Food alert – 27 August 2020:
Holland & Barrett recalls several of its products because of the possible presence of salmonella
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-41-2020

News update – 26 August 2020:
FSA Board meeting: 26 August 2020
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/fsa-board-meeting-26-august-2020-0

Allergy alert – 25 August 2020:
Update: SPAR recalls Chicken and Prawn paella because of undeclared allergens
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-aa-46-2020-update-1

Allergy alert – 24 August 2020:
SPAR recalls Chicken and Prawn paella because of undeclared allergens
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-aa-46-2020

Food alert – 24 August 2020:
Rude Health Food recalls The Ultimate Muesli because of the possible presence of salmonella
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-40-2020

Food alert – 22 August 2020:
The Paleo Foods Co. recalls Cocoa & Hazelnut Grain-Free Granola because of the possible presence of salmonella
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-38-2020

Food alert – 22 August 2020:
Hand2Mouth Ltd recalls various products containing Brazil nuts because of the possible presence of salmonella
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-39-2020

Food alert – 21 August 2020:
Lidl GB recalls Deluxe Dark Chocolate Muesli Bar with Brazils and Cranberries because of the possible presence of salmonella
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-37-2020

Consultation update – 20 August 2020:
Amendments to Retained EU Law for Food and Feed Safety and Hygiene for the end of the Transition Period
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/consultations/amendments-to-retained-eu-law-for-food-and-feed-safety-and-hygiene-for-the-end-of-the-transition-period

News update – 13 August 2020:
FSA launches campaign to help food sector adapt to the ‘new normal’
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/fsa-launches-campaign-to-help-food-sector-adapt-to-the-new-normal

News update – 13 August 2020:
FSA Board meeting papers published for August 2020
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/fsa-board-meeting-papers-published-for-august-2020

News update – 12 August 2020:
COVID-19 Consumer Tracker waves three and four report published
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/covid-19-consumer-tracker-waves-three-and-four-report-published

Welcome to our latest monthly newsletter.

In this edition, you’ll be able to find information on childcare, school transport, VJ Day and recycling. We’ve also got news on Buckinghamshire Lottery, fostering, adult learning and lots more.

We’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter – so please reply and let us know!

Content index:

'Eat Out to Help Out' – help boost our local businesses

30 hours childcare – Apply by 31 August

Start of term school transport update

Recycle more today!

And the good news just keeps coming... (Buckinghamshire Lottery)

Autumn term Adult Learning courses now
available to enrol

Bucks in 100 objects!

Online celebrations for VJ DAY

Supping in the summertime...

Have you seen 'Your Voice Bucks'?

Voter registration – please follow the instructions on your form or email

Could you be a foster carer?

Need to speak to us face-to-face?

Bucks County Museum reopens its garden

'Pop Up' museum exhibition at the Eden
Centre

Book of the Month


‘Eat Out to Help Out’ – help boost our local businesses

Eat Out to Help Out is a national Government scheme which is running from Monday 3 August right up until 31 August and we’re encouraging our local residents and visitors to get out there, make the most of the offer and support our many brilliant hospitality businesses. Anyone can get money off eating out or just having a coffee at a participating bar, café or restaurant. Look out for the special Eat Out to Help Out window stickers or use the online search to discover all the places near you (within a 5-mile radius) who are participating.

As a customer, you can get 50% off your food and any non-alcoholic drinks, up to £10 discount per person. You can get the discount for children too and you can eat out and get the discount as many times as you like on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday. You don’t need vouchers as you’ll get your discount taken off your bill at the end.


30 hours childcare – apply by 31 August

If you’re a working parent of a 3 or 4-year-old and you earn at least 16 hours at National Minimum or Living Wage, did you know you could be entitled to 30 hours of funded childcare? These 30 hours can be used at participating full daycare (nurseries), schools, childminders, sessional providers (playgroups) and after school clubs.

To take up this offer from September, check your eligibility and apply by the 31 August deadline. Here’s how:

Find out if you’re eligible. To find out if you’re eligible for 30 hours (or another childcare scheme), enter your details into the Childcare Choices website.
Apply If you are eligible. Apply for 30 hours via GOV.UK. Do this as soon as you can.
Find participating providers. Search for participating childcare providers in Buckinghamshire using the Family Information Service directory.

Already taking up 30 hours? Reconfirm your eligibility

If you’re already taking up the 30 hours of funded childcare you will need reconfirm your eligibility every three months, you can do this by signing into your Childcare Account (GOV.UK).

Need childcare for September?

If you need childcare from September whether it’s funded or not, find providers with vacancies on our directory. Show me childcare providers in Buckinghamshire that have vacancies.

Start of term school transport update

Students entitled to free school transport on council-run bus services have now had their place confirmed for the autumn term and have been sent their bus pass.

Spare seats were allocated to pupils on the paid-for waiting list by the end of July, and offers sent to parents. Where offers for paid-for seats are not taken up, those seats will be re-offered to people on the waiting list from 14 August. Bus timetables will also be published by 14 August.


Recycle more today!

More and more people in Buckinghamshire are recycling their plastic pots, tubs and trays from the kitchen. But if you need to check if something is recyclable, use our Waste Wizard a free tool designed just for local residents – Recycle more today!

Remember to check the website for any changes to waste collections over the August Bank Holiday. Household recycling Centres are open as usual, including Bank Holidays.


And the good news just keeps coming...

In our last newsletter we shared the news that one lucky Buckinghamshire resident had won the incredible £25,000 jackpot with Buckinghamshire Lottery. Since then, we are also delighted to share that we’ve had a £2,000 winner!

This is more fantastic news for the lottery, which helps support a huge variety of good causes across the county, including sports clubs, animal charities, disability charities, local community centres and schools. Tickets cost just £1 with 60% of all sales going directly to support good causes here in Bucks. Players can choose to support either their favourite good causes or alternatively the general good cause fund, which also supports a wide range of local organisations.

What are you waiting for? Sign up to support a local good cause near you today.


Autumn term Adult Learning courses now available to enrol

Buckinghamshire Adult Learning’s autumn term programme of part-time courses are now available to enrol. Visit their website or call ‪01296 382403‬ to book your place. Choose from a wide range of courses which are face-to-face and online including: languages, creatives studies, home improvements and gardening and health and fitness.


Bucks in 100 objects!

In spite of the pandemic there’s still so much culture to soak up here in Buckinghamshire, even if we’re having to do things a little differently! Check out the Bucks in 100 Objects project for example. The aim is to identify the top 100 objects that best sum up Buckinghamshire and we’ve had some fantastic nominations from some very well-known names!

For example, broadcaster Gabby Logan has picked Cliveden, Lord Lieutenant Sir Henry Aubrey Fletcher has nominated the Boarstall Cartulary, and we’ve also seen nominations for many other favourite famous landmarks like the Golden Ball on top of St Lawrence Church in West Wycombe and the Lions in Aylesbury’s market square!

We’ve received over 60 nominations so far, but we still want to hear of more, so if your favourite Bucks object or story is not yet included please get in touch – details of how to submit a nomination can be found on the website. Eventually we want to be able to select a final 100 objects to create an exhibition, public trails, and a website that tell the story of Buckinghamshire through these objects.


Online celebrations for VJ DAY

Saturday 15 August 2020 marks the 75th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (VJ Day). While celebrations might look different this year due to the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19), Buckinghamshire Council is still keen to mark VJ Day while adhering to the government’s guidelines around social distancing during this time.

Take a look at our online VJDay75 page for creative suggestions, educational resources and fun ideas on how to mark the day respectfully and responsibly. Perhaps you’re decorating your street or planning picnics in the garden? Do keep letting us know by emailing vjday@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

We’ve been working with local partners and organisations to bring our commemorations online, and will be sharing stories, photos and videos on social media on Saturday 15 August – some featuring a few special guests!

Follow @BucksCouncil on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for all our VJ Day content and remember to tag us in your own VJ Day celebration photos.


Supping in the summertime...

Whether at a pub, restaurant or BBQ, if you’re drinking alcohol, it can be really easy to lose track of how many beers or glasses of wine you’ve had – especially when it’s warm as a cold drink is so refreshing. Before you know it, you might find that you’ve had three or four alcoholic drinks which can cause you to become unwell in the heat and makes sunstroke or dehydration more likely.

Drinking too much also impairs your abilities and lowers inhibitions often resulting in accidents happening. So, this summer, think about what you drink!

The lower risk guidelines recommend that you do not drink more than 14 units of alcohol a week, that you spread your drinking over three days or more and that you have at least a couple of alcohol free days each week.

Find out how many units are in your drinks as well as support to help you cut down the amount of alcohol you’re drinking by going to the NHS website.


Have you seen 'Your Voice Bucks'?

It’s the county’s online hub for public engagement activities and consultations being run by ourselves and the NHS. Check out who’s asking for the public’s views and see if there’s anything you’re interested in. If you want to know more, please email consultations@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.


Voter registration – please follow the instructions on your form or email

We are currently contacting residents by post or email to ensure the electoral register is up to date, and it’s essential that you follow the instructions provided.

If you need to reply, the quickest and easiest way is online, by text or by phone – this will save paper and postage. However, please read your form carefully as you may not need to reply.

You need to be registered in order to vote, and not being registered could also affect your chances of obtaining credit. Further information can be found on our website.


Could you be a foster carer?

There are currently around 500 children in the council's care, and our foster carers play an important part in helping them towards a good future. If you'd like to find out exactly what's involved in being a foster carer, why not join one of our relaxed and welcoming online information sessions? You can reserve a space by going to our fostering webpage.


Need to speak to us face-to-face?

We’re happy to say that most of our Council Access Points (CAPs) are now open, with strict social distancing (in line with the latest government guidance) in place. This will make it easier for you to get the information and support you need – at a location near where you live or work.

Although we encourage residents to access our services online or to call us, we know that some people would like face-to-face contact, possibly if they need extra support and guidance with their query.

Details of the location of your local CAP, what support is available, and the opening times can be found on our website.


Bucks County Museum reopens its garden

It was smiles all round on Friday 31 July, as Bucks County Museum reopened its garden after closing for lockdown back in March.

