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Added Sep 23rd 2020
Bucks County Council
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Added Sep 16th 2020
Open consultation
Distributing vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 and flu
Consultation description
The UK government, with the Minister of Health in Northern Ireland, is seeking views on proposed changes to the Human Medicine Regulations 2012.
The consultation covers:
authorising temporary supply of an unlicensed product
civil liability and immunity
expanding the workforce eligible to administer vaccinations
promoting vaccines
making provisions for wholesale dealing of vaccines
This consultation is primarily aimed at organisations with a specific interest in the vaccines, rather than individuals.
Ed.
Latest Scam sent to a neighbour!
The phone number given on the letter, when looked up online, gives the following
'The overall rating for phone number 02070602386 is Dangerous.There have been 197 phone lookups and 6 comments relating to 020 7060 2386. On this page: 6 Users rated it as Dangerous.The summary of detected keywords found in the reports is as follow: lottery (6 times), scam (5 times), insurance (1 time), bank (1 time). The location for 020 is London (England). We noted in this area that there were 98,597,867 searches in total and that users have, so far, left 497,182 reports.'
Bucks County Council
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Added Sep 9th 2020
Did you win?
Results and galleries of the entries for the virtusl competitions are now available to view on the show website. www.csgshow.org
Many thanks to everybody who entered into this year's Show with a difference and thanks from the competitions team for your support.
Bucks County Council
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Community Cards winners announced
The winners of the 2020 Community Cards competition have been announced.
At the beginning of March, Year 6 students at 26 primary schools across the Chiltern and South Bucks areas of Buckinghamshire began the Community Cards Scheme.
The scheme saw approximately 1000 children collecting stickers by completing various challenges and tasks. Each sticker is linked to valuable life skills with topics covering money management, cyber security, safety awareness, healthy living, citizenship, environmental issues, sport and wellbeing.
The scheme was designed to help prepare children in Year 6 for their transition to secondary school and is supported by Thames Valley Police, Bucks Fire & Rescue, Natwest, M for Money, Safe!, Barnados R-U-Safe?, National Trust, Wycombe Women's Aid and the former Chiltern and South Bucks District Councils' joint Waste and Recycling team.
Amazingly, despite schools closing in response to the Covid-19 lockdown, five schools were able to continue with the scheme. Pupils took their booklets home with them and were able to do some work on the return to school; a lot of improvisation was required as partners were unable to attend schools to deliver presentations.
Denham Green E-Act Primary Academy and Chenies School were the overall champions and pupils won individual tickets to LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort rather than a class trip to the resort.
The five schools who continued the scheme after lockdown received £150 worth of vouchers and all other vouchers were gifted to pupils who made special efforts.
Councillor Gareth Williams, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities & Public Health, said: “Congratulations to the Year 6 pupils at Denham Green E-Act Primary Academy and Chenies School who successfully completed the Community Card Scheme and collected the most stickers between them.
“We’d also like to acknowledge all the other schools who entered, we hope that all the children were able to pick up some new useful skills which will help stand them in good stead for starting secondary school. It’s a real shame that not everyone was able to complete the scheme but this was an unprecedented year.”
Ms Ashley, Year 6 Teacher at Denham Green E-Act Primary Academy said:
“What a great opportunity it has been for my class to take part in the Community Cards Scheme for all pupils in Year 6. The children have learnt a lot from carrying out their work to earn the 24 stickers required. The Money and Intergenerational stickers, in particular, were eye-openers for the pupils. I personally, have found it easy to fit into the curriculum coverage. I'd recommend the scheme to all Year 6 teachers.”
We’d like to thank all of the sponsors who supported the scheme:
• LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort provided individual tickets for two winning classes
• Everyone Active provided two winning classes individual tickets for The CLIMB and family swim passes for the Chiltern Pools
• Tesco provided a gift card for an individual prize
• Cliveden, National Trust provided a family pass for an individual prize
• The Entertainer provided a variety of £30 and £50 gift cards
Get involved in shaping your local community
Buckinghamshire’s 16 new Community Boards officially launch this week as the first public-facing meetings with local communities take place.
The community boards have been created to bring the new council and communities together, giving people the opportunity to speak up and get actively involved in improving their local area. They now have a key role in helping local areas to recover from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The aim of the boards is to:
Influence how decisions are made and how services are delivered
Represent the voice of local people
Capture thoughts, ideas and suggestions
Bring together key community partners and residents
Identify local needs and work to produce creative solutions
Back in July, local councillors, town and parish councils and some community groups in each of the board areas held their introduction meetings to begin looking at how to develop these partnerships, consider the local data and information about their local areas and start the conversation about their key areas of focus.
Behind the scenes, dedicated coordinators for each board are working hard in their local communities, making connections and encouraging residents, groups and organisations to contribute to conversations about their local area, including understanding the impact that Covid-19 has had.
There are many ways local people, groups and organisations can get involved in their board, taking part in exploring their area’s issues, through action groups and projects, or just by sharing views.
Community boards are backed by £3.9m to fund local projects and initiatives within their communities. From September, applications can be made by community groups and organisations to their local board for financial support for local projects. To find out how to get involved, to see the criteria for applying for funds or to put in an application visit www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/community-boards
Each board decides its own funding priorities. The type of projects which could be eligible for funding include:
Providing support for older people
Creating opportunities for children and young people
Improving community facilities
Tackling crime
Addressing environmental issues
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Communities and Public Health said: “We are very excited to get our Community Boards off the ground. They form a vital part of the new council and our commitment to listening to and working with local communities.
