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Thursday 01 October 2026

Welcome to your Councillor Connect. If you have suggestions for areas or topics you would like covered, please email communications@hart.gov.uk.

Community groups awarded share of £120,000

A range of community groups has been awarded funding by the Council to support initiatives that improve the lives of residents and strengthen communities across the district.

The £120,000 Here for Hart Community Grants scheme has been shared with 28 organisations to fund projects that help residents stay well, promote inclusion and community connection and support people facing challenges. Applicants could apply for grants of up to £5,000.

The projects focus on young people and families, health and wellbeing, community spaces and facilities, sport and recreation, and community events.

A further £320,000 is also available through the Here for Hart Community Grants scheme for larger projects up to a maximum award of £50,000. These should have a long-term benefit to the community, continuing years after project completion.

The successful projects for the larger grants will be announced in due course. Find out more about the successful smaller grants here.

Hart Residents' Survey 2026 ending soon

We are currently running our Hart Residents' Survey, giving everyone in Hart the opportunity to share their experience and opinions of council services.

So far we've heard from over 1200 residents but we would very much like to reach more in the remaining few days of the survey, which shuts on 12 October.

We are posting about the survey regularly on our social media so please share these posts on your own channels if you are able. We also still have assets available to help promote, such as posters or leaflets. Please send any requests through to communications@hart.gov.uk. We can also provide the survey in other formats if you come across residents who need them.

We'd really appreciate anywhere you can help promote this, to ensure as many people as possible are able to respond.

Come and find out about thermal imaging

This November, Hart District Council and Hart Voluntary Action (HVA) will launch a free thermal imaging project for residents across the district.

Thermal imaging surveys help identify areas where heat may be escaping from a home, enabling householders to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions, stay warmer and save money on energy bills.

Surveys will be carried out by trained HVA volunteers between November 2026 and March 2027. As part of the project, residents who receive a thermal imaging survey will be invited to attend a follow-up event in March at the Civic Offices in Fleet, where a thermal imaging specialist will help interpret their images and discuss potential energy-saving improvements.

We would like to extend this opportunity to Hart District councillors. If you are interested in receiving a free thermal imaging survey of your home, please register your interest today and discover where your home could be losing heat this winter.

Suicide Prevention Day

Free support app

Following this World Suicide Prevention Day, we want to offer friends, family and professionals a free tool that can help support people experiencing thoughts of suicide or mental health difficulties.

The award-winning Stay Alive app is a tool that provides:

Immediate access to crisis support services, including national, local and online helplines.
A personalised Safety Plan to help people recognise warning signs and identify ways to stay safe during difficult times.
Practical tools to support wellbeing and resilience, including grounding techniques, breathing exercises
Wellness Plan and a LifeBox for storing important memories, photos and reasons for living.

The app is free to download via your phone's app store or online via your computer.

Additional local support is available on our Here for Hart Directory, where there are 52 services that can support mental health and wellbeing.

Hart Safeguarding Champions - Self harm and suicide

The Hart Safeguarding Champion officers group met 03 September 2026 for a deeper dive into the subject of Self Harm and Suicide - how they are defined differently, some very confronting statistics, a look at the possible drivers and, most importantly, where to seek support for/signpost to for those who may be struggling.

Please see the attached slides for the presentation that was shared which includes links to further information embedded. We would always encourage you to speak to a Safeguarding Champion should you have any questions arising and follow Safeguarding Procedure should you need to raise a concern or submit a referral.

September Hart Community Safety e-newsletter

Our latest Hart Community Safety e-newsletter is now available, which provides useful information on keyless car thefts, information on the women-only funded boxing classes from Everyone’s Fighting Something CIC and links to “Have Your Say” with the Hart Residents' Survey!

As always, we hope you find the content of the newsletter of use and interest. Please forward this on to groups/colleagues that you work with that you feel may find it helpful - particularly any resident groups and advise them to contact us directly at communitysafety@hart.gov.uk to be added to the distribution list for the future.

Cake coffee and climate meeting 7 October

Climate Emergency Briefing - Hart follow up event

Hart District Council is holding a resident engagement event to support residents to take local community climate action, following on from local screenings of the Climate Emergency Briefings currently being shown across the UK.

The event will be held at 6.15pm - 8pm on 7 October, at our Civic Offices. Find out more and book your place here.

Over ten screenings have been secured across Hart. If you are interested in attending a screening of the emergency briefing prior to this event, it is being shown at both The Harlington and Church on the Heath on 5 October. Check the screening map to find a local briefing to attend.

Domestic abuse in later life

Dewis Choice have created two short films (only five minutes each) with practical advice on how and what to ask when beginning supportive conversations about domestic abuse. These are created by older people, for older people and address domestic affecting people later in life.

Space to Tell follows the experience of an older woman reflecting on a lifetime of coercion, fear and isolation, and the impact of finally being asked about her safety in a supportive and private setting. The film highlights how disclosure can take time, trust and patience, and how small moments of connection can become the beginning of change.

The Power of Asking offers practical guidance on using accessible, non-judgemental language and creating opportunities for older adults to speak openly about their experiences.