The launch marked the start of a summer programme offering yoga, mindfulness, open gardens and family crafts – all taking place in the museum’s popular Victorian walled garden on selected days. The museum’s open gardens continue Thursday afternoons (13 August and 3 September) with pop-up mini events, such as art and mindfulness.

The museum is also excited to announce that their Family Fun Garden Explorer sessions (Fridays and Saturdays) kick off on 14 August and include the Bank Holiday 31 August. Visitors need to pre-book these family dates on the museum’s website. Admission on the day is by donation to the museum by card or cash.


'Pop Up' museum exhibition at the Eden Centre

Wycombe Museum has installed a Pop Up museum in one of the units in the Eden Centre in High Wycombe. The exhibition celebrates Wycombe’s furniture making industry. A local artist is using mid-century furniture, including four Parker Knoll armchairs; and Ercol has kindly supplied an original 1877 Windsor chair. In addition, a local conservator from DesBox has sent a piece of restored furniture, and a local artist has provided a print display of mid-century museum chairs. The Pop Up space includes children’s activity tables and a shop, and is open Wednesday-Friday 11am-4pm throughout the school holidays. Entry is free.

As for the museum itself, the gardens and cafe are currently open to the public on Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays. Book a free entry ticket.


Book of the Month

This month’s Book of the Month recommendation from our libraries team is Christy Lefteri’s The Beekeeper of Aleppo.

Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. As Nuri and Afra travel through a broken world, they must confront not only the pain of their own unspeakable loss, but dangers that would overwhelm the bravest of souls.

Moving, powerful, compassionate and beautifully written, The Beekeeper of Aleppo is a testament to the triumph of the human spirit. Told with deceptive simplicity, it’s the kind of book that reminds us of the power of storytelling.

Reserve a paperback copy, read the eBook or listen to the audiobook.


GET IN TOUCH WITH US

To contact us online, please use our Contact Us form. If you’re unable to contact us online, please call us on ‪0300 131 6000‬. Phone lines are open:

Monday to Thursday 9am to 5:30pm
Friday 9am to 5pm

Please note we’re closed on bank holidays.

To keep up to date with the latest news from Buckinghamshire Council, please follow us on social media:

Buckinghamshire Council

The Gateway, Gatehouse Road, Aylesbury, HP19 8FF

buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Food alert – 11 August 2020:
Iceland recalls Chip Shop Curry Chicken Breast Toppers and Southern Fried Chicken Popsters because of the presence of salmonella
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-36-2020

Allergy alert – 11 August 2020:
Waitrose & Partners recalls Chicken Satay with Sweet Chilli Sauce because of undeclared allergens
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-aa-45-2020

Consultation update – 10 August 2020:
Post Implementation review – The Food Safety and Hygiene (England) Regulations 2013 (As Amended)
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/consultations/post-implementation-review-the-food-safety-and-hygiene-england-regulations-2013-as-amended

Please follow the link for the latest newsletter from the council
https://spark.adobe.com/page/O0L4FOLnO9df6/
Message Sent By
Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Food alert – 8 August 2020:
Sainsbury’s recalls by Sainsbury’s semi-skimmed UHT milk because of possible microbiological contamination
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-35-2020

We are delighted to announce that the August 2020 OurNews is now available to view and download from our website.( https://bit.ly/3fzCWCQ )

This month’s theme is Crime Prevention and we have highlighted our launch of our new “Safety In Neighbours” campaign, which launched at the tail end of July. This has been a great campaign and we have received lots of positive feedback.

As well as continuing our theme across the newsletter, we are excited to launch our first ever Impact Survey, which we are pleased to say we have received over 21,000 responses. We would like to congratulate West Midlands and Hampshire, which we have received the most responses from their members and members of the public.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those that have already completed the survey and for those of that haven't, we ask you to fill in the survey and ask others to do the same.

Please continue to share our newsletter with your coordinators, members, supporters, and partners across your networks.

Best wishes

Central Support Team

NB: Please click on the links in the alert message


Message Sent By
Cheryl Spruce (NWN, Head of Membership and Community Engagement , National)

Update from the Food Standards Agency 4 August 2020
Food alert – 4 August 2020:
Co-operative Food recalls Co-op Sliced Curly Kale because packs may contain thistle
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-34-2020

Update from the Food Standards Agency 3 August 2020
News update – 3 August 2020:
FSA welcomes sentencing of DNP seller
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/fsa-welcomes-sentencing-of-dnp-seller

Update from the Food Standards Agency 31 July 2020
News update – 31 July 2020:
Report into international foodborne disease rates published
Read more: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/news/report-into-international-foodborne-disease-rates-published

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First Ever National Impact Survey Launched By Neighbourhood Watch

We are delighted to launch the first ever Neighbourhood Watch Impact Survey.
This is a survey open to all members of the public including our supporters and members and we are asking our partners to share across their public networks. It will enable us to look at how Neighbourhood Watch impacts in our communities and identify the concerns surrounding crime, fear of crime and the increase in neighbourliness and community spirit.

We ask that you share the survey IMPACT SURVEY (https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NWimpact)
with friends, neighbours, colleagues and your partners, to ensure that we get a good mix of responses. You can do this in various ways through email, using social media and any other methods that you may have.

We have included an image for you to use on Social Media

Facebook & Twitter: Neighbourhood Watch Network is excited to launch our first National Impact Survey and we want EVERYONE to take part. It doesn't matter if you are part of Neighbourhood Watch or not, we want your views. It should take you less than 10 minutes to complete. Click on the link https://bit.ly/2XbuX8J.

We have also included a poster for you to share on your emaiis.

To learn more about the background to the survey
Please click on the following link Measuring our impact

We look forward to receiving your responses on our survey which needs to be completed by 21st August 2020.

Best wishes

Cheryl

Message Sent By
Cheryl Spruce (NWN, Head of Membership and Community Engagement , National)

Are You Shopping Online?

Dear Subscriber,

Have you bought anything online recently?…

Almost 34% of all retail sales during May 2020 were carried out online, and new research suggests that only 16% of UK consumers intend to return to their old shopping habits post-lockdown.

Online shopping fraud during lockdown

Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, received over 16,000 reports relating to online shopping and auction fraud during the lockdown, with losses totalling over £16m. Members of the public have reported buying mobile phones (19%), vehicles (22%), electronics (10%) such as games consoles, AirPods and MacBooks , and footwear (4%) on sites such as eBay (18%), Facebook (18%), Gumtree (10%) and Depop (6%), only to have the items never arrive.

Top tips for shopping online securely:

Choosing where to shop:
If you’re making a purchase from a company or seller you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first. For example, by checking to see if others have used the site and what their experience was.

Email accounts:
Use a strong, separate password for your email account. Criminals can use
your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping.

Scam messages:
Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. Not all links are bad, but if you’re unsure don't use the link, go separately to the website. And remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.

Payment method:
If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one as other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

What to do if you’ve fallen victim to online shopping fraud

We all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incredibly convincing.

If you think you’ve visited, or made a purchase on, a bogus website, you should first, take a note of the website's address, then close down your internet browser. You should then report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank to seek advice.

Whether you've been a victim of fraud will depend on how much information you’ve provided to the website, so keep an eye on your bank transactions, if you can. Contact your bank immediately about anything that you don’t recognise, even small amounts.

For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit www.actionfraud.police.uk/cybercrime

Message Sent By
Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

Thames Valley Police is now accepting expressions of interest for the Detective Constable - Degree Holder Entry Programme (DC- DHEP).

Already hold a degree or in the final year of your study? Eager to pursue a career in investigation? Aspire to manage your own investigations from start to finish? Motivated by a desire to do the right thing and get justice for victims?

Typically described as inquisitive, observant, tenacious, methodical, dedicated, resilient, attention to detail oriented with solid research skills combined with confident decision-making? The Detective-DHEP could be for you.

The Detective-DHEP is a rigorous, intensive and demanding two-year fast track to the Detective Constable (DC) entry route. Like the Police Constable-DHEP (PC-DHEP), it is a work-based programme, supported by on and off the job learning.

On successful completion of your probation, you will achieve a Graduate Diploma in Professional Policing Practice plus have acquired the additional PIP2 learning, training and accreditation to qualify you as a Detective Constable.

The course requires commitment and dedication to both serving the public and meeting the demands of the development programme, whilst offering a fantastic opportunity for you to continue to learn beyond your initial degree and earning a salary as a fully warranted police officer from your first day.

The starting salary for all new recruits is £26,177 (which includes £2,000 South-East allowance). On the current system officers can expect to be earning a salary in excess of £40,000 per annum by your 7th year in the job.

Learn more about the Detective Constable - Degree Holder Entry Programme (DC- DHEP) and how to register your expression of interest here:
https://tvpcareers.co.uk/detectivedhep
Message Sent By
Cristina Bratu (Police, Comms, HQ)

Social Media Scams

You’re probably familiar with some of the ways in which fraudsters approach victims - emails, texts, phone calls, letters and sometimes doorstep scams.

But did you know that social media is also a favourite place for scammers?

This month Get Safe Online’s campaign is all about Social Media scams – and the attached leaflet provides some great tips on how to avoid being scammed on social media.

