Everything below has been shared on our Tidworth Town Council Facebook page by Councillors and Members of the public.
Our local Pharmacies and the prescription delivery service will continue to be run by local volunteers
Our team of local volunteers are continuing to deliver medication from our local Pharmacies to between thirty and fifty local people every day, Monday to Friday, between 4pm – 6pm.
- From now on we can start to automatically deliver your prescription to you each month (or each week) if you are over 70, a vulnerable adult, or a child and don’t have to pay for your prescription. Please contact the GP Practice if you are unsure.
- If we have ever delivered to you (and if you are eligible) then you are already on our list for home-delivery for as long as the current restrictions remain in place. You don’t need to phone up to request this each time; it is now automatic.
- If you would like to request for your name to be added to our list then please phone your GP Practice one week before your medication would normally be available for collection and your GP Practice will add your name to our list.
- Unfortunately we are no longer able to do emergency prescription deliveries or
one-off prescription deliveries in the way that we have over the last few weeks, but things are now much more under control and so there is less need for this service.
PLEASE REMEMBER that it is still your responsibility to order your medication in time (this date can be found next to where it says “next issue due” on your repeat slip).
We want to thank the local volunteers from Help Your Neighbour – Wiltshire who had been receiving phone calls and emails for us over the last four weeks, but now that we have set up an automatic system with the GP Surgeries those volunteers can now move on to focus on other local needs.
From now on Help Your Neighbour – Wiltshire will still be able to help you with your shopping or with their telephone Chat Buddy service but they won’t be able to answer your questions about your prescription or the prescription delivery service, which has now moved to an automatic system with the Castle Practice working together with Tidworth and Ludgershall Pharmacies.
Please remember that they are all
volunteers!
Help Your Neighbour
Help your neighbour – Wiltshire and the Ludgershall & Tidworth Benefice Community Fund
• If you have run out of food or if you need someone to do your shopping for you because you are isolated please
- Email – helpyourneighbourwiltshire@outlook.com
- Phone 07824 445291
• If you have run out of food and run out of cash please still email or phone as above because Help Your Neighbour – Wiltshire volunteers can buy your shopping for you using money from the Ludgershall & Tidworth Benefice Community Fund which is administered by our local vicar, Rev Tim. To make a donation please see St James Church Facebook page or website for more details about the Ludgershall & Tidworth Benefice Community Fund.
Ludgershall Link Scheme
• for transport to hospital appointments please contact Anne in the normal way on 07717 627462 but note that since the Ludgershall Link Scheme had to be suspended last week the Vicar’s team of volunteers are now providing the drivers to fulfil this service.
Shopping
For a free home delivery service for shopping for anyone who is following Government advice to the over-70s to stay at home or people self-isolating please contact the Connolly Spar in Tidworth – 01980 608103
Your local churches St James Church in Ludgershall and Holy Trinity Church in Tidworth can also be contacted through our Facebook pages or through our websites. Please see these pages and also our Town Council Facebook pages and websites for regular updates.
Victim Support
Safety at Home
Wiltshire Council has joined with Wiltshire Police to remind everyone if you or someone you know is suffering from domestic abuse tell someone as help is out there. Make the call or get online. See link below.
There are real concerns that some people are suffering from domestic abuse. Wiltshire Council and Wiltshire Police have joined together to send strong message of support via social media and news channels to victims
‘we are here and ready to support you’.
Whilst some domestic abuse support services are not able to offer face-to-face meetings at this time, there is still help and advice available from national and local agencies both online and over the phone.
People living with domestic abuse, or those that know someone who is living with the impacts of domestic abuse can call the following:
National Domestic Abuse Helpline 0808 2000 247
Or in an emergency call 999.
Charity Splitz also offers domestic abuse support services during the week, and can respond to people’s concerns by emailing – spa@splitz.org or calling 01225 775276.
Splitz also has a range of advice including:
• Keeping safe
• Support available in Wiltshire
• Talk toolkits
Mental Health Awareness Week
Yesterday marked the start of Mental Health Awareness Week and young people in the county, including Members of the Wiltshire Youth Parliament, have shared their own experiences and wellbeing tips on how to manage everyday life during COVID-19 (click here to read more).
