| NHS Covid-19 app Have you downloaded the NHS Covid-19 app yet? It’s free, suitable for anyone over the age of 16 and available in a range of languages. |
| Got symptoms? Get tested If you have coronavirus symptoms it is essential that you get tested. Testing is only available by appointment. You will be offered a test at your nearest available centre. Please remember: Only get tested if you are symptomaticIf you have symptoms you still need to self-isolate while you wait to get tested |
| ‘Help us, help you’ Worried about a symptom you think might be cancer? Your NHS is here to see you safely so please, contact your GP. Help Us, Help You. For more information watch the British Sign Language leaflet on Youtube. |
| Meeting with others safely (social distancing) The Government has updated the guidance on meeting with others safely, to include information on seeing friends and family who do not live with you. |
| #Stoptober Want to quit smoking? Local help and support is available. The local stop smoking service provided by Virgin Care has everything from a smokefree App, Nicotine Replacement Therapy, E-cigs, E-liquids and telephone support. Book into one of their virtual clinics, or just phone for a quick chat on how you can make this October the one where you quit for good! Call: 0300 247 0050 |
| Are you eligible for a free flu vaccine? Flu has the potential to debilitate even the healthiest of people, and can be even worse for pregnant women, people aged over 64 and those with weakened immune systems and pre-existing health conditions. The flu vaccine is free to those most at risk and widely available at GP practices, pharmacies, high street chemists and some larger supermarkets. |
| Guidance on attending support groups If you are part of a formally organised support group, you may fall into the list of exemptions to the rule of six, which means you’ll be able to continue to meet and get the help you need. The guidance says you can meet in formally organised support groups of up to 15 people to provide mutual aid, therapy or any other form of support. This includes support to victims of crime, recovering addicts, new parents, people with long-term illnesses, those facing issues relating to their sexuality or gender, and those who have suffered bereavement. If you do attend a support group, it is critical that everybody observes: HANDS – Wash your hands regularly and for 20 secondsFACE – Wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meetSPACE – Stay 2 metres apart from people you do not live with where possible, or 1 metre with extra precautions in place (such as wearing face coverings or increasing ventilation indoors) |
| Self-isolating support grants Residents in receipt of welfare benefits whose earnings will be affected after being told to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace can now apply for a £500 Government support grant. Applications should be made online. If you are unable to apply online contact our Welfare Support Team on 01225 477277 |
| Proposals for 20mph limits in Bath Residents are being asked for their views on proposals for permanent 20mph speed limits outside Bath city centre to encourage people to walk and cycle more, improve air quality and reduce the risk of accidents. The new 20mph limit would run from Alice Park to the Paragon along London Road, and also encompass Bathwick Hill and Prior Park Road up to Claverton Down. |
| Milsom Street vehicle restriction New signs reminding motorists they can no longer drive down Milsom Street between 10am and 6pm have been put up ahead of cameras being switched on later this month. The restriction, introduced earlier this summer, only allows buses access and is designed to make the area safer for pedestrians and cyclists. It will soon be monitored by automatic number plate recognition cameras (ANPR) in line with other bus gates in the city and enforced by the issuing of fines. |
| Give your views on liveable neighbourhoods There’s still time to have your say on our ambitious proposals for liveable neighbourhoods – an important part of our plan to tackle the climate and ecological emergency and to improve health and wellbeing. The online consultation closes this Sunday 18 October. |
| Grants to support community action on violence Community based projects which help prevent and reduce violence are being invited to bid for grants of up to £10,000. The Bath and North East Somerset Community Safety & Safeguarding Partnership if offering the grants to projects which help build safer communities. |
| Roman Baths’ visitor milestone The Roman Baths has welcomed its 100,000th visitor since it reopened following lockdown. The historic venue was one of the first major attractions in the country to reopen its doors to the public on July 6, with strict hygiene and physical distancing measures in place. |
| Bathwick Towpath reopens Major repairs to make the Bathwick Towpath safer and more pleasant for walkers, cyclists and boaters have been completed. The work was carried out by The Canal & River Trust together with volunteers. |
| School places deadline There’s just two weeks left to apply for a secondary school place in September 2021. Parents and carers of children currently in Year 6 are reminded all applications must be received before midnight on Saturday 31 October. |
| Council meeting calendar Do you want to know about decisions being taken by the council and have your say? Please follow this link to the council’s calendar of meetings. |