For more tips on staying safe online then visit getsafeonline.org

Many thanks
The Get Safe Online team

July20_SM_Scams_Leaflet.pdf - 506.4 KB is available at:
https://assets.neighbourhoodalert.co.uk/images/site_images/62868_July20_SM_Scams_Leaflet.pdf

Message Sent By
Get Safe Online Admin (Get Safe Online, Content Director, National) (less)

Do Not Give Thieves Shed Loads of Opportunity
The past two weeks have seen 8 shed/garage breaks and 1 attempt garage break. The main target appears to be pedal bikes and gardening equipment. Some of the sheds/garages targeted have been unlocked, making them easy targets
Opportunist thieves identify sheds as easy pickings because they are unprotected and lack basic security measures. The buildings often contain property that can be sold on or implements that can be used to force entry into the owner’s home
Many people fall short on basic security of their sheds
Please make sure you:
• Keep your shed in good condition
• Fit a closed shackle padlock to the door
• Fittings should be bolted through the door and any screws concealed
• It is easy to unscrew the ironmongery, steal contents and in some cases replace
the screws to make it look as if the shed has not been tampered with
• By using tamper proof screws or coach bolts, together with a good quality pad bar
or hasp and staple and close shackled padlock, the shed owner will make it
harder for the would-be thief
• Bond any window glass in with mastic to prevent easy removal. Fit grilles or mesh
to windows to slow down the thief
• Ensure all equipment and tools are locked away when not in use
• Install a shed alarm
• Post-code or mark all property such as lawnmowers, bikes, and tools using ultraviolet
pens, forensic marking such as Selecta DNA, Smartwater or engravers
• Install security lighting as a deterrent, and plants such as thorny shrubs to act as a
barrier at potential access points
• If building a shed, put it where it is most visible to you and neighbours
• Ensure ladders are locked to a secure fixture in the shed or garage so they can’t
be used to reach top floor windows
• Chain large items such as bicycles together, making it much more difficult for a
thief to carry away
• Fit a wire cage inside the shed where more expensive items can be locked away
No thief wants to hang about longer than they have to so delay the time it will take
them to get their hands on your tools
Message Sent By
Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Buckinghamshire Council Community Safety News
Please follow the link for the latest edition
https://spark.adobe.com/page/rvfTTx3Zo6Mm9/
Message Sent By
Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Message from Head of Local Policing Chief Superintendent Christian Bunt about Further Easing of Restrictions
After over three months of social restrictions, we understand that people will want to go out and enjoy themselves when lockdown restrictions ease further on Saturday (4/7).

As these restrictions are lifted however, the public have an even greater responsibility to adhere to the government guidance around social distancing and hygiene and play their part in stopping the spread of Coronavirus. Covid-19 still presents a significant threat to public health, as highlighted by the local lockdown seen in Leicester this week, and we must all continue to respect the measures in place to protect lives.

As with any expected busy weekend, Thames Valley Police has a comprehensive plan in place with officers visible in our cities and town centres, as well as extra resources and officers available to respond to any disorder or criminality, wherever they are needed. And whilst we have no powers to enforce social distancing, restrictions around gatherings are still in place and we will break up illegal events and take action against those who organise them.

We are also working with local authorities and licensees to support their plans to manage the number of people out and about. In some areas entry to a bar or restaurant will only be possible if you pre-book a table and not all premises are opening, so if you’ve not pre-booked you may not get entry to anywhere and you may wish to consider this when making your plans. Also make sure to pre-plan your travel and how you are going to get home.

We would also ask that people are mindful of the potential impact they could have on the emergency services and urge people to drink responsibly.

We want everyone to have a great time and enjoy themselves but please stay safe and adhere to the public health measures in place to help stop the spread of Coronavirus.

Please see the latest government guidance on the further easing of restrictions.

Message Sent By
Emma Tarry (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)

Following the tragic incident in Reading on Saturday night in which three innocent members of the public sadly lost their lives, I wanted to message our wider Thames Valley community to provide some reassurance at this difficult time.

At this time Thames Valley Police and Counter Terrorism Policing South East (CTPSE), who are leading the investigation into the attack in Reading, do not believe there to be a wider risk to the public. I would like to reiterate that there is nothing to suggest that anyone else is involved in this offence and we are confident this is an isolated incident. In the past when there has been a terrorist attack, at home or abroad, we have seen the national terror threat level change increase. That has not happened in this case, which is confirmation of the security services assessment following this incident.

Nevertheless, I understand that this incident will have caused great concern and I would like to reassure you that my officers and staff continue to be present in your area, responding to emergencies and safeguarding the vulnerable. You may see more officers out and about during this time; do not be alarmed by this, they are there for your reassurance. Please do approach them if you have any questions or concerns.

Communities defeat terrorism; in times of adversity we must come together as one community because co-operation between each of us is our most powerful defence, and I am confident that the communities of Thames Valley will continue to do this.

You can play your part to protect yourself and your community. My advice, especially as the coronavirus restrictions ease and public spaces become busier, is to remain vigilant at all times and report any concerns, in confidence, to the police.

You can do that online, in confidence, via our Action Counters Terrorism (ACT) website at gov.uk/ACT. ; Please do not worry you may be wasting our time. We would much rather hear from you than miss an opportunity to step in before it’s too late.

Support information and services are also available on the Government’s website if you have been affected by this incident and would like to seek advice and assistance.

We have been touched by the response we have had from the public over the last few days and appreciate your understanding and ongoing support. Thank you to you all.

Our thoughts remain with the victims’ family and friends and our Reading communities at this difficult time.

Thank you



John Campbell QPM, Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police
Message Sent By
Emma Tarry (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)

Attempt Burglary

On Friday 12th June 2020 at 9.30 pm an attempted burglary occurred at High Street, Iver. Three offenders have tried to gain entry via a bay window.

Three males have been seen running away from the house and getting into a blue Jaguar, one male is wearing a red checked shirt, white face mask, red gloves and another male is wearing a black jacket, blue jeans, red gloves, white face mask and beige baseball cap.

If you saw or heard anything suspicious in the area of High Street please contact Priority Crime Team, Amersham Police Station via the Thames Valley Police non emergency number, 101 and quote crime reference ‪43200175969‬.

If you don’t want to speak directly to the police you can contact the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on ‪0800 555111‬ or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org
Alternatively you can report this online at https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tua/tell-us-about/cor/tell-us-about-existing-case-report/ quoting reference number ‪43200175969‬.

No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.

Please consider a few simple prevention steps to your property: -

1. Keep windows and doors shut, locked and in good condition

2. Property mark your valuables with a UV pen or forensic property marking kit, then register on www.immobilise.com. Make a note of all model numbers and serial numbers of all electrical items.

3. Use a timer switches to make your home look occupied in the evenings

4. Perhaps purchase a fake/simulated TV device which lights up a room like a real TV.

5. Ensure car keys are safely stored away from the front door

6. Keep tools and ladders locked away out of sight.

For more Crime Reduction tips and information please visit our website www.thamesvalley.police.uk and click on the 'crime prevention' tab.

Alternatively contact Thames Valley Police on: 101

Message Sent By
Debbie Parker-Boyes (Case Investigator, Police, Taplow)

Sharing the roads - A message from Transport for Buckinghamshire, Thames valley Police and Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue.

During the pandemic we have all had to accept some restrictions and guidelines that differ to the normal freedoms that we have in this country.

The country has largely responded with great community spirit and acted more considerately towards others with acts of kindness and respect.

Now, as some restrictions are eased, we should remember that certain laws regarding driving and driver behaviour have always been in place, and will continue to be in force when the pandemic is a distant memory.

As once-empty roads fill up again, with more cars, lorries and motorcyclists, and with more people now enjoying cycling and walking, the roads and pavements may all be busier. So it’s even more essential that we all slow down and watch out for each other.

Please keep yourself and others safe:
Wear your seatbelt.
Don’t drink and drive or take drugs and drive.
Stop your car somewhere safe if you need to use your mobile phone when driving.
Drive within the speed limits

Whether you have been using the roads during the lockdown or not, now is the time to think about other road users and how they may be affected by your actions.

We, Transport for Buckinghamshire, Thames valley Police and Buckinghamshire Fire & Rescue all ask you to look out for each other by being a responsible and considerate road user and keep watching out for other people as you did during the pandemic.

Thank you

Message Sent By
Luke Stratford (Police, Comms, HQ South)

Domestic Abuse Engage Session - Thursday 28 May
Tomorrow, between 6pm – 8pm, Thames Valley Police and support organisations will be holding a live Domestic Abuse Q&A session on the TVP Engage website. www.tvpengage.co.uk

Are you experiencing domestic abuse, or are you worried about a family member, friend, neighbour or colleague?

You can send us your questions on the TVP Engage website and our panel of experts will be able to provide answers and guidance, both publicly and privately.

How can I join the conversation and send my question?
- Go on the TVP Engage website www.tvpengage.co.uk between 6pm to 8pm.
- Once you arrive on the TVP Engage website, you can type in your question;
- You will need to add a name that will appear next to your question in the question stream. If you do not want your real name to be displayed, you can use an alternative name;
- Questions will be visible in the questions stream only once they are answered, so it might take a few minutes until you will see your question answered in the public question stream;
- If you would like your question to be answered privately, please let us know; we will respond directly to your question and it will not appear on the public feed.

Among our partner organisations joining us tomorrow we have Victims First, Berkshire Women’s Aid, ManKind, Flag DV, Reducing the Risk, SAFE! and Aylesbury Vale And Milton Keynes Sexual Assault And Abuse Support Service.

If you believe someone could benefit from having a chat to us, then please let them know about this Q&A session.
Message Sent By
Ffion Jones (Police, Communications Assistant , HQ South)

Dear resident,

Safe email

Email has always been the fraudsters' favourite way to scam you. During the Coronavirus pandemic it's become even worse. Read our expert tips on how to spot and deal with a phishing email.

To see more about online safety during this uncertain time visit www.getsafeonline.org/safeemail or take a look at our new online leaflet attached.

Stay well and stay safe online,
The Get Safe Online Team

Attachments
May20_Safe_Email_Leaflet.pdf - 710.2 KB

Message Sent By
Get Safe Online Admin (Get Safe Online, Content Director, National)

Today marks the beginning of Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme of the week this year is kindness – over the past couple of months we’ve seen the importance of kindness in uncertain times.
However, while it’s important to look out for others at the moment, it’s equally important to be kind to yourself too.
We’re here to remind you that support is out there if you need it.
The Mental Health Foundation has specific advice on how to look after your mental health during the pandemic: https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/coronavirus
You can also create a personalised plan of activities on Public Health England’s Every Mind Matters site: https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/
Help is available across Buckinghamshire:
Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Mental Health Helpline: ‪01865 904997‬ (24/7). Can provide support and advice for anxiety, low mood, stress, feeling helpless and difficulty with relationships.
Buckinghamshire Mind: https://www.bucksmind.org.uk/
For more information on accessing support services in your area, you can call Mind’s infoline on ‪0300 123 3393‬ between 9am and 6pm Monday-Friday.
If you’re struggling to cope, you can call the Samaritans 24/7 helpline on ‪116 123‬. Support is always out there if you need it.
You can find out more about how we’re supporting Mental Health Awareness Week on our social media channels and join in the conversation using #KindnessMatters and #MentalHealthAwarenessWeek.