Mental health issues can affect people of all ages and young people are no exception, so it is vital that we continue to raise awareness of such an important issue and ensure young people have access to the support they need, which includes the following:
The On Your Mind website has online resources and details of the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust 24/7 mental health helpline for children, young people and parents/carers.
9am – 5pm 01865 903777 – 5pm to 9am and weekends 01865 90100
Child & Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) 01865 903889
Kooth online anonymous counselling service
Young carer support is available with Carer Support Wiltshire
Wilshire Council Wellbeing Hub
A special telephone number Wiltshire Council has created to help the most vulnerable in our communities during this crisis.
The phone number is 0300 003 4576 for the duration of the pandemic.
Wiltshire Council will continue to keep its hubs open in Trowbridge, Chippenham and Salisbury for the following essential face-to-face services:
– Support for the homeless
– Adult social care
– Children’s social care
– Support for vulnerable people
Its Customer Service Team continues to support our communities on all other matters through our customer services number 0300 456 0100 (lines open 9am – 5pm Monday to Friday) and via social media channels.
COVID-19 Information for school and nursery aged children
Children and Young People Mental Health Hotline
A children and young people’s mental health helpline has been launched in Wiltshire, BaNES, and Swindon by the Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust which runs children’s mental health services in the region.
Anyone concerned about a child or young person’s mental health (or the child or young person themselves) can phone the helplineand speak to mental health experts who will provide advice, guidance and support over the telephone.
The helpline will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week and can be contacted as follows:
9am-5pm – weekdays 01865 903777
5pm-9am – weekdays and weekends 01865 901000
Helpful resources to support children and young people experiencing worries about coronavirus are also available on the following websites
https://www.onyourmind.org.uk/
Launch of Mental Health Hotline for Adults
A mental health helpline for adults in Wiltshire, BaNES and Swindon has also been set-up by the Avon and Wiltshire Partnership. The number is 0300 3031320 and more information can be found here: http://www.awp.nhs.uk/advice-support/24-hour-support/.
Both helplines should not be used for situations which are life threatening (when emergency services should be notified by phoning 999). The helplines will also help to reduce pressure on NHS 111, who are having to manage an increasing number of Covid-related calls.
Getting Active
Wiltshire Council’s leisure centre teams are promoting fitness challenges and videos across all 10 of their Facebook pages, which will include activities for all abilities and signposting to national resources such as Sports England’s #StayInWorkOut Campaign. Tidworth Leisure Centre – Facebook Page
If you have found any local #StayInWorkOut videos or tutorials please do contact tidworthadmin@tidworthtowncouncil.gov.uk and let us know.
Ask the Athlete
Wiltshire Council’s sports development team has launched a weekly series of ‘Ask the Athlete’ videos that feature on the Active Wiltshire social media platforms.
The feature gives people an opportunity to send in questions to their favourite local sporting stars as well as seeing them participate in interactive challenges – will the athletes be able to rise to the challenge they are set?
Athletes will also promote other resources developed by Wiltshire Council in response to COVID-19. These resources include opportunities for residents to be active, to undertake virtual museum tours, library resources and opportunities to get involved in reading activities, as well as information on digital learning and home schooling and downloadable activity packs. All of these resources are available on a new Active Communities webpage developed by Wiltshire Council, which is available at www.wiltshire.gov.uk/leisure-active-communities
To get involved, submit a question and to see the full schedule of athletes taking part, people should visit the Active Wiltshire Facebook page www.facebook.com/ActiveWiltshire and @Sport4Wiltshire on Twitter.
Public Transport
Guidance for parents and carers
The council has created a Covid-19 Advice and Support for Parents document which provides guidance on looking after the whole family during this situation. The document is available on the ‘school’s section’ of the Covid-19 webpage and includes support on home education.
Keeping Safe Online
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted everyone’s daily lives. More people are working from home, looking after children and spending time online. Now more than ever, it is important for everyone to know how to stay connected, stay safe online, and check the facts.
The DCMS has published some new advice to help people, particularly children, stay safe online during the coronavirus outbreak https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-staying-safe-online. It’s also provided additional advice for parents and carers on this subject.
Local Business Support
Update on grant schemes from Wiltshire Council
We’re appealing to local businesses not to miss out on vital funding that could offer a real lifeline to their company.
