weekends for the first half of the year approaching, and maybe you have some time to spare, I hope that more people reach out to their neighbours and also our seniors are feeling safer in their homes. I trust you all will have a wonderful Labour Day long weekend and a well spent Mother’s Day. Please take the time to come to our next meeting on Tuesday 13 May 2025 at 7pm. It’s an hour out of your day, but you get so much benefit from being there, hearing what is said and being involved if you wish to be. We also have cash ticket raffles on the night which are always great to take part in. We encourage you to take the time to speak with our Oxenford Police Liaison Officer, and our local parliamentary representatives Naomi Fowler and Mark Boothman who are proud supports of our Oxenford Neighbourhood Watch. I will of course be there too. If you haven’t already, please join our Oxenford Neighbourhood Watch Residence - Facebook page at www. facebook.com/groups/oxenfordresidents. We’lll have regular updates on this page. Until next month, please look after yourself and your family, I hope to meet you in person soon. Shendelle Harrison - Area Coordinator Oxenford Neighbourhood Watch Oxenford Neighbourhood Watch
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