| Useful linksPublic Health England updates a daily dashboard: https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/ It includes deaths that have occurred in all settings where there has been a positive COVID-19 test, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community. Latest information on coronavirus: https://www.gov.uk/coronavirusNHS information on coronavirus: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ |
| Follow us on online You can follow us on twitter, facebook and instagram; subscribe to us on YouTube, read the latest releases on our newsroom and if you sign up on https://nextdoor.co.uk/ we are there too. |
| Compassionate Community Hub Need help getting food, medicine, housing or other essential items, feeling isolated, or concerned about physical and mental wellbeing? Call the Compassionate Communities Hub on 0300 247 0050 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Email BATHNES.thehub@virgincare.co.uk Text 07870 868368 Bath & North East Somerset Council, working with 3SG, Virgin Care, and local NHS colleagues, have set up the Hub to give advice and support to those who need it during Covid-19. If you need support to self- isolate please contact us on the number above so as we can support you through this process. If you can get support from family, friends or the local community, or can order food or medication online, please continue to do so. This means staff operating the phone line can prioritise those who need the most help and get to calls as quickly as possible If you need to contact the council about its services please ring Council Connect on 01225 394041 or email Council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk |
| Mental Health and wellbeing Every Mind Matters offers a range of resources that help spot the signs of common mental health concerns, offers practical self-care tips and guidance and, importantly, explains when to seek further support. It also has a free NHS-approved online tool the Every Mind Matters Your Mind Plan.If you need mental health and wellbeing support there’s also a wealth of information on these pages: Bathnes 1BD provides information, activities and support for families and children, including mental health and emotional wellbeing. We also have a similar page for adults needing support or care, on Wellbeing Options. You can call: Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership Trust 0300 303 1320The Compassionate Communities Hub 0300 247 0050Bath Mind Breathing Space 01225 983130 breathingspace@bathmind.org.uk Every Mind Matters |
| Sight loss support Sight Support West of England provides emotional and practical support to help people adjust to living with sight loss. Since lockdown this has been either online or over the phone. Now following careful planning, some covid-secure face-to-face support sessions are resuming on an appointment only basis. Your Community Sight Loss Adviser will be available at Manvers Street Baptist Church, Bath on the first Wednesday each month and at Midsomer Norton Town Hall on the 4th Thursday each month. To find out more, or make an appointment please call 0117 3224885 or emailFor more information on the full range of services visit www.sightsupportwest.org.uk |
| Job Support Scheme expanded The Government has expanded the Job Support Scheme (JSS) to protect jobs and support businesses required to close their doors as a result of coronavirus restrictions. Under the expansion, firms whose premises are legally required to shut for some period over winter as part of local or national restrictions will receive grants to pay the wages of staff who cannot work. The Government will support eligible businesses by paying two thirds of each employees’ salary (or 67%), up to a maximum of £2,100 a month. |
| Self-Employment Income Support Scheme The deadline to apply for a second grant under the Government’s Self-Employment Income Support Scheme is Monday 19 October. You can make a claim if your business has been adversely affected by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on or after 14 July 2020. The Government has also updated the guidance on how different circumstances affect the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme. |
| Fraud hotline The Government has teamed with the charity Crimestoppers to launch a new hotline to report suspected fraudulent activity by people illegally targeting support schemes introduced to help those struggling financially as a result of coronavirus. Calls to the COVID Fraud Hotline 0800 587 5030 are free of charge and can be made anonymously. |
| Local agencies We have been working closely with local agencies and if you would like to find out more about their work please look on their website: RUH, Avon and Somerset Police, Curo, and Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG. |
| Tune in Local radio is a great way of keeping up to date with essential information, if you don’t already you should tune into BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Radio Somerset or BBC Radio Wiltshire. |
| Somer Valley FM covers Midsomer Norton, Radstock, Westfield and surrounding villages including Farrington, Paulton, Peasedown, Coleford and Stratton. Broadcast online and on 97.5fm you can contact at studio@somervalleyfm.co.uk or call 01761 411 755 |
| Keynsham’s KTCRfm 105.8FM is now broadcasting 24/7. KTCRfm covers Keynsham, Saltford, Hanham, Bitton, Warmley, Clutton, Timsbury, the Chew Valley and as far south as Temple Cloud. East to the eastern edge of Bath. North across South Gloucestershire to the M4 corridor and west into many parts of Bristol. |
| BA1 Radio have been established for a year in Bath and operate from a studio in Southside Youth Hub, broadcasting twelve hours of shows every weekday, focusing on Bath and the local community, including hourly news reports.website: www.BA1Radio.orgcall: 01225 941 080 |