Dewis Choice is a charity based in Wales, so the referral pathways provided in the links above are not correct for Hampshire however, the correct links for safeguarding referrals and domestic abuse support in Hampshire are:

Make a referral to the adults' social care team
Support for yourself and Information and Resources for Professionals
Domestic Abuse Support in Hampshire
We also have a fantastic team of Safeguarding Champions at Hart District Council who are always there to listen, offer support and help staff with any safeguarding concerns.

Active Travel stakeholder engagement meeting

The Climate and Countryside teams have been working with Walk Wheel Cycle Trust to further explore opportunities to link green spaces with town centres, train stations and local hubs. An online stakeholder engagement meeting is being held on 14 October, from 6.30pm.

The aim of this project is to enable 'quick win' development of new walking/cycling routes that do not require significant infrastructure works, but support findings from the Local Walking and Cycling Infrastructure Plan.

The route selected for consultation is Bramshot to Edenbrook Country Park, via Fleet town centre and local green spaces. It has been prioritised taking into consideration the outcomes from and the complexity of infrastructure projects and how it could support Hart’s Green Grid network.

To attend this stakeholder engagement meeting, please sign up here.

Another successful Hart Job Fair

We held our Hart Job Fair last month and it was positively great to see a brilliant turnout. Now in our third year, the event brought together a fantastic range of exhibitors and local businesses offering real opportunities, whether looking for a first job, a new role or a complete career change.

Exhibitors who attended included Heron Manor, Hampshire County Council, Seedl, Reed, CV Library, Hampshire and Surrey Police, Stagecoach, the Army and JD Wetherspoon, among many others.

The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, with exhibitors praising how well-organised and well-attended the event was. We had around 340 job seekers attend and 36 exhibitors.

A big thanks goes to Hart’s Chairman Councillor Stuart Bailey who attended and spoke to every business who attended to thank them for supporting the event, Councillor Peter Wildsmith, the portfolio holder for Communities, who opened the event and everyone from Hart who helped out and came down to support on the day. We're keen to see an even bigger job fair next year!

Annual update of the electoral register

We recently sent emails out to some residents asking them to confirm their details on the Electoral Register. This is part of our annual update as each year we check the details of everyone registered to vote.

Those who we were unable to email or who do not respond to the email will also receive a letter from us. Residents should follow the instructions in their email or letter and respond as required.

Yateley Town Council named joint winners of Hampshire Village of the Year 2026

Yateley Town Council and Bramshott and Liphook Parish Council have been named joint winners of the Hampshire Association of Local Councils’ Village of the Year 2026 award. Hook Parish Council was named runner-up. Congratulations to all the winners of awards!

Village of the year - Joint Winners - Yateley Town Council

The results were announced on 23 September at a presentation evening at The Key Centre, hosted by Elvetham Heath Parish Council, the 2024 Village of the Year winner.

In Yateley, the judges highlighted the strength of partnerships between Yateley Town Council, local organisations and volunteers, and the many ways residents are supported to take part in community life. They recognised support for young people through Vision 4 Youth, community transport for older residents, environmental projects and commemorative events. Hook Parish Council was named runner-up in recognition of its investment in facilities, recreational opportunities and youth activities, supported by strong community partnerships.

See the full list of HALC winners for 2026.

Report on the 2026 local elections in England published

Following the local elections in England on 7 May, the Electoral Commission carried out research to understand the experiences of voters, candidates and electoral administrators. Some of the key findings include:

Turnout reached 43.2% – the highest for local elections in England since 2016
94% of people were satisfied with the process of voting
Disabled voters were less likely to say they found it easy to participate (89%) than voters without a disability or health condition (94%).
11% of disabled voters said the way elections are currently run prevents them from voting in person
Awareness of the requirement to show photo ID at polling stations was high (83%), but fewer people were aware of the free Voter Authority Certificate (52%)

The research has also highlighted areas where more work is needed. The Electoral Commission’s recommendations include:

The government and electoral community should do more to raise awareness of accessibility support available at polling stations
Promoting the Voter Authority Certificate more widely and making it easier to access and use
Improving the UK’s ability to protect the election information environment from mis- and disinformation

Read the full report

LGA webinar on finance without numbers – an introduction to local government finance

The Local Government Association (LGA) is hosting a webinar from 6:00 to 7:30pm on 14 October on finance without numbers. The virtual event will provide an overview of local government finance focusing on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies, and processes rather than on the numbers.

The session is aimed at newly elected members or those looking to refresh their knowledge. Delegates will gain an understanding of both what they need to be aware of in their role and what they need to understand about their council’s role. It will cover:

Members’ role in finance
How finance decisions are made
Some key financial issues and terminology

Updates from Fleet Phoenix

Final chance to nominate for the Youth Achievement Awards

Please take the last opportunity to nominate the amazing young people in Hart for a Fleet Phoenix Youth Achievement Award. Make your nominations online - these are closing on Friday 2 October.

Fleet Phoenix Christmas wrapping

Fleet Phoenix will be organising the Christmas toy drive again this year. With over 1000 presents wrapped last year, they are getting organised early and planning an evening of wrapping on Monday 7 December at 5pm until they are all done at The Point Youth Centre, Fleet.

They will supply something warm and wet, mince pies and tacky Christmas music to get you all in the spirit. Please let them know if you could come and lend a hand, bring a friend or the whole family - the more the merrier.