Message Sent By
Ffion Jones (Police, Communications Assistant , HQ South)

Dear Resident,

This week, as you’ll already know, there has been updated advice from the government on the lockdown measures. People will be able to spend more time outside from tomorrow (Wednesday) which will be a relief for many, and those who are unable to work from home are encouraged to go to work if they can safely do so. More details have been released on how the changes allowed from tomorrow will work in practice and I urge you to take a look and make sure you are following the rules properly.

It’s really important that we all carry on the social distancing measures and keep 2m (6ft) away from anyone we don’t live with if we do choose to spend more time outside.

Country Parks
I’m really pleased to be able to tell you that following the Prime Minister’s announcement and in consultation with the Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, Clive Harriss, that the Council has decided to open country parks from tomorrow (Wednesday) for people to use as part of their daily exercise and to enjoy the fresh air, within the guidelines set out by the government.

The car parks will be open and parking charges will apply. In line with the current rules on social distancing, the cafés and playgrounds, plus GoApe in Black Park will still be closed. Some other areas will also remain closed for now until we’ve made arrangements to enable social distancing, including the Temple Gardens in Langley Park. The toilets will also be closed, and while we’re working on a longer-term solution, please bring your own hand sanitisers to keep yourself safe. It is essential that visitors keep their distance and stay 2m (6ft) away from anyone not from their own household, and do not gather in groups of more than two (excluding members of their own household).

Please can I also ask you to help keep our country parks tidy and take your litter home with you.

I do hope visitors safely enjoy being able to use the country parks again.

Please do also keep checking the Buckinghamshire Council website and our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) for all the latest information on our services.

VE Day celebrations
I just wanted to touch on how special the commemorations were here in Buckinghamshire. It was wonderful to see so many streets being decorated across the county and our social media channels were packed with wonderful stories, memories and pictures with lots of videos of the red arrows flying over the county too! We may not have marked the day as we had originally planned but we definitely did ourselves proud. You can still see lots of amazing and moving stories on the Centre for Buckinghamshire Studies blog later this week.

Getting tested for coronavirus
Many people are now able to get tested for coronavirus if they are showing symptoms, including essential workers, people who cannot work from home, and anyone aged 65 or over.

Another mobile testing unit will be coming to Buckinghamshire tomorrow (Wednesday 13 May). It will be at the Swan Pool and Leisure Centre in London Road, Buckingham, MK18 1AE, and will be running for up to three days.

For more information and to book a test, please go to the government’s web pages on testing.

Household Recycling Centres
Since opening five of our household recycling centres last week, there have been large numbers of people visiting who needed to dispose of waste they couldn't store at home. I'd like to say a big thank you to visitors, who, despite queues, are being patient and considerate, bringing proof that they live in Buckinghamshire, and are sticking with the social distancing measures that we've introduced at the sites.

The sites at Buckingham, Aston Clinton, Amersham, Beaconsfield and High Heavens in Wycombe are all open 9am-6pm every day. Try and choose a time when queues are shorter – we update the pages on our website with the current waiting times.

Garden Waste
Just a quick reminder too that we have now started kerbside garden waste collections again – do check the Buckinghamshire Council website for up to date information about collections in your area.

Coronavirus grants for local businesses
I continue to urge all local businesses to check out the information on our website about small business grants they might be eligible for.

The money is for small businesses, mainly in retail, hospitality and leisure, who are suffering because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Buckinghamshire Council is processing these grants, worth either £10,000 or £25,000, for local businesses. So far we have paid out more than £72 million in total in grants to local firms. There is more information on this on the Council’s website.

You can find out what support your business might be able to claim using the government’s business support finder.

Keeping children safe online
Staying at home has meant some children might be spending more time online, especially if they’re doing school work online or are keeping in touch with friends remotely while they can’t see them face to face.

It’s really important that parents and carers are aware of the risks children can face online such as finding inappropriate content or the potential for online grooming.

Keep having conversations with youngsters in your care about online safety and the dangers of sharing personal information or images. It’s important that you know what they’re doing online, who they’re talking to and how to report anything that worries you.

You can try the following websites for more help and advice about keeping kids safe online:

Internet Matters has a range of ‘how-to’ guides, including age specific advice to help you get the conversation started.
The NSPCC has a wealth of ‘Be share aware’ and other online safety advice.
Net Aware is another excellent resource with reviews on the apps, games and sites children are likely to be using, along with any potential risks.
Child Exploitation and Online Protection command (CEOP) is a law enforcement agency and helps keep children and young people safe from sexual abuse and grooming online.
Thinkuknow has education materials for children, parents and carers to learn about online safety.

If you have any concerns about the safeguarding of a child, please report it either online or by emailing our Social Care Team at safe@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

#ProudofBucks
The work you are all doing in your own communities is tremendous and we continue to try to acknowledge as many people, groups, schools, volunteers, organisations as possible. We have schools and businesses across the county making PPE and other vital cleaning and safety products. There are countless community groups providing food and support in their local area. Our heartfelt thanks goes to each and every one of you.

We try to single out as many individual #ProudofBucks stories as we can, especially via social media, so do keep checking our Twitter feed and Instagram and Facebook pages for these - and keep telling us your stories using the #ProudofBucks hashtag.

It’s people like Marie Biswell who we are applauding. She’s a British Sign Language interpreter who lives in Aylesbury and is posting signed stories on her YouTube channel. Keep up the great work Marie!

Our Adult Social Care team is checking in with all vulnerable residents we are aware of by making many regular phone calls and by supporting in other ways too. Please tell us if you know of someone who might need our help by calling the Adult Social Care team on ‪01296 383 204‬.

Please also carry on using our online community hub for details of local support and how to volunteer to help.

LOOK AFTER YOUR SLEEP
Good quality sleep makes a huge difference to how we feel, so it’s important to get enough. Try to maintain your regular sleeping pattern and stick to good sleep practices.

Here are some great tips to help if you are struggling.

Planning your life

Finally

I do hope you enjoy more time outside but can I just reiterate again how important it is to ‘Stay Alert’ and keep up with social distancing and the other measures to allow us our best chance of keeping the rate of infection under control.

You can also catch up on our daily video updates for more news on how Buckinghamshire Council is responding to the coronavirus crisis.

Stay safe and stay well,

Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

If so read this...

Dear Resident,

I’m really pleased to tell you that we are now in a position to restart our garden 'Green Waste' collections. These will resume from the week starting Monday 11 May. I know many of you have asked about this so I’m delighted to be able to give you some good news.

We are also standing ready to reopen five of our Household Recycling Centres, as I know many of you are as keen as we are to have this service restored too. However, while we are ready to go, this is a bit more complicated as we still have to wait for the government to change the Guidance so that journeys to these facilities will be classified as ‘essential travel’.

Otherwise, residents run the risk of being stopped by the police, fined and told to return home. This would be a dreadful position into which to put either residents or the police.

Once open, these sites will also be operating with strict ‘supermarket style’ rules to make sure social distancing is maintained. When this is all clarified we really hope to be able to move forward quickly and I will update you as soon as I am able to.

We have been working hard behind the scenes to get these services back up and running for you as quickly as possible and I want in particular to thank all of our staff currently working in our waste collection teams for all that they are doing to keep this frontline service going.

Please keep using local health services if you need to
I have mentioned this in previous emails but it is so very important that we cannot say it enough. NHS services across Buckinghamshire are still here and are still safe to use for health reasons other than coronavirus. This includes hospital Emergency Departments and GP services. Attendance is lower than usual and we don’t want people who might need medical advice or treatment to be nervous about using NHS services if they normally would.

Serious issues like heart attacks and strokes need to be treated quickly so if you or a family member has symptoms of either - or any other serious health condition - please don’t delay getting help via A&E or 999 in a medical emergency. Buckinghamshire’s hospitals are carefully managing the flow of patients with coronavirus symptoms so they are separated from other patients - keeping everyone as safe as possible.

Similarly, by not using GP services now if they need to, people may find themselves with more serious health concerns later on - particularly in cases where they may be living with long-term conditions, like diabetes or heart disease, or when vulnerable adults or children may need support. Surgeries are closed for walk-in appointments, but you can phone in to arrange a telephone consultation (or use the AskNHS app).

Applauding our unpaid carers
I want again to draw attention to the absolutely vital job all carers are doing at the moment. This includes care homes, care services to residents in their own homes, and of course, the very many unpaid carers looking after family members and loved ones.

We are so grateful to all the parents, partners, and families who support their loved ones so they are able to stay living at home.

In Buckinghamshire we have nearly 50,000 adult carers as well as hundreds of young carers, all looking after someone close to them. Life is especially hard for them right now with access to day centres and regular activities curtailed because of the social distancing measures.

If you are a carer who is struggling to cope in the current circumstances, please don’t suffer in silence. There is a lot of help out there. Local charity Carers Bucks offers support to carers of all ages and has information and advice around coronavirus.

Our local community hubs are also able to offer support and assistance however it’s needed from food supplies to delivering medicines and much more. You can also call us on ‪01296 383 204‬ if you are concerned about a vulnerable person you care for or if you’re worried about a family member, friend or neighbour.

Rothschild Foundation – thank you!
I want to say a huge thank you to the Rothschild Foundation for the incredibly generous donation they’ve made to help local community organisations responding to the coronavirus crisis. The Foundation has given £50,000 to the Buckinghamshire Council Coronavirus Crisis Fund.

This has now been added to the initial £250,000 pot which was set up for councillors to support local community groups that are aiding local people during the crisis, either by helping vulnerable residents or by providing services that enable people to stay at home.

Registered not for profit organisations and charities (not individuals) can apply for grants of up to £2,000. For those groups not registered, the funding can be paid to the local parish or town council, or a local charity. All applications need to be made by your local councillor and details of who your councillor is can be found here.


