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Welcome to our latest edition of Highlights from the Hub. As we are nearing Christmas, the Peterborough Hub is expecting an increase in calls from residents. Some of our residents will be struggling financially and others may be feeling very lonely, particularly at this time of year and the restrictions that we need to follow due to the pandemic. The hub can support people with food and other essential items and befriending support. The team are working together with a large number of local organisations - voluntary, community, faith - to ensure anyone struggling will get the support they need, when they need it.
The Government has provided funding to Peterborough City Council for Winter Support Packages to families. This is to make sure that not only no child goes hungry this year (whether they are eligible for free school meals or in a range of other categories) but also that families and individuals who might struggle with other essential bills, such as utilities, can be supported.
For those families entitled to free school meals, a voucher for food will be provided; for others food parcels can be provided. In addition funding is also available to support families and individuals with other immediate needs, including (but not limited to) other essential supplies and food, household energy and water bills, essential white goods such as fridges or cookers and boiler servicing and repairs. Further information can be found in the newsletter.
If you need to arrange for a COVID-19 test, then the Hub team can provide you with details of local test centres and guidance around self-isolation.
A test and trace self-isolation support payment is available for Peterborough residents. You may be eligible if you have lost income as a result of not being able to work. Again, please contact the Hub for further information on how to access and criteria.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the fantastic agencies and organisations who have and are supporting our residents in Peterborough - I wish you all a peaceful Christmas.
Wendi
Watch my recent Vlog here.
Peterborough Hub Christmas Opening Information:
Monday 21 December - OPEN 9AM - 5PM
Tuesday 22 December - OPEN 9AM - 5 PM
Wednesday 23 December - CLOSED FROM MIDDAY
Thursday 24 December - Sunday 3 January 2021 - CLOSED
Peterborough Hub Contact Number: 01733 747474
When the Peterborough Hub is closed, the county hub will be available, operating on skeleton staff. Please call the number above and further contact information will be provided. There will be no service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Years Day.
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Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire and Peterborough – message about COVID-19
Dr Liz Robin talks about coronavirus spreading across Peterborough at the highest rate since the first lockdown and is urging everyone to take action now.
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Residents affected by COVID-19 make video appeal to communities
Residents who have been affected by coronavirus are urging their communities to not treat COVID-19 as a myth, or something to be taken lightly, but a very real disease and threat to life.
In a powerful new video, developed by communities working with Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City Councils, a range of local residents from south Asian communities highlight how COVID-19 has affected them.
They ask everyone to play their part and follow the latest guidelines to stop COVID-19 in its tracks, so that we can return to a life with fewer restrictions that affect our jobs, shopping, seeing loved ones and visiting places of worship.
The video features members of the local south Asian community who are recovering from the virus, or who have had a positive test result, and who highlight the importance of reducing our social contact, wearing face coverings where required, keeping our distance, washing our hands regularly and getting tested if we display symptoms.
Barnardo’s survey about Children and Family Centres
Barnardo’s has recently been awarded the Peterborough and Cambridgeshire (South Fenland) Child and Family Centre contract. They are excited to start talking to families, partners and other stakeholders in order to begin shaping the future Children and Family Centre services.
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Family Voice have been distributing fresh vegetables to families across Peterborough
Family Voice have partnered with International Procurement & Logistics Limited - a food processing business owned by Asda's parent company Walmart - which has pledged to provide fresh vegetables, including potatoes and onions, to help local families eat healthily.
The produce has been donated to Family Voice Peterborough who are distributing it to families with children and young people who have special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Family Voice have been providing food packages and wellbeing packs for parent carers across the city throughout the pandemic.
Family Voice’s chief operating officer Louise Ravenscroft said: "We are delighted to be supported by IPL which is providing us with fresh produce to enable local families affected by the current pandemic to eat healthily."
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KingsGate Community Church distribute Christmas Food Hampers
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KingsGate Community Church will be distributing 1,000 Christmas food hampers to vulnerable and marginalised communities in the city as part of ‘Love Christmas’.
'Love Christmas' is a national campaign aiming to bring hope, practical love and kindness to our communities this Christmas. KingsGate will be working with a range of organisations and schools to distribute the hampers to those most in need including Peterborough Foodbank, Hope into Action, the Garden House, the new Floating Support Team and local schools.
Volunteers of all ages will be involved in the project with KingsGate’s youth group preparing hampers that will be given to rough sleepers engaging with the Garden House; young adults packing the food hampers and KingsGate’s Life Groups delivering the hampers.
Sharon Keogh, Head of Community Action said “we are very excited to be able to bless the city in a practical way this Christmas. It has been a difficult time for everyone this year and we wanted to do something to bless those adversely affected by COVID-19. Giving hampers is enabling our congregation to connect with the community in a very practical way and convey a message of hope and love”.
New government guidance around using volunteers
The government has published new guidance which aims to help organisations and groups understand how to safely and effectively involve volunteers during the pandemic.
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Peterborough Guide to Independent Living
If you, or someone you care for, is looking for information about how to remain independent, safe and well, the Peterborough Guide to Independent Living is your go-to resource.
You can find information about getting out and about, keeping healthy and well, staying independent and looking after someone, as well as details of local services and care providers.
Free Exercise Classes
Whilst gyms are closed Vivacity are offering a range of online classes.
They are available at any time and are free. Classes include yoga, body conditioning, HIIT, Ab Blast and a range of classes aimed at children.
