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I have been reflecting on what the hub has achieved since it launched on 2 April. We have received over 1,150 contacts from vulnerable people in Peterborough who have needed, and continue to need, support throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This is in addition to all the fantastic work that agencies, organisations and volunteers have done to support their local communities in Peterborough.
I am so proud of what we have collectively achieved in these very challenging times and love hearing about how we have made a real difference to our residents who are struggling and didn't know where to turn to for help.
As I have mentioned in my vlogs, we are very aware that some of our residents are struggling with continued self-isolation due to their health conditions or test and trace restrictions or individuals/families who are finding it hard to make ends meet due to economic hardship.
The hub is here to support and advise anyone who needs our help through this difficult time, so I encourage everyone to please contact us on 01733 747474. You may be aware of a friend or a neighbour who is struggling - please, please ask them to get in touch.
View my recent vlog here.
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Roald Dahl reading treats available for Peterborough youngsters
Peterborough Reads has created 200 Roald Dahl packs so that children without reliable internet access can continue to develop their literacy skills during lockdown.
The packs are full of fun-filled activities including inventing a scrumptious treat for Willy Wonka's factory, travelling the world in a giant peach, and capturing dreams for The BFG. There's also a free Roald Dahl book in each pack along with tips to help families and carers get the most out of story time.
Recent research found that 60,000 children in the UK don't have any access to the internet at home, while millions of others don't have a device that can connect to the internet.
Sally Atkinson, National Literacy Trust Hub Manager for Peterborough, said: “Peterborough Reads inspires families to read together and helps parents support their child's literacy development. As a response to school closures, we launched a Facebook page so we can continue to reach families in the community. However, local schools requested further support for their pupils who do not have consistent access to the internet.
“The Roald Dahl packs are hardcopies and include five writing challenges along with top tips to help complete them as well as some bonus activities for some extra fun. The activities are all based on different books and each one is linked to a room in the home to inspire children to think creatively about their surroundings. The activities are designed so that children can take part regardless of whether or not they have read each of the titles.”
The National Literacy Trust partnered with City College Peterborough and the city council to help identify young people who will benefit from a pack and to distribute them across the community. Some of the packs have already been given to children associated with Barnardo's Children's Centre and the remaining packs will be distributed in the next few weeks.
The Roald Dahl activities can also be downloaded for free here
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Changes announced for shielded group
The Government has announced that the 2.2 million people who have been self-isolating in England will no longer need to shield from 1 August. There will also be a gradual relaxing of the advice from 6 July.
Further details are available at www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus
Adrian Chapman, Service Director: Communities and Partnerships, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “We know that the update from Government relating to the pausing of the shielding programme will be met with excitement and anxiety. There will be many people who will need help and support to transition out of shielding and to move towards a new way of life, which of course will still include social distancing. For those people, the Countywide Hub will be there to provide that support. In addition, NHS volunteer responders will continue to offer support after the 31 July to those who need it, including collecting and delivering food and medicines.
“The network of district and city hubs will continue to provide support for all others who don't have help and assistance from friends, family or neighbours. This will be particularly important as part of NHS Test and Trace, to support people who may need help when isolating as a result of having symptoms of coronavirus or because they have been in close contact with someone who is a confirmed case.
“In addition, we will be keeping a record of people who are extremely clinically vulnerable in case the R rate starts to increase and there is a need for people to shield once again. “If you need support and you don't have friends, family or neighbours to help you, please visit www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus or call 0345 045 5219.”
NHS Test and Trace translations
NHS Test and Trace has been launched by the Government to track every case of the coronavirus and limit its spread.
The more people that use it correctly, the more effective it will be at stopping the spread of the virus, the safer it will be for people and the quicker the lockdown measures can be lifted.
Translations have been produced so that people who speak and read different languages can understand the Test and Test programme, how they can access help and support via the hub network and what steps they can take to limit the spread of the virus. Translations are available at www.peterborough.gov.uk/coronavirus with more languages being added all the time.
Please help us by sharing the translations with people in your communities.
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Youth Music
Are you considering or already delivering music-making projects? Are children and young people who face difficult challenges at the heart of your work? If the answer is yes then please read on.
Youth Music is a national charity investing in music-making projects for children and young people (aged 0-25) experiencing challenging circumstances. Its funding is focused on supporting projects for children and young people who face barriers to music-making as a result of who they are, where they live, or the circumstances they’re facing.
The charity is interested in increasing the number of applications from organisations working with children and young people in the East of England. The next application deadline for its Fund A, which awards grants between £2,000 and £30,000, is Friday 31 July 2020.
If you would like to discuss your project proposal before you apply, please email Jan Mares (senior grants and learning officer at Youth Music) at jan.mares@youthmusic.org.uk to arrange a 20-minute (video) call or take a look at the Youth Music website to find out more about funding opportunities.
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I’m a Lip Reader badges for people with hearing impairment
Facemarks are now mandatory on public transport and being worn by many people who work in shops and other services. Masks are essential safety items but also a problem for deaf people who read lips as a way to communicate.