#ProudofBucks - Bernie the bus helps restock local foodbanks
We have seen another outpouring of generosity by residents in a number of Buckinghamshire villages, who’ve been donating food for local foodbanks thanks to a collection effort co-ordinated by local volunteers and some of my council colleagues.

Bernie the community bus usually serves by carrying elderly and vulnerable passengers around the villages in Aylesbury Vale, but during the past week he’s been ferrying much-needed groceries collected from generous village residents left at the end of driveways for Bernie to pick up.

My thanks and gratitude goes to the volunteers who’ve led this effort, co-ordinated by my councillor colleagues, Paul Irwin, Ashley Waite and Angela Macpherson. Together they’ve walked more than 35 miles, visited 12 villages and collected around 300 baskets and boxes of food and toiletries.

This has allowed them to replenish the stock at the Aylesbury Vineyard Church foodbank after it ran low. Bernie will be collecting again next week, and it’s great to see this brilliant #ProudofBucks example, one of many that I know are ongoing right across the county.

Business rates retail relief
I’m pleased to be able to tell our local businesses that the expanded business rate retail relief – announced by the government in response to the coronavirus pandemic – is being automatically applied to business rate accounts. Updated bills are being sent out over the next week.

This means that many retail, hospitality and leisure businesses and organisations will not have to pay business rates between 1 April 2020 and 31 March 2021. This includes shops, pubs, theatres, music venues, restaurants, sports clubs and village halls. It also includes estate agents and letting agents, and registered nursery providers. This discount applies to all of these eligible businesses and organisations regardless of their size or rateable value.

No application is required but any retail, hospitality or leisure business or organisation that does not get an updated bill, but believes they should get relief, should contact:

Tel: ‪01296 585299‬ for businesses in the Aylesbury area

Email: localtax.wyc@buckinghamshire.gov.uk for businesses in the Wycombe area

Email: Revenue.csb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk for businesses in the Chiltern area

Email: SBDCBusinessrates.csb@buckinghamshire.gov.uk for businesses in the South Bucks area

Mark VE Day safely and respectfully next weekend
Plans to mark VE Day have had to change and I am sure lots of you will be thinking of the community celebrations you had planned which are now cancelled.

We are putting lots of resources on our website for things to do, research, and enjoy over the bank holiday weekend, and will be working hard on our social media channels to bring the day to life.

You could also take a moment to raise a glass at 3pm on Friday 8 May for the Nation’s Toast to thank those who gave so much.

We are at a crucial point in containing the coronavirus outbreak, and both the council and the police are urging you to keep going with the social distancing measures and celebrate VE Day safely.

If you would be happy for your stories to be shared on our social media pages on VE Day (Friday 8 May) you can send them to VEDay@buckinghamshire.gov.uk or simply share them with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram tagging @Buckscouncil.

LOOK AFTER YOUR BODY
Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, drink enough water and exercise regularly.

This will help keep you feeling well which can also have a positive impact on your mental health.

Planning your life

May-athon!
Can I challenge you all to the ‘May-athon’! It’s a great initiative from the NHS to keep us all moving during the month of May. It’s based around the number 26 (the number of miles in a marathon) and the idea is to do 26 unbroken minutes of physical activity every day for 26 days, starting tomorrow on 1 May.

This can take any form - gardening, jogging, biking, walking; whatever you most enjoy, going at your own level. Being active is a great way to boost our mood and relieve stress, all so important especially at this challenging time. So why not give it a go? You can find out more and download the May-athon app here.

Finally
Do keep checking our daily video updates. They aren’t long and it’s my way of being able to give you a face to face daily update as well as having a great daily guest who goes into more detail on some of the pressing issues. You can see all the video updates so far here.

Stay safe and stay well

Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

Dear Resident,

In one of my video updates at the end of last week we heard from Sarah Livadeas. She is Chief Executive of the Fremantle Trust, which runs a number of care homes in the county.

We all know our elderly residents are some of the most vulnerable at this time. They’re more at risk from the virus itself and the impact it’s having on normal life.

It was fantastic to hear from Sarah how care homes in Buckinghamshire are adapting and are keeping things going for residents in our ‘new normal’. This includes everything from organising ‘virtual visits’ from loved ones using new technology, to keeping up activity and fitness classes remotely and even still having some of their regular entertainment using social distancing outdoors.

Some staff have even moved into care homes themselves to reduce their movement and therefore the risk of infection. It’s such a challenging time for the care sector and I want to pay a huge tribute to all our care home staff and carers and, of course, our unpaid carers looking after loved ones. They are all carrying on in the most difficult of circumstances.

Please keep taking a look at my daily video updates – the guests are all making such a valuable contribution and are keeping us up to date with some great information and advice.

Our Adult Social Care team is checking in with all vulnerable residents we are aware of by making many regular phone calls and by supporting in other ways too. Please tell us if you know of someone who might need our help by calling the Adult Social Care team on ‪01296 383 204‬.

Please also carry on using our online community hub for details of local support and how to volunteer to help.

Keeping in touch with loved ones in hospital

I know life is especially hard for hospital patients and their families at the moment. Most visits can’t happen because of the strict infection controls in place, but Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust (which runs our hospitals in the county) has put lots of support mechanisms in place to help patients and their loved ones at this time.

They’ve set up ‘virtual visits’ and are helping patients connect with family and friends on their own phones or using hospital iPads. They’ve also set up a dedicated email address for anyone who wants to ‘send a letter to a loved one’ – bht.lettertoalovedone@nhs.net. And both the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) and the Chaplaincy service have been extended. The PALS service (call ‪01296 316 042‬ or email bht.pals@nhs.net) provides advice and information on the hospital trust’s services for patients, carers and relatives, and the Chaplaincy team gives emotional and spiritual support to families and carers of patients in hospital. To make an appointment with this team contact Lindsay van Dijk, Lead Chaplain, by emailing lindsay.vandijk@nhs.net or calling: ‪07557 633 289‬.

Having a loved one in hospital is always hard and I do hope these extra measures provide some comfort to families and patients at this particularly difficult time.

Make sure you use mental health support services if you need to

The current emergency and lockdown will be impacting us all in different ways, and for some will be causing additional anxiety and distress for lots of different reasons. Life might be especially hard if you have an existing mental health issue – or you might feel your mental health is being impacted in a new way by these circumstances.

It’s really important to keep in mind that all our usual health support services are still running, even if they’re having to do things differently. If you have a health issue you would previously have called your GP about, please still do so; they are still there and are able to help. This is the same for local mental health services.

If you are feeling stressed, low, anxious or frustrated there are many ways to talk to someone. One such route is via ‘Improving Access to Psychological Therapies' (IAPT) – free mental health support services provided by Healthy Minds Bucks.

Here you can get quick access to talking therapies, support and advice. Healthy Minds Bucks has also updated its website to include a range of short videos and links to help you look after yourself and your loved ones during this very challenging time. Please do take time to take a look if you’re struggling. These services are all still there for you – and you can self-refer if you need to.

Business grants – could your business qualify?
We have now paid out a massive £63.5 million in grants to Buckinghamshire small businesses and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors to help them through the coronavirus crisis. I’m grateful to the team who’ve worked tirelessly to process what is approaching 5,000 applications in a very short space of time.

Buckinghamshire Council is processing the grants which are funded by the government and there are still grants available from this funding to local businesses who qualify. Please take a look at the information about these grants on our website. The money is intended to help local businesses meet expenses when incomes are severely curtailed by this crisis. Please do check in case your business might qualify for this help.

School transport
I want to say a big thank you to our regular school transport providers who’ve adapted through this crisis to keep serving our communities where the need is greatest. During the current school closure period, our school transport providers are – at short notice – transporting children of key workers and our vulnerable children to school on a personalised basis where no other safe and reliable transport option is available.

They’ve also been taking staff from our adult care teams to and from work and have been transporting ‘shielded’ and vulnerable adults to medical appointments and care providers. I’m very grateful that they’ve gone to these efforts to help people make these essential journeys when they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to.

#ProudofBucks
And while we cast a spotlight on the brilliant community effort across the county I must include our own Buckinghamshire Council staff. Many colleagues are splitting their time or are temporarily working in entirely new roles so that, as a council, we can keep our frontline services running plus direct resources at the current emergency.

Some examples of how Buckinghamshire Council staff have been redeployed include:

working in our eight Local Support Hubs
working directly in some of our local care homes
working in the new 240-bed care and reablement facility we set up at Olympic Lodge
supporting our Adult Social Care service by making individual phone calls to 1,200 of our most vulnerable residents
co-ordinating supplies of food to vulnerable people and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to care and support staff who need it

These are just a few of the many examples of how we’ve re-prioritised our work and is one part of the wider #ProudofBucks effort going on across the county helping all of our communities through this crisis.


Please keep letting us know of other great stories of community spirit using the #ProudofBucks hashtag on social media (@BucksCouncil on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)

Tell us about your VE Day plans
We already know we won’t be marking this day as originally planned, but I know communities across Buckinghamshire are making alternative arrangements to celebrate the 75 years since VE Day on Friday 8 May. Obviously any ideas have to incorporate the up to date government guidance on social distancing, but this doesn’t mean we can’t still mark the day in style.

Whatever you have planned, from picnics in the garden to adorning your street in bunting, we’d love to hear about it. Please email VEDay@buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

STAY CONNECTED WITH OTHERS WHILE STAYING AT HOME
Maintaining healthy relationships with people you trust is important for your mental wellbeing. Think about how you can stay in touch with friends and family while you are staying at home – by phone, messaging, video calls or social media.

Lots of people are finding the current situation difficult, so staying in touch could help them too.

Planning your life
Finally
We have all come so far in the efforts we’ve made to stop the spread of the virus and to protect the NHS. Please, can I urge you all to keep up your amazing work. Keep the social distancing going and stay at home other than for essential journeys.

As ever, stay safe and stay well.

Martin Tett
Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

We are now well into week five of ‘Lock Down’. I just want say that, although challenging for us all, particularly for those who live in small flats or without gardens, this is helping to save lives and protect our NHS and those who care for us. Let’s make sure we show our appreciation this evening at 8pm.



