A complaint about the untidy appearance of the Gorcott Lane island prompted Councillor Alan Scholes to get in touch with developer Redrow, who still own it, to ask why they don’t seem keen for it to be adopted by SMBC. Redrow replied that the island is part of a small section of highway that had to remain in the control of the Consortium of Developers and SMBC while the village centre works were still to be completed. Now that Garden Squares is complete, there is no reason why Redrow cannot meet with SMBC to discuss the adoption. It is hoped that a meeting will be arranged to progress this once life gets back to normal.
Severn Trent works on Dickens Heath Rd
The Severn Trent works from outside Copperfield Court, towards Fishers Drive, have resulted in comments from residents that they have ‘butchered the road’ and the tarmac repair ‘looks awful’. Solihull MBC have confirmed that this is works in progress, and they will be back to complete the repair to a higher standard, though we’re not sure when.
Here 2 Help – additional advice and support during the pandemic
Solihull Council and the local voluntary sector have worked together to produce some additional information to help people through the current period.
Under the banner of Here 2 Help, the pages cover a range of topics such as – shielding for really vulnerable people, help with food – including food bank deliveries, money advice, how to stay well, how to stay safe and how to volunteer safely. There are lots of useful contact numbers for local people to use and share with family, friends and their local communities.
The Here 2 Help pages can be found at – https://www.solihull.gov.uk/Resident/socialservicesandhealth/Coronavirus/Here2H
Covid-19-Go-to-health-infoChair’s Review 2019/20
Good News about the Village Green
It is a difficult time for everyone, but the process whereby Solihull MBC have been advertising the disposal of the Village Green via a lease to the Parish Council has continued. And we are delighted to report that there have been no objections to the lease and so it can now be completed.
The Parish Council would like to thank everyone who played a part in the process, and look forward to taking responsibility for the Village Green and finally updating the Playground (once life returns to some sort of normality).
Advice from the Canal & River Trust on Coronavirus and the Use of Canal Towpaths
The Canal & River Trust continues to urge people to follow Government guidance to stay at home. If you do venture out, please remember that use of local canal towpaths should be strictly limited, keeping your distance from others and moored boats.
We appreciate the important role our canals play in urban areas – providing vital green space – however towpaths should be strictly for local use only during the coronavirus pandemic. People must follow social distancing measures at all times, taking extra care on narrow towpaths.
While the weather may make it seem tempting to go for a towpath walk, we want to remind people that public health officials have stressed the importance of staying at home, saying that the single most important action we can all take in fighting coronavirus is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.
https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/enjoy-the-waterways/safety-on-our-waterways/coronavirus
Birmingham & Solihull GP Practices to open over Easter Weekend
| Birmingham and Solihull GP Practices To Open Over Easter Weekend |
| As part of the NHS-wide response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus), GP practices across Birmingham and Solihull will be open during Good Friday (10 April) and Easter Monday (13 April) – with many practices also providing access to primary care on Saturday (11 April) and Sunday (12 April). To access an appointment, patients will need to telephone their GP practice and should not just turn up. GP practices will be treating the bank holidays as ordinary working days to ensure health services are maintained across Birmingham and Solihull. Local pharmacies are also being asked to provide support, by opening from at least 2-5pm on Good Friday and Easter Monday, with many others continuing to open their doors on the Saturday and Sunday. There are over 300 pharmacies in Birmingham and Solihull and these can be accessed without breaking the rules of the current lockdown. Their trained pharmacists are on hand to provide the best clinical advice and over-the-counter treatments to safely manage unpleasant but minor illnesses. Dr Peter Ingham, a GP and Clinical Chair of NHS Birmingham and Solihull Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “In this difficult time, people need to know that their GP practice is going to be there for them this Easter weekend. Birmingham and Solihull’s high street pharmacists will also be available too and using them this weekend for minor illnesses will save people time and reduce pressure on GPs. “We are all working hard to ensure patients have access to primary care services when they need them the most, and offering appointments this weekend, including the Good Friday and Easter Monday bank holidays, is a great way of supporting not only our patients but the wider NHS. People can also do their bit by first using pharmacists if they or a family member has a minor illness.” If you have symptoms of COVID-19 (a high temperature or a new, continuous cough), please continue to use NHS111 if required. To protect others, do not go to your GP practice, pharmacy or hospital. Please follow any recommended isolation period that can be found on the 111 website. Further information on healthcare options during the COVID-19 pandemic are available on NHS Birmingham and Solihull CCG’s website https://www.birminghamandsolihullccg.nhs.uk/your-health. People can also find the details of their local pharmacy https://www.nhs.uk/service-search/find-a-pharmacy/ |
Coronavirus Government Support Link for Vulnerable Residents
We are circulating the Government Link to Register individuals who are the most vulnerable for support and assistance.Most elderly folk in their 70’s are on medication for one reason or another for an underlying health risk and while many are fortunate to have family or other support in place a large number will need community help.Government are collecting information to enable support to be forthcoming via various agencies for the most vulnerable during the current period of crisis which is likely to go on for a while before things return to normal.The registration can be made online by individuals or others on their behalf remembering many older residents do not have access to the internet and will need help with this.Again the advice to all is not to take risks and to stay in your own home and avoid contact as much as possible even with family members that are not living in your household.Keep in touch by Email or other social media and give elderly friends and family a phone call for a chat from time to time especially those who may live alone.