As a result, Cambridgeshire Deaf Association has produced ‘I’m a Lip Reader’ badges to help make people aware of the communication problems caused by masks and to encourage them to find alternative ways to communicate such as using gesture, writing things down, moving behind a screen or providing written communication material.
Cambridgeshire Deaf Association does not advocate for people to remove masks, which could increase the risk of spreading the virus.
Order your ‘I am a Lip Reader’ badge today for £1 per badge plus £1 postage and packing. Find out more on the association's website.
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#YouAreNotAlone domestic abuse campaign - translated materials
The Home Office national domestic abuse campaign now has material available in a range of languages including Welsh, Urdu, Punjabi, Hindi, Bengali, Gujarati, Mandarin, Farsi, Arabic, Somali, Polish, Romanian, Spanish, Italian, Tamil and French.
Translated assets are available here
English assets are available here.
Domestic abuse and sexual violence support during COVID-19
All national and local support services for victims of domestic abuse and sexual violence are still open and taking referrals.
For domestic abuse, self referrals can be made to Cambridge Women’s Aid (City/East Cambs/South Cambs) on 01223 361214 and
Refuge (Fenland/Hunts/Pboro) on 07787 255821.
The Elms Sexual Assault Referral Centre is still offering forensic examinations and support to victims of sexual assault. Self-referrals can be made by calling 0800 193 5434 or at www.theelmssarc.org
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Rape Crisis Partnership is also offering support and counselling – see www.caprcp.org.uk for more information.
For further information and advice, including how to support a friend or family member, please visit www.cambsdasv.org.uk
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NSPCC newsletter
In this issue the NSPCC shows its support for #BlackLivesMatter and where to seek help if you have been affected by racist bullying. The issue is also packed with advice and support for parents and carers and activities for young people. Read the newsletter here.
Deafblind UK continues to support people living with dual sensory impairments
Deafblind UK continues to have volunteers available for telephone befriending in order to reduce the sense of social isolation for people living with dual-sensory impairments.
Youth Inspired newsletter
The June issue of the Youth Inspired newsletter is out now. In it you can meet the Youth Inspired team and read about the sponsored dance sessions that Gabby from Stanground organised – raising nearly £500 for the Food Bank. Read the newsletter here.
Alzheimer’s Society – tips on how to unwind and stay well
The Alzheimer’s Society has published some case studies of how people can unwind and stay well, whether they have dementia or not.
Peterborough Association for the Blind newsletter
PAB is still open to any enquiries, information or services, even though its regular activities are on hold. The team is continuing with a full range of services using the same office telephone number 01733 344844, but working from home.
When calling please leave your name and number with a short message, or email info@mypab.org.uk
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Do you use a hearing aid or find yourself hard-of-hearing or does someone in your family?
If so, we are pleased to support our partners at Cambridgeshire Hearing Help (CHH), who are setting up a new online social group - just for you!
Called ‘Cambridgeshire Hear for You community’, this is a new way of keeping in touch and exchanging views and ideas, whether it’s about hearing loss, or just your news, ideas and messages about literally anything.
Many people have used social media to keep in touch with family and friends in recent times. This is a chance to be in contact with more people locally, who share your interests.
It is being established on Facebook and is a ‘closed group’, giving members the extra safety and security, that only other members will be able to see your comments. It is also completely free.
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Supporting school streets
Schools in Peterborough and Cambridgeshire are being invited to join a new initiative aimed at creating a safe space outside their gates which encourages pupils to use active transport and maintain social distancing.
Following government funding aimed at encouraging cycling and walking, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council have written to schools inviting them to take part in the ‘School Streets’ scheme.
By creating a school street, schools can temporarily close a road outside their entrance, enabling it to become a pedestrian and cycle/scoot zone during the school’s opening and closing times.
This will also help to implement social distancing and encourage active travel, with the added benefit of reducing congestion and pollution at the school gates and improving safety for children on their way to and from school.
If adopted, the council will work to support school street schemes under a temporary traffic regulation order for up to 18 months.
Once a school street is in place, cones and signs will be put across the road to prevent vehicle accessing the area during school drop-off and pick-up time periods. The closure will need to be put up and taken down on a daily basis, and will not apply at weekends and during school holidays. Access will be maintained for emergency vehicles.
Schools will need to put forward volunteers to help run the scheme and the council will provide full training and resources free of charge. The scheme will then be owned and operated by the school community, with support from the council.
Find out more at schoolstreets.org.uk
Support to find work
Cross Keys Homes’ Careers Club is here to help you if you are looking for work. The team offers support over the phone and through video meetings to identify job vacancies and support with writing CVs and covering letters and how to perfect your interview skills.
To find out more about the support available, email community@crosskeyshomes.co.uk.
Cross Keys Homes will also be taking part in the new ‘virtual’ Recruit Job Show
which started this week and continues throughout July. The event is being hosted by TWIP (Tackling Worklessness in Peterborough), which is a consortium of local organisations, and led by CKH, with the shared aim of reducing unemployment in the city. The show will bring together lots of Peterborough companies all looking to recruit. Find more at www.crosskeyshomes.co.uk/twip.
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