Advice on household waste

Recycling rates across Buckinghamshire remain high so this is great news, and thank you for continuing to dispose of your household waste responsibly. I know it’s frustrating that we’ve had to suspend garden waste services for the time being but please bear with us – we are trying to get this service back up again as soon as we can.



I know too that just by being at home a lot more, households are producing more general waste, or you might have chosen to use this time to have a good clear out. Can I please encourage you that while our Household Recycling Centres are closed, please do not be tempted to make use of services like ‘a man and a van’ who offer to take your waste away for you without checking first if they’re legitimate.



If you want to pay a private contractor to take your waste away, follow the SCRAP code to make sure your waste doesn’t end up being illegally dumped:



Suspect all waste traders
Check they are a registered waste carrier
Refuse unexpected offers to take away your waste
Ask what will happen to your rubbish
Paperwork must be given


The best thing to do for now is to store any excess general waste you might have that won’t fit into your kerbside collection.



Domestic abuse

The lockdown situation will be having many knock-on effects in different ways for different people. Many people may be welcoming a slower pace of life and more time with family, but I also know these restrictions, while absolutely necessary at the moment, may also be putting an extra strain on home life.



For some people, the added isolation, job losses and health concerns puts a lot more stress into the home and sadly may leave some people more at risk of experiencing domestic abuse. So during this crisis, it’s more important than ever that everyone is aware of the signs of domestic abuse and how to get support if needed.



I wanted to remind you that anyone experiencing domestic abuse can leave home and seek help, even under the current restrictions on movement.



Local domestic abuse services in Buckinghamshire are still offering support during the coronavirus emergency and there is also help available to people who want to control their abusive behaviour.



Please use the following contacts for any help and support and of course, if you feel you or someone you know is in immediate danger then please call the police on 999. If you’re unable to talk during this 999 call you can press 55 from your mobile and this will transfer the call to the police without you having to speak.



The 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline is available on ‪0808 200 0247‬.
Anyone worried about causing harm to others can get help by calling the Respect Phoneline on ‪0808 802 4040‬ or go online here.
Wycombe Women’s Aid is on ‪01494 461 367‬ and www.wycombewomensaid.org.uk.
Aylesbury Women’s Aid is on ‪01296 437 777‬ and www.aylesburywomensaid.org.uk.
Young people affected by domestic abuse can call Childline on ‪0800 1111‬ or go online at www.childline.org.uk, or can call SAFE on ‪0800 133 7938‬ or go online at www.safeproject.org.uk.
And finally, there is the organisation ‘Reducing the Risk’; info at www.reducingtherisk.org.uk.


Helping the homeless and rough sleepers

Our housing teams have now provided accommodation for more than 80 vulnerable residents who had either been living on the streets or who would otherwise have found themselves homeless during this crisis. The teams have also been offering support to those who’ve said no to offers of accommodation, helping with prescription needs and food.



Sadly, we are still aware of some people who are begging around the county. It can be really hard, but can I remind everyone that the best way to help anyone begging is not to give them money, but to support the local charities and foodbanks working hard to support these vulnerable people. We have offered direct support to everyone who is begging and handing over money also poses a health risk in terms of potentially transferring the virus to these already vulnerable people, so can I urge people please to try to help in different ways by donating to local charities instead. To find out more about how to do this, please see this information on our website.



Ramadan and Covid-19

I know that Ramadan – which begins today – will feel very different this year for our Muslim residents. For example, not being able to go to congregational prayers or breakfast with family and friends outside the household due to the necessary restrictions on movement.



I also wanted to share some important guidance from our Public Health team for anyone observing Ramadan this year, especially given that it’s more important than ever that people do all they can to look after their physical and mental health.



Some groups of people are exempt from fasting, including anyone who is unwell, frail or has an existing health condition. You can contact your GP if you have any questions or concerns.
There’s some important guidance from Diabetes UK on fasting during Ramadan for people with diabetes.
Make sure you keep drinking plenty of fluids before fasting to reduce the risk of dehydration.
Ramadan is an excellent time to focus on ways to eat and live more healthily. There is some great advice on healthy eating during Ramadan from the British Nutrition Foundation.


It’s really important that people continue to keep in touch with friends, family and members of their communities online and over the phone. The Muslim Council of Britain has extensive guidance on their website on maintaining spiritual connection and togetherness during Ramadan while the country remains in lockdown.



I wish everyone Ramadan Mubarak and I hope this holy month brings you peace and good health.



Video updates

In this week’s video updates, I’ve had a great update from one of our Waste Services managers, Andrew Jenkins, who was able to expand on the information above. I was also able to feedback on the very first Cabinet meeting of the new Buckinghamshire Council which happened earlier this week.



This meeting was one of the first local government meetings in the country held over video conferencing. It is available to watch via this link from the Buckinghamshire Council website.



This week in one of my Vlogs I also enjoyed another look at the fantastic musical tribute to all key workers that I mentioned in my last email – put together by local singing teacher Sophie Juge and 34 of her students from the Marlow area to the tune of Abba’s “Thank you for the Music.”



It’s well worth a listen on YouTube if you haven’t done so already. You can see it and all our daily video updates here.



Lastly, today’s Vlog was about the youth scheme launched in Wendover. Lockdown can be particularly difficult for teenagers and this initiative can be really valuable to break down the lack of contact with friends. Is there something similar in your area?









Our Adult Social Care team is checking in with all vulnerable residents we are aware of by making many regular phone calls and by supporting in other ways too. Please tell us if you know of someone who might need our help by calling the Adult Social Care team on ‪01296 383 402‬.




Please also carry on using our online community hub for details of local support and how to volunteer to help.



#ProudofBucks

We have a #ProudofBucks focus on High Wycombe today – and a massive thank you to the 300+ volunteers who’ve signed up to High Wycombe Coronavirus Mutual Aid, supporting their local community. They’ve been delivering shopping, fetching prescriptions and reaching out with friendly phone calls. The group has even produced a video about what they’re doing and how people can help.



If you are in the High Wycombe area and want to get in touch with the group then go online or call ‪01494 911 229‬.



Again, this is just one example of so very many right across Buckinghamshire and it really is a delight to keep reading more and more #ProudofBucks stories. As ever, keep letting us know via the #ProudofBucks hashtag on social media. (@BucksCouncil on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook)



Business grants

Local businesses – we still want you to come forward and claim grants from the government that you might be entitled to. As a local authority, we are processing these grants and have worked across the last two weekends to get these applications processed and the much-needed funds paid as quickly as possible. This means we’ve so far paid out nearly £58 million in grants to local firms.



If you run a small business, or a business in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors and think you may be eligible, you can find out more and apply at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/businessgrant.



Heart of Bucks grants

Heart of Bucks is a local community foundation which awards grants and loans to local charities and community groups. They have launched an appeal to raise funds to support people and charities in Buckinghamshire who are most affected and vulnerable at this time of crisis. There are more details about donating or applying for support from the fund on their website.



DO NOT STAY GLUED TO THE NEWS



Try to limit the time you spend watching, reading or listening to coverage of the outbreak, including on social media, and think about turning off breaking-news alerts on your phone.



Set a time each day to catch up and use trustworthy sources – such as GOV.UK or the NHS website.

Planning your life

I hope these short tips are proving useful in helping you and your family cope with this huge change to our ordinary lives.



As ever, stay safe and stay well.



Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

Residential Burglaries
Thames Valley Police is appealing for witnesses following a series of burglaries in Chesham, Lee Common, Bellingdon and Iver.
Between 17th April and the 21st April there have been burglaries in Vale Road, Chesham, Chesham Road, Bellingdon, Asheridge Road, Chesham, Village Road, Lee Common and Langley Park Road, Iver. These offences occurred in the early hours of the morning whilst the occupants were in bed. Entry was gained via forcing/smashing rear window and doors. Electrical items, handbags and bank cards were stolen.
Did you see anything suspicious or do you have any information? Do you have any CCTV, dash cam footage or Ring doorbell footage that could help us identify the offender?
If you have any information then please use our on line form www.thamesvalley.police.uk/tell-us or call 101 quoting reference number ‪43200116502‬ for the information of the officer in the case DC Kerry Hall based at Amersham Police Station.
If you don’t want to speak directly to police you can contact the
independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on ‪0800 555 111‬.
No personal details are taken, information is not traced or recorded and you will not go to court.
For more advice on how to keep your home safe, visit the Thames
Valley Police website.

Message Sent By
Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Coronavirus Update from Gold Commander
Hi, I’m Chief Superintendent Christian Bunt and I am the Gold commander for Thames Valley Police’s response to the Coronavirus pandemic.

I want to start by saying how much I and all of my officers appreciate how the vast majority of our communities are understanding of the importance of staying at home to protect our critical NHS resources and save lives, so thank you.

Given that, we can understand how frustrating it must be when you look around and see what you perceive to be people not following these guidelines as you have been at no small sacrifice to you and your way of life.

We are receiving hundreds of reports every day relating to COVID related breaches and over the last 7 days alone we have deployed officers to over 1100 incidents.

We must prioritise incidents as they come into us and that includes putting these reports alongside our normal calls for service including serious crime and responding to emergency and non-emergency calls. It is essential that we continue to protect our communities in line with our normal policing duties.

Where we have deployed for COVID-related reports, these are primarily to group gatherings that are happening at that time. That is because they pose the greatest health risks by gathering and then dispersing back into our communities. If you see this and it is happening now, call 101.

With minor breaches, such as people reporting those who have taken multiple walks in a day, we may not be responding right there and then but that doesn’t mean we are ignoring them. Your reports help to provide vital information around patterns and hotspots which then go across to our local policing teams to inform their patrol plans. Please report minor breaches to us online.

We want to make sure we are visible, provide reassurance and be a deterrent to those who think these rules don’t apply to them. Encouraging or enforcing the social distancing measures is a priority for the force and we have dedicated patrols in place to do this. We keep this under constant review and where we need to apply more resources we have done that and will continue to do so.

Please be reassured that Thames Valley Police is playing its role in this public health emergency. To reiterate the Chief Constable’s message this week, we will always look to engage, explain and encourage people to comply but where we need to we will enforce - and we have been doing that. Thames Valley Police currently has issued the second highest number of fines in the country.