Citizens Advice Peterborough (CAP) Partnership
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In the first four weeks of this project, which offers information and advice to families accessing Peterborough Foodbank, Citizens Advice Peterborough supported 29 families and dealt with 69 issues including debts, benefits issues, income maximisation and have achieved £35,000 of financial outcomes for the families.
Councils pledge wide ranging winter support for more people than ever
Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough City Councils, working alongside other agencies and organisations, are planning to support many families and individuals whose lives have been made more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic this year.
More people than ever before will be supported - thanks to the imaginative way that the two councils plan on using the Winter Support government grant – working closely with other local councils, the community and district hub network and voluntary organisations in the area.
They will provide Winter Support Packages to families to make sure that, not only no child goes hungry this year whether they are eligible for free school meals or in a range of other categories, but also that families and individuals who might struggle with other essential bills, such as utilities, can be supported. Read more on the Peterborough City Council website.
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Article about the COVID-19 Hub in the December 2020 issue of The Moment
This month's The Moment Magazine includes a great feature about the Peterborough support hub and the help on offer to everyone who needs it - in particular to self-isolate.
There's also some good advice about how to keep yourself safe from the virus.
Read the feature on pages 14 and 15 of the current issue of The Moment
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Youth Inspired Support Community Youth Projects across Peterborough
Over the last six few weeks Youth inspired have been able to transfer funds to support six different youth led projects across Peterborough.
Earlier this year Youth Inspired acquired £50,000 from Peterborough City Council to fund Integrated Community projects across Peterborough.
Culture Community is one of the first of these projects to be awarded funding via the Youth Inspired Young Commissioners Panel. Culture Community (which hopes to start early in the New Year) is a Saturday school which will support children from all cultures and backgrounds and will teach them black history and traditions which are not taught in schools in the UK. The school will be available for 11 to 16 years with the option for younger people to join.
Youth Inspired have also been able to fund four other clubs and projects through Youth Investment Funding from the Lottery and Department for Digital Culture, Media and Sport and are proud to announce that the Youth Inspired young commissioning panel has approved applications for:
Nex-Gen a new project from Community First. Nex-Gen is a 12 week tailored programme of activities to help young people in the Millfield and Gladstone area improve their confidence, have an impact in the local community, learn new skills and help influence services for young people in the area moving forward.
Families First - North Bretton Youth Work Project. As part of this new project, Youth Workers from Families First will meet young people outside around the local area to engage them in positive activities. This is a great opportunity for young people to get involved and be a part of a variety of different projects in their local community.
The Kite Trust New to Peterborough, this service from The Kite Trust aims to support LGBTQ+ young people across the city. This new service will provide a Kite Trust youth worker to cover the Peterborough area so that LGBTQ+ young people can access the same services as their peers in Cambridgeshire.
Resilience Rising The project is being developed by Soul Happy, a not-for-profit organisation set up with local practitioners, therapists and motivational speakers focused on community wellbeing and sustainability, with services from hypnotherapy and diet management, to transformation coaching.
Hereward Radio A group providing educational courses in audio, radio, and video production for young people across Peterborough.
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PCVS meets local community needs throughout the pandemic
Since the pandemic struck in March this year, Peterborough Council for Voluntary services (PCVS) have transferred their workload and resources to meet the urgent needs of the city, providing essential services to local communities and making a huge difference to the lives of so many people.
PCVS realised a desperate need for coordinated support during lockdown and in response to this they set up and facilitated various online forums with member organisations to meet these key needs that emerged:
- Food Partnership
- Mental Health
- Debt and Poverty
- Domestic Violence
- Digital Inclusion
- Volunteering
and a Children and Young People’s Forum through Youth Inspired.
In total PCVS has distributed funding of more than £125k to help members deliver to those in the greatest need, as well as supporting the voluntary and community sector to survive through this pandemic.
Furthermore, PCVS has provided tablet and data provision to smaller groups and offered various training sessions in collaboration with different partners.
For example, in November 2020 training was offered in the Community Eyes & Ears programme developed by East Cambridgeshire District Council to enable people to signpost to the correct services, covering many issues communities face such as scams and fraud, modern day slavery, fires and falls to dementia and loneliness.
Examples of training/support sessions coming up in December 2020 are:
Friday 11 December at 10.30am - 'Engaging with and supporting older people' in collaboration with Age UK
Wednesday 16 December at 2pm - 'Awards for All'. Heidi from National lottery outlines details of their Awards for All funding
For further information or to book on any of the above, please contact PCVS on communities@pcvs.co.uk
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Cross Keys Homes promote online service this Christmas
Cross Keys Homes (CKH) is encouraging all residents to use digital services to manage their rent accounts over the Christmas period. All CKH customers can register to use MyCKH for instant access to their rent statement, the option to report repairs, or to contact the housing association about a wide range of matters from the safety of their own home.
Residents whose income has been affected by COVID-19 in any way are being urged to contact CKH as soon as possible. The Income Management team is available six days a week to offer advice and support on how to keep rent accounts on track.
Essential services, including CKH Care and LifeLine, will be operating 24/7 throughout the Christmas period. All service information can be found on the CKH website: www.crosskeyshomes.co.uk.
The organisation is still offering support through their Be Kind fund for those who are struggling to keep safe and well as a result of the impact of COVID-19. Requests for support can again be made online, just visit www.crosskeyshomes.co.uk/be-kind.
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