Why getting your COVID vaccinations is important
The Government have issued new measures this week to reduce the impact of the new omicron strain of COVID-19.
Although we are yet to have a case in the district, it is important to make sure you are up-to-date with your COVID-19 vaccinations, including the booster.
If you are yet to have your first dose and are eligible for a jab, it is vital you get booked in to protect you from the virus.
Sarah Muckle, Director of Public Health for Bradford Council said: “We must make sure we take steps to limit the spread of this, and all strains of COVID, to protect our communities and limit the impact on the district.”
“If you or someone in your family is due a COVID vaccination, including the third booster, it is really important you get booked in now or visit the walk-in centre at the Broadway shopping centre.”
The new national COVID measures introduced this week mean:
- face coverings are compulsory in places like shops banks, post offices and hairdressers, as well as on public transport - even if you are fully vaccinated
- Anyone returning from another country must self-isolate until you have received a negative PCR test - with the first test needing to have been taken by the end of your second day back in the country.
- All contacts of suspected Omicron cases must self-isolate, regardless of their age or vaccination status. They will be contacted by NHS Test and Trace.
It is also important to continue to wash hands regularly, wear a face covering in crowded areas and making sure rooms are well ventilated.
Bradford Council and Council for Mosques encourage parents to get the flu vaccination
 Bradford Council and Bradford Council for Mosques are asking parents to make sure their child gets the flu vaccination this year to protect their children and other family members.
The flu season has started and it has been predicted that this year’s flu season could be larger than is typically seen in the UK.
Influenza (flu) is a serious and highly infectious disease caused by a virus. In some cases, it can cause severe complications and it kills thousands of people each year.
After years of campaigning, the NHS is now offering the injectable flu vaccine, free from porcine content, for parents who are concerned about this ingredient.
The nasal spray continues to be the most effective protection against the flu vaccine in children.
Parents of 2 and 3 year-olds should contact their GP for an appointment, as can those with children in Years 12 and 13 with long term health conditions.
School children up to Year 11 will get their vaccination in school if parents return their consent forms.
Bradford Council has produced a children's flu leaflet for parents explaining the choice.
Bradford prepares to celebrate Mikulas
Happy Mikulas and Happy St Nicholas Day to everyone.
Connecting Roma, Bradford For Everyone and ourselves will be working in partnership with communities to celebrate Mikulas in Bradford District. This event is to recognise the large Eastern European and in particular Roma Community who live and work in our district.
Many of our residents originate from European countries, such as Slovakia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Latvia, Poland and Romania
St Nicholas Day is celebrated wider throughout the world and sometimes on different days, such as the 5 December and 19 December. We would like to wish everyone who has celebrated or is celebrating this special day at another time, a happy St Nicholas Day.
To mark the occasion, we and our partners will host a special Mikulas (St Nicholas Day) event on Monday 6 December, 4pm to 6pm in City Park, Bradford. There will be food stalls, climbing wall, band and other performers. Everyone is welcome.
E-scooters
 A new campaign is being launched to raise awareness that e-scooters can only be used on private land.
In the run up to Christmas it’s thought that people may be tempted to buy an e-scooter for a present, not knowing that it is currently illegal to ride on them on UK roads and pavements.
Adverts have been placed on local radio stations throughout West Yorkshire and social media messages will be posted during the festive season, developed by the West Yorkshire Safer Roads Delivery Group.
Children take part in challenging walk to raise money for others
Three 11-year-old children from The Hollies, a children’s residential home in Bradford district took part in a sponsored walk on Saturday to raise money for Children in Need.
The children battled extremely harsh weather conditions, including high winds from Storm Arwen to complete a mountain walk called the Norber Circular in four and a half hours.
The Norber Circular is a walk from Clapham in the Yorkshire Dales which involves a climb to the Norber Erratics. The 'erratics' are a group extraordinary natural stone sculptures moved during the ice age which can be seen strewn across the fields.
Midwinter Bundles of Creativity
 Artworks Creative Communities are preparing for the enormous task of assembling the 10,000 Midwinter Bundles of Creativity. This edition includes a copy of the #WinterSupport offering advice, support and self-care tips, a beautiful postcard to share some kindness, our trademark activity book jam packed full of creative ideas and helpful suggestions and help with keeping your heating on.
The picture shows Deb Collett with 10,000 #WinterSupport booklets – they will be going out next/this week to food banks, schools, community centres, self-help groups, food savers, libraries and hostels.
Gritting
Our gritting crews have been working hard these past couple of weeks.
Thanks to them for their continued hard work.
Budget proposals for 2022-23 will be discussed at Bradford Council’s Executive next week
The budget proposals for 2022-23 mean no new cuts to services and no redundancies but will focus on the delivery of services with the scope for new investment severely limited and previously agreed savings must continue to be delivered. Council tax must increase in line with the Government’s assumptions as set out in their October Spending Review.
We have had to deal with significant financial pressures in the years preceding the pandemic. Since 2011, we have had to find over £300m in savings and extra income as a result of national spending cuts, increasing demand and rising costs. This has required difficult decisions to be taken about services and priorities. Over this period the burden of funding for local services has shifted significantly from government to council tax payers.
COVID-19 has had a significant financial impact requiring additional expenditure while at the same time reducing income. While much of the impact was met through Government support, there is no indication that the Government will continue this support now. Yet there will be an on-going legacy health and financial of COVID long into the future.
Bradford Council working round the clock to support residents affected by Storm Arwen
Our teams have been working round the clock over the weekend to support people affected by the power cuts caused by Storm Arwen.
High winds and heavy snow fall has battered the north of England over the weekend causing power cuts to over 1,500 properties in the Bradford district.
The majority of the properties affected have been without electricity since early on Saturday morning. This power outage coincided with particularly cold weather with parts of the Bradford district recording temperatures as low as minus four degrees Celsius.
We are continuing to work with local residents, volunteers and councillors to support people affected. Respite centres have been opened in local communities providing residents with warmth, hot drinks, food, blankets and somewhere to charge up mobile phones.
Thanks to our residents, volunteers, staff and councillors for all the support they offered.
Business grant expanded to support firms that traded through pandemic
We have expanded our Additional Restrictions Grant to include local business that traded through the government’s COVID-19 restrictions.
Up to £3000 will be paid to qualifying Bradford district businesses that remained open throughout the pandemic but suffered losses and were unable to claim other government grants.
Eligible businesses include essential retailers not required to close during the restrictions and non-rate paying businesses with commercial premises excluded from previous grant support.
To qualify firms must be able to show at least a 30% reduction in trading income and be based in the Bradford district.
The new grant is part of a wider package of support for businesses that the council has put in place since the first lockdown in March last year.
Charity Christmas cards on sale at Ilkley Visitor Information Centre
Get in early and choose your favourite charity Christmas cards from the excellent range of 'Cards For Good Causes' on sale at the Visitor Information Centre in Ilkley.
The not-for-profit organisation always has a huge selection of charity Christmas cards with proceeds donated back to local and national charities. In the last 10 years alone, they have raised over £40 million for charity.
Cards for Good Causes supports many charities including Cancer Research UK, Barnardo's, Alzheimer's Society and RNLI. Shoppers are able to choose from hundreds of different Christmas card designs
After being unable to trade in Ilkley last year due to Covid-19 restrictions, the cards have now returned to Ilkley Visitor Information Centre and are already proving popular.
The Visitor Information Centre in Ilkley is open Monday to Saturday 10am to 12.30pm and 1pm to 4pm. The cards will be on sale until Christmas Eve.
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