Thank you again for all that you are doing at this challenging time. You really demonstrate the community spirit of Thames Valley, an area we are so proud to police.

Thank you.
Chief Superintendent Christian Bunt, Gold Commander

To view the full video, please click the following link: https://youtu.be/gfyqB-cYH1I
Message Sent By
Emma Tarry (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)

Coronavirus Update Message from the Chief Constable
Hello Everyone,

Today the National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) released figures of the total number of fines that have been given out by police forces across the country for breaches of the Coronavirus restrictions between 27 March and 13 April.

During this time Thames Valley Police has handed out 219 Fixed Penalty Notices.

This is an unprecedented public health emergency and an extraordinary national effort is needed to fight this virus.

Since the new measures were introduced we have had thousands of positive interactions with the public and the overwhelming majority of people have had either a legitimate purpose for being out, or have listened to the advice given by our officers.

However, on some occasions we have had to enforce the legislation. In the last three weeks we have fined a total of 219 people of the 2.3 million population in the Thames Valley.

Most of the fines we have issued have been to groups, inappropriately gathering together in public places, or driving together in a car, for example ten fines were given to one group alone.

We have also made a number of arrests which have led to people being jailed for breaching Coronavirus restrictions or coughing at officers or members of the public.

Some of these breaches have been identified by patrol officers but a significant number have been reported by the public. In particular this Easter Weekend, as with many Forces, we had a significant increase in these types of calls.

We will continue to engage with the public, explain the restrictions and encourage people to stay indoors. However, when necessary, we will take enforcement action if people are not listening to the advice and are putting others at risk.

The restrictions are in place to protect the public and protect the NHS.

The great majority of the public have been staying in and stopping the spread of the pandemic, and I want to thank them for their ongoing cooperation and support.


John Campbell, Chief Constable, Thames Valley Police
Message Sent By
Emma Tarry (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)

Dear Resident,

I hope as many of you as possible enjoyed a ‘different’ kind of Easter weekend this year. I am extremely grateful to all Buckinghamshire residents who are keeping up the crucial social distancing measures and who are staying home, other than for essential journeys. Keeping this up is vital as we continue these measures to slow down the rate of infections and to ultimately save lives and protect the NHS.

How to get local help and support during the coronavirus pandemic

I want to keep reminding everyone about our online community support hub if you need any advice or support, or know of a vulnerable person who does. Go online for all the latest information on local support networks available across the county at: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus.

Also use the Buckinghamshire Council website for all the most recent updates on our services: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk. Follow us on Twitter, Instagram or like us on Facebook too for up to date information.

Keeping in touch with vulnerable people.
Our Adult Social Care team is one of many of our essential frontline services that is carrying on looking after people during this emergency. The priority for the team is to make sure vulnerable residents are safe and are getting the support they need.

One of the ways we are doing this is by making phone calls to over 1,200 vulnerable adults already using our services. This means we can check in on them and assess their needs. Over half are getting calls every day, and everyone gets at least two phone calls a week.

We are also contacting any other residents who may be vulnerable where we know about them, for example through the NHS national referral scheme or through local contact.

This emergency can make our vulnerable residents even more vulnerable. If you are concerned about a vulnerable person or think they may be at risk please call us on ‪01296 383 204‬.

How our local businesses are providing fantastic help.
We’ve had an absolutely brilliant response from local businesses offering support in so many different ways to help local health and public services. Here are just some of the outstanding examples:

Buckingham University is making visors using their 3D printer
3D Print World in Aylesbury are printing personal protective equipment
ANT Telecom in Bourne End is offering free welfare checks for home and lone workers
The British Honey Company based near Oakley, which usually makes gin and vodka out of honey, is using spare capacity at its distillery to make hand sanitiser ingredients
Griffiths Brothers gin distillery in Amersham is making and donating hand sanitiser to local health centres and GP surgeries
The Seven Stars pub in Dinton has turned itself into a community shop
Orchard View Farm, also near Dinton, has teamed up with a local food shop to deliver essential supplies to the local community within a 10 mile radius
Rumsey’s Chocolate Shop in Wendover has given chocolates to Stoke Mandeville and John Radcliffe Hospitals
In Marlow you can order a Sunday Roast and have it delivered from Café Globe and chef Jack Blumenthal – who are donating 20% of all profits to the Meals for the NHS charity
Well-known chef Tom Kerridge is sending food to staff at Wycombe Hospital and Wexham Park

Coronavirus business support.
We have paid out almost £36 million in coronavirus business grants to more than 2,700 small local businesses and businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors thanks to the monumental efforts of our business rates team.

Businesses will start to see this arrive in their bank accounts over the next few days as it takes the banks a couple of days to process. New applications are arriving daily and the team is working hard to process the remaining requests as quickly as we can.

If you have a business and haven’t applied yet, you can check your eligibility and apply at: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/businessgrant.

I know this emergency has created great challenges for many local businesses of all sectors. There is lots of support and advice available – please take a look at the Buckinghamshire Business First website for more information.

Food parcels for the vulnerable over the Easter weekend.
Getting food to the vulnerable continues to be a huge priority for the council and we are overwhelmed by the support of local businesses and volunteers to make sure people had food for the bank holiday weekend.

The Aylesbury Morrisons store got in touch via Buckinghamshire Council’s business hub with an immensely generous offer to supply extra packages of food (including fresh fruit and vegetables) to residents already in receipt of food parcels.

Volunteers from the Bucks and Oxon 4x4 Response Group (a team of volunteer drivers who are usually called on in bad weather!) and Aylesbury transport services firm TWK then set about distributing these items and have been out every day this weekend making deliveries.

So far around 150 parcels have been delivered across the county. To find out how individuals and businesses can get involved and help those self-isolating visit our online community hub.

I am genuinely moved by all the efforts our fantastic local businesses and volunteers are making to provide this invaluable help during this national emergency. If you or your business wants to get involved and offer help please again check our online community hub here.

Buckinghamshire Council’s new £250,000 crisis fund for local groups.
We’ve set up a special fund to allow local councillors to support volunteer and community groups in their area by applying for grants for them.

Registered not for profit organisations and charities can apply for grants of up to £2,000. For groups who aren’t registered the funding can be paid to the local parish or town council or a local charity on their behalf.

The grants are for groups helping to meet the needs of vulnerable residents or who are carrying out activity to enable people to stay at home, e.g. local groups delivering food etc.

You can only apply for the crisis funding through your local councillor. Find yours here.

Street associations
Throughout these newsletters I want to be able to share with you some of the great work people in our communities are doing to support and protect the people in Buckinghamshire.

Today I want to applaud our Street Associations for the invaluable organised support they are providing to their communities across the county.

Here in Buckinghamshire we have 290 streets with street associations and 387 street members in total.

With support from around 100 local businesses, our street associations have trained 452 residents in community safety issues, and every road in the scheme has a named contact.

Seventeen new Street Associations formed in March, showing again how our communities are working together during this time of crisis. From doing shopping to collecting and dropping off medicines to making friendly phone calls to people self-isolating, Street Associations know who lives in their area and how to provide the help they need. We are #ProudofBucks Street Associations and thank them.

You can find out more about help in your area here: directory.buckinghamshire.gov.uk.

Check out the #ProudofBucks hashtag on social media to hear more stories of how communities are helping. Please also use the #ProudofBucks hashtag to tell us your own stories or email them to us at communications@buckscc.gov.uk

TALK ABOUT YOUR WORRIES
If you are worried about how coronavirus is impacting on you, your family and friends, your finances or your future please talk to someone about your feelings.

If you can’t talk to a friend or family member, there is a lot of support available online or by phone and text.

One of the best places to find details of local support is through the Healthy Minds website.

Stay safe and stay well,

Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

Bank Holiday Message from Central Support Team NWN
Dear supporter, member and friend

As you know the long bank holiday weekend ahead will create more challenges for our communities as the lockdown measures continue. We acknowledge that you are one of the many that have conformed with the government’s essential guidance and directives over the past few weeks, as the pandemic continues to affect the health of many and take the lives of the few.

The challenges we face and how we have come together as a resilient community, to ensure we are safer and stronger as a result, will define our paths going forward in the coming days and weeks.

To download the material please follow this link https://we.tl/t-bZ0vhsCyML, there is both static and renders (these are images that move, like a gif)

We urge you to share with your community the following information, which asks our neighbours, friends and families to continue to follow the governments advice about social distancing, exercising and meeting family and friends over this holiday period.

Following our successful launch of our Calling Tree campaign, we have also attached a A6 sized printout of an example postcard to post through doors in your community. This is in response to your great feedback, which many of you shared with us.

Finally, we would like to wish you and your families an enjoyable and safe holiday weekend.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK | Central Support Team
T ‪0116 402 6111‬ M ‪07495 415 380‬
www.ourwatch.org.uk

Follow us..
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourwatch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/N_watch
Instagram: neighbourhood.watch.insta
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-watch/


Attachments
calling tree b&w2.pdf - 170.6 KB
colour calling tree postcard.pdf - 179.9 KB
Stay at Home STATIC – DAX.png - 391.6 KB

Message Sent By
Cheryl Spruce (NWN, Head of Membership and Community Engagement , National)

Message from the Chief Constable Ahead of the Easter Weekend
The Chief Constable said: “With Easter coming this weekend and the weather forecast to be fine, it is vitally important that the public continue to adhere to the Government restrictions. I appreciate that this is a time of year when we would usually be enjoying time with our families and friends, however these are unprecedented times and we must all do our part to protect each other and the vital services of the NHS.

“Thank you to the residents of the Thames Valley for complying with the Government’s measures. They are in place to protect us all, and I appreciate the effort that all of you are making to stay indoors and social distance when you have to leave the house for an essential reason.

“I know these restrictions will now be well-known by now, but let me remind you all that you can only leave your home to shop for basic necessities, for one form of exercise per day, for a medical or care need, and to travel to and from work, but only where you cannot work from home. If you are outside for these essential activities please ensure you are at least two meters from anyone who you do not live with.

“Please do not be tempted to go out for any other reason.