Around 2,500 businesses in the county have yet to apply for either the £10,000 Small Business Grant, or the £10,000 and £25,000 Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grant.
We’re contacting these businesses, by telephone or email, to encourage them to apply for the grant. There’s around 1,300 of these businesses where we do not have up to date information or contact details. We’ve set up a dedicated team to carry out some more detailed work to try and track this information down. Businesses that think they may be eligible can email Covid-19BusinessSupport@wiltshire.gov.uk with details of their business for us to check.
We are continuing to assess those applications received. So far, we have issued £55 million to support over 4,700 local businesses through these challenging times.
Launch of Regional Redeployment Service
A Regional Redeployment Service has been launched with the aim of supporting individuals and employers in addressing not only the immediate needs and challenges brought about by the crisis, but also long-term support to ensure a robust economic recovery for the future.
This service offers support for recruitment, furloughed workers and direct support to their employers and learners affected in colleges, universities and work-based learning amongst others.
For more information: https://workwiltshire.co.uk/2020/04/24/regional-redeployment-service-launched/
Child Employment Update
The council has released revised information for employers and parents after updated government guidance on child employment.
In liaison with other local authorities in the south west, the council acted on earlier government guidance and suspended child employment arrangements temporarily during COVID-19.
In response to new guidance from the Department for Education, this has since been reviewed. Suspension of child employment arrangements remains in place but businesses can apply for a dispensation, provided they meet clear criteria to ensure the child’s wellbeing is safeguarded and the child is able to work in safe conditions.
These include where an employer’s business is deemed to be essential and where a role is defined as a key worker and the employment of the child is considered essential in this context, then the local authority may consider dispensation to the suspension of a Child Employment Permit.
Employers applying for a dispensation will need to sign an employer statement and code of conduct and complete a risk assessment. Parents will also need to sign a medical declaration. All forms are available on the website and should be sent to
Once supporting documentation is received the council will consider whether dispensation may be agreed and employers will be advised in writing. Decisions will continue to be made taking into account our safeguarding responsibilities for the safety and welfare of young people in Wiltshire.
Bin & Refuse Collection
All services are running as normal. However, we are aware of some delays to mixed dry recycling collections, following the introduction of new services. If your blue-lidded bin or black box has not been emptied on your new scheduled collection day, please leave your containers out and our contractors will visit as soon as they can.
- New recycling and collection services
- Find your collection day
- Missed your bin collection? Report it here.
Wiltshire Council garden waste collection renewals deferred to 15 June
Wiltshire Council has postponed the renewal process for garden waste collection until 15 June, due to the pressure on council services because of COVID-19. Garden waste collections will continue, provided the council’s contractor has sufficient staff to maintain service delivery.
Customers who have already paid for the garden waste collection service will continue to have their garden waste collected until 30 June 2020. Residents should continue to place their garden waste bins out with their red stickers as usual. The council will contact you in due course with details of the renewal process. Collections will continue from 1 July.
Household Recycling Centre Update
All of Wiltshire’s household recycling centres (HRCs), bar Stanton St Quintin, reopened yesterday. As anticipated, there have been high volumes of visits to the sites on both days, with significant queues throughout the day in most locations. However, the queues were well managed by the on-site marshals. We have noticed that sites appear to be significantly busier in the morning than in the afternoon so please continue to support our messaging as we encourage people to either wait a few weeks before visiting or visit later in the day to avoid the early morning queues.
Measures to observe social distancing and maintain the safety of staff and public have been rolled out across all sites, and regular updates on the queue times at each site have been provided throughout the day to residents via council communication channels and partner media outlets, alongside key messages to remind people of the new arrangements in place.
Initial reports from the HRCs indicate that the postcode tracker system is working effectively and the majority of visitors are aware of requirements around opening times, permissible materials, vehicle types and occupant numbers. We will continue to review and amend the postcode tracker and develop our guidance so please check our website for updates.
We expect demand to continue to be high during this initial opening phase, so please encourage people to delay their visit to an HRC if at all possible to minimise queuing time and remind them to check the FAQs on the council website before they set off.
We will update this as often as needed. If you have relevant information to share please contact Tidworth Town Council Offices via email:
Carly lovell -townclerk@tidworthtowncouncil.gov.uk
Kayleigh Mooney – tidworthadmin@tidworthtowncouncil.gov.uk