CAVA Solihull Bulletin
Hello
Welcome to Solihull CAVA’s COVID-19 update. In this update we have news of SMBC’s new contact centre for those wishing to volunteer during the crisis; guidance on how to volunteer safely, news of support for social enterprises and a new fund for community initiatives helping those impacted by the virus.
In this edition…
Volunteering
Social Enterprise Support
Funding
If you would like details of your group, relevant news, or volunteer opportunities to be included in our next update, please send a short paragraph to solihullinfo@wcava.org.uk or call us on 07966 380289.
Volunteering
Here 2 Help Solihull
If you want to volunteer (and if it is safe for you to do so) and if you can’t find a local group covering your area, then you can contact ‘Here 2 Help Solihull’ on:
0121 704 6811 or here2helpsolihull@solihull.gov.uk
For further details please see: https://www.solihull.gov.uk/…/socialservicesand…/Coronavirus
Volunteer recruitment
If your group needs volunteers during the corona virus, please do get in touch with Verity at Solihull CAVA on: 07966 380 289 or email vthompson@wcava.org.uk
Volunteer guidelines
For guidelines on volunteering safely, please see:
https://www.gov.uk/…/coronav…/coronavirus-how-to-help-safely
For guidelines on safeguarding for community volunteers please see:
https://www.gov.uk/…/safeguarding-factsheet-community-volun…
Social Enterprise Support
Social Enterprise Covid-19 Helpline
In response to the Corona Virus pandemic, and its direct impact on the social enterprises and social entrepreneurs across Birmingham and Solihull, iSE CIC is launching a #COVID19 Social Enterprise Helpline to support the sector in these challenging weeks and months. iSE’s expert Social Enterprise advisors will be able to:
Provide information on newly available funds, grants, loans and social investment organisations.
Signpost you to relevant resources, websites, toolkits and external support.
Give Advice and Guidance on your options and next steps if you are concerned about the current impact on your social enterprise.
Broker connections to organisations or wider support services beyond iSE, DSEQ and our Women’s Enterprise Hub.
Enable access to wider iSE support services such as workshops, training, funded projects and start up.
Book an in-depth coaching support session for social enterprise CEOs, managers and social entrepreneur leaders.
iSE seeks to support and help guide the social enterprise sector through this extraordinary #COVID19 challenge by sharing knowledge and expertise, building resilience, adapting social enterprise services, and catalysing business continuity and sustainability.
For more information please contact: 0121 771 1411 or info@i-se.co.uk
Or see: www.i-se.co.uk
Funding
Serco Foundation – Coronavirus Community Support Fund
The Serco Foundation’s newly launched Coronavirus Community Support Fund enables any Serco employee to nominate any voluntary organisation that is providing meaningful and valuable support to others during the corona virus pandemic.
This might be a food bank offering supplies to isolated people, or a local charity caring for the elderly or disabled. It might be a community or religious centre providing mental and physical care to those in greatest need, or a not-for-profit education provider helping parents while schools are shut.
The Foundation is particularly keen to offer grants to organisations supporting:
the elderly
the vulnerable
those affected by school closures.
If you know of a good cause that could benefit from financial support at this time, please contact Partnership Coordinator Theresa Comiskey: 07718 193 934 or Theresa.Comiskey@serco.com
Volunteer Group to Support Dalton’s Pharmacy
The Dickens Heath Covid-19 Community Support Group has been set up by the Parish Council and the Library and we hope to support our community through this very difficult time.
We heard that Dalton’s Pharmacy are expecting a huge increase in requests for home delivery of prescriptions to self isolating residents. They are a small team and will be unable to cope with this. An appeal was posted on the Support Group Facebook page and we have been completely blown away by the numbers of residents willing to help. We are contacting volunteers today with a view to setting up a group as of next week. If we don’t contact you in the first instance then please accept our apologies – we massively appreciate every offer.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/222609268853367/?source_id=731068140303315Dickens Heath Covid-19 Community Support Group