“As usual, our officers will be patrolling our communities during Easter. We will be engaging with the public to ensure they are complying with the Government directives. Where there is any misunderstanding about the measures, we will explain and encourage the public to follow the guidelines. However, when necessary we will enforce the new powers given to us by Parliament.

“Our frontline officers and staff have been given personal protection equipment (PPE) to use. You may therefore see our officers wearing gloves and masks when they are out this weekend, if they are not able to keep the required distance with the public. This is for your safety and theirs.

“This is an unprecedented public health emergency and an extraordinary national effort is required to fight this virus. I am proud that the public and my staff have been working together to help save lives. I thank you all and I wish you all a very happy Easter."
Message Sent By
Emma Tarry (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)

Dear Resident,

I know the overwhelming majority of Buckinghamshire residents are following the stay at home advice properly and I really thank you for doing your bit as we continue to fight the coronavirus pandemic here. The more we do this the more we’re reducing the spread of the virus.

Seeing the sunshine is a real tonic but it’s absolutely crucial especially at this point in the pandemic that we all continue to stay at home. We are expecting the number of cases of the virus to peak in the coming days and weeks so it’s absolutely critical everyone observes the rules on this.

Our parks are still open so that people can access an open space easily for taking a walk or other form of exercise only – don’t forget to keep your distance, at least 2m which is about the length of a double bed. Children’s play areas and outdoor gyms are all closed and shouldn’t be used. All of our country parks are currently closed too to discourage unnecessary travel.

Exercise at home #StayinWorkout

There are lots of imaginative ways to exercise at home. I’ve enjoyed catching up – remotely of course – with Mark Ormerod, Director of LEAP this week, which is the Buckinghamshire organisation that encourages people to benefit from physical activity or sport. He’s got some great tips on how to stay active during isolation – you can find out more from our Vlog yesterday – and there’s more online on Leap’s website.

Olympic Lodge

I also want to tell you about a really special local success story similar to the immense achievement in London of setting up the 4,000-bed Nightingale Hospital at the Excel Centre.

Here in Buckinghamshire, in the space of just three weeks, Buckinghamshire Council has transformed the Olympic Lodge at Stoke Mandeville Stadium in Aylesbury into a 240-bed special social care facility for vulnerable adults during the coronavirus pandemic. The centre will help free up hospital beds for people who need critical care plus helps keep these vulnerable adults out of hospital and at less risk of catching the infection.

The centre will care for:

hospital patients who no longer require acute care but are not quite ready to go home and;
people living at home who, temporarily, are unable to remain there because they have no support.

It’s a huge achievement to get this facility up and running so quickly – thank you to all of those who’ve worked so hard on this project and those staff and volunteers who will be caring for our vulnerable adults during this difficult time.

Household rubbish collections – Easter changes

All our Buckinghamshire Council colleagues are doing an amazing job and our bin crews are no exception, continuing to do what it takes keep this service running.

Please remember that there will be a revised schedule for bin collections over Easter.

The changes are the same for residents across the whole county.

I must remind you too that our waste services are currently operating with a reduced number of staff – please keep checking our website for the latest collection updates relating to your area. And if you’re not sure which bin to put out you can also check this on the website too.

I want to extend a personal thank you to all our teams working on this, and other vital frontline services – they are keeping the Buckinghamshire Council services that residents depend on running through this crisis and I am extremely grateful to them all.

We continue to be buoyed by the community response to this crisis and it’s been so heartening to hear and see the #ProudofBucks stories coming in via social media. There are so many examples it’s hard to go into details but I want to say a huge thank you to every single person and organisation taking part in this mammoth community effort.

We have groups like Meals from Marlow and The Risborough Basket providing food supplies and meals to the local community. Groups like Bledlow/Saunderton Parish Council and Stoke Poges Good Neighbourhood Scheme are providing a support network to their local community by keeping in touch with vulnerable residents and delivering food and medicines – and I know there are countless other local groups in our towns and villages doing the same too.

I recommend you keep following the @BucksCouncil Twitter feed for all our heartening #ProudofBucks messages and make sure you post your own examples too. Keep following the Twitter feed too for other important updates from Buckinghamshire Council.

A message to families about going to your GP or to A during the coronavirus outbreak

Please remember, A services and your GP practice are still open for you and your children during the coronavirus outbreak.

GP surgeries are not allowing patients to directly book face to face appointments at the moment, to help stop the spread of the virus. Surgeries are, however, more than happy to discuss your case over the phone and to offer advice and guidance. In some cases GPs and nurses are doing consultations by video link, using mobile phones. If clinically appropriate, you might be able to attend the surgery for an appointment at an arranged time.

It is really important to stay well at this difficult time, so please contact your doctor if your child is poorly with any symptoms that cause you concern. With so much attention on coronavirus at the moment, we are aware you may be concerned your child has a different illness or may be living with a worrying condition like asthma or diabetes.

This information sheet gives very useful advice on when to use services like GPs, pharmacists, A and 999. Please remember – all health staff are still here for you, even if they’re having to do things a little differently, so please don’t be afraid to use them if you’re worried about your own or a child’s health.

What to do if you’re worried about a vulnerable person

There are lots of ways a vulnerable person can receive support from Buckinghamshire Council and other organisations if they need help during this crisis. Information on this, and more, can be found at our online Community Support Hub.

Looking after our mental health

It’s now the third week of lockdown and we’re all beginning to adapt to our new routines and finding new ways to get on with our lives.

However, these changes can have a more noticeable impact on some people, especially those with existing mental health problems such as anxiety or depression, compulsive disorders or claustrophobia. They might be worried about how coronavirus could affect their life. This might feel difficult or stressful, but there are lots of things they can try that could help their wellbeing.

There is plenty of help available if you, or someone you know, is experiencing these feelings. A great place to look for support and advice is the Buckinghamshire Mind website.

There’s also information for young people who are worried about coronavirus and want to know how to cope with changes to their lives.

Coronavirus business grants – beware of scams!

Small businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors can now get coronavirus business grants through Buckinghamshire Council. Most businesses in these industries plus businesses receiving Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief qualify to apply for this help. We’ve written to and have emailed businesses in our business rates system with details about how to apply. If you’ve not had this letter or email you can still check your eligibility and apply here.

You should apply to us directly for these grants. We are aware of scammers offering to apply on behalf of businesses. Please do not let them take your money.

Buckinghamshire Business First can help local businesses with more general support, advice and information. Visit the website at bbf.uk.com or email BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com.

As ever, stay safe, stay well – and stay home,

Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council (less)

Update Local Volunteers
Derek R @DerekR Iver Heath - 54secs ago
Update Local Volunteers
Following on from the earlier Thames Valley Alert please see updated contact details to those wishing to offer support to people affected by coronavirus across Buckinghamshire.
If you are responsible for a community group offering support to those self-isolating, Buckinghamshire Council would like to hear from you. Please register by completing the following form: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2c...
If you would be interested in volunteering please complete the following form: buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/co...
Further details can be found here: buckinghamshire.gov.uk/coronavirus/co...

Message Sent By
Ian Stacey (Police, Neighbourhood Policing Administrator, Chiltern & South Bucks)

Neighbourhood Watch Our News Special Edition Enewsletter Published
Dear Neighbourhood Watch supporters,

We continue to think about you all at this difficult time. In response we hope you have been able to connect with your neighbours to support each other through this crisis.

At Neighbourhood Watch we have seen a 25% increase in membership. We have published a special edition of 'Our News' (the e-newsletter for Neighbourhood Watch supporters) to welcome our new members, look at how Neighbourhood Watch brings communities together, ways existing groups are supporting their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic and more things you can do such as establishing a phone tree, and how to avoid and report crimes and scams.

Read the e-newsletter by following this link or viewing it on our website.

Keep safe, stay at home.

NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK | Building Safer and Stronger Communities
Email: enquiries@ourwatch.org.uk

Follow us..
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ourwatch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/N_watch
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neighbourhood.watch.insta/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-watch/
Website: www.ourwatch.org.uk
Message Sent By
Deborah Waller (NWN, Multi Scheme Administrator, England and Wales)

I understand that this is a difficult and worrying time for a lot people as we all make significant adjustments to our daily lives to follow the movement restrictions set out by the Government. These measures have been put in place to stop the spread of the Coronavirus, to protect the NHS and to save lives.

You will be aware that the police were recently given new powers to help reinforce these measures. Our approach to these is to engage with our public, explain the measures and why they’re in force and encourage everyone to keep to the new measures. We have been given enforcement powers, but will only use these as a last resort.

My officers will routinely be stopping members of the public and vehicles to ensure that the Government’s advice is being followed so please don’t be alarmed if you are stopped but we do ask that you work with us and follow any instructions that officers may give you.

I know that in the uncertainty of the current climate you may feel anxious, unsettled and fearful. I want to reassure you that in Chiltern & South Bucks we are still policing as normal and we are responding to emergency calls and investigating crime as we do at any other time. We continue to police our community priorities of burglary prevention, drugs and anti-social behaviour.

In addition to our normal policing duties, we are also helping to keep the country safe from Coronavirus by ensuring people keep to the movement restrictions. We cannot do that without you, and I thank everyone who is adhering to the guidance, staying home unless absolutely necessary, and saving lives by doing so.

Lastly, I want to say a huge thank you for all the messages of support and generous donations that have been made to my team: just this week we have had donations of protective masks, gloves and hand sanitiser as well as many messages of support. All of this makes a difference – thank you.

By continuing to stay home, you can protect the NHS and save lives. Thank you again for your co-operation during these challenging times.

Sent on behalf of Superintendent Amy Clements, Commander for Chiltern and South Buckinghamshire LPA (Local Policing Area)

Useful information and advice
For more information on the Government’s restrictions, please visit the GOV.UK website.
You can find a number of frequently asked questions and messages from Chief Constable John Campbell on our website.
You can report a suspected breach of coronavirus measures through the dedicated form on the Thames Valley Police website.
If you need to report anything to us that is not an emergency, you might experience some delays calling 101 so where possible report through the Thames Valley Police website. In an emergency always call 999.
Message Sent By
Mel Reedman (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)