“These forums are a place for everyone interested in helping to improve and enhance their local area to get involved. Our vision is that they will very much be community-led partnerships that are action focused to make a real difference. Communities really came together to help eachother during the covid lockdown – we hope that these forums will build on this sense of community, and take the opportunity to use funding to tackle local issues as a key part of our Covid-19 recovery.”
Community boards will each meet formally five times a year with smaller action-groups will be created, focusing on specific issues and themes.
Cllr Williams continued: “We want these community boards to be vibrant and creative bodies. As a council we are committed to making a difference locally. We want to develop thriving and empowered local communities. Working together we can address the issues that matter most to local people.”
Interactive map launched to mark Zero Waste Week
It's Zero Waste Week, and people across the UK are being challenged to reduce the amount of food they throw away, to help save money, protect the environment, and preserve resources.
This year Buckinghamshire Council is marking Zero Waste Week by launching its own local zero waste map to help local people reduce their waste. The map shows all the shops, recycling points and businesses in Buckinghamshire that can help us reduce our waste. Whether it’s a nappy library, zero waste refill shop, furniture repairs or just somewhere to recycle your carrier bag, the map shows it all.
There are already over 100 locations that offer products or services that are perfect for Zero Waste Week. The map also has more than 75 locations where people can drop off hard to recycle items, like crisp packets, carrier bags or even toothbrushes – and the Council is asking members of the public to update the map with all the recycling and re-use opportunities in their own local community.
Bill Chapple OBE, Buckinghamshire Council Cabinet Member for Environment & Climate Change, said "There are some really simple steps that can prevent food from being wasted, meaning we all have the opportunity to make a positive change every day. Working together, we can have a huge impact. For example – it we stopped wasting bread for a whole year in the UK, it would save the same amount of CO2 as is generated by over 500,000 return flights from London to New York."
"We are already really good recyclers in Buckinghamshire, and together with Greatmoor energy from waste plant, this means that we send less than 0.1% of our waste to landfill. But we have to aspire to zero waste. We’d love everyone to have a look at our zero waste map and see what's available near them to help them reduce waste. We'd also like people to add to the map themselves, with any amenities, shops or projects in their own local community."
Now in its thirteenth year, Zero Waste Week is asking people to rise to the challenge of keeping good food out of the bin. Buckinghamshire Recycles will be sharing lots of tips and hacks for reducing food waste this week. It’s really important for our pockets and the plant that we reduce food waste and the best place to start is in our homes.
Rachelle Strauss, founder of Zero Waste Week said: "It’s clear that the Great British public has a growing concern about the effects of food waste and my aim is to illustrate how a Zero Waste lifestyle is one of the easiest ways to tackle this issue within your home and business."
You can find the Buckinghamshire Zero Waste Map at https://www.recycleforbuckinghamshire.co.uk/zerowastemap/
10 ideas for reducing food waste that anyone can try right away
Only buy food you need – check cupboards and fridge before shopping
Search for recipes that help you use up leftovers
Create an ‘eat me first’ shelf in your fridge
Set up and use a compost heap for unavoidable food waste
Learn about portion control – how much do you need to make a meal?
Teach yourself about the difference between ‘best before’ and ‘use by’ dates
Research foods that can be frozen and use your freezer to extend the life of food
Serve from dishes rather than plating up, so uneaten food can be used the next day
Learn how to store foods properly – keep potatoes out of the light, bananas away from other produce and weevils out of your flour!
Sign up to a food sharing app
Added Sep 2nd 2020
Bucks County Council
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Buckinghamshire libraries reopen for book borrowing in person
Buckinghamshire Council is delighted to announce that all 29 libraries in Buckinghamshire are now open again for book borrowing in person. The first libraries reopened on 6 July, when government restrictions were lifted, and the very last one, Iver Heath Community Library, opened this week.
All the libraries have the recommended Covid-19 safety measures in place, so things will look a little different and at busy times people may be asked to queue. Opening times are also slightly shorter at the moment, but libraries will be increasing these as soon as they are able to do so.
Anyone who still has books out on loan since March, and there are still over 3,000 people who have, are asked to return them to their library before 30 September, as this is when the fines amnesty will come to an end.
Gareth Williams, Cabinet Member for Communities & Public Health, commented:
"Local libraries are a highly valued resource, not just for reading and relaxation but – now more than ever – they are a real lifeline connecting residents to services and sources of help and advice. This is why it's such welcome news that all of our libraries have now reopened."
Information about the opening times of your local library can be found at: www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/libraries
Buckinghamshire schools to welcome pupils back
After six months away from the classroom, schools across Buckinghamshire are looking forward to welcoming pupils from all year groups back to face to face learning next week.
Buckinghamshire Council has been working with local schools to implement strict new measures to protect students and staff and arrangements are now in place ready for the start of the new school year. The autumn term begins at most schools from next Wednesday, 2 September, with all schools in the county being 100% open by Friday 11 September. All schools have carried out a risk assessment so parents and carers can be assured that every care has been taken to ensure schools are as safe as possible.
Parents and carers will find many changes when their children go back to school next week, with arrangements tailored to each individual site. These will be communicated by the schools themselves directly to parents and carers. There will also be a strong focus on the emotional well-being of pupils, as well as their need to catch up with their studies.
We have tried to find consistency where appropriate and many schools will have similar new measures in place, such as:
staggered start and finish times to the school day;
pupils being put into ‘bubbles’, maybe within their class or year group, so they mix with the same children but are distanced from others outside their bubble;
avoiding whole-school gatherings like assemblies;
extra cleaning especially around high contact points;
installing hand sanitisers;
making PPE available
We would also ask parents and carers to do their bit as we all work together to get children back into school safely. Where possible, please can parents/carers:
consider how you travel to school and walk or cycle where possible;
if you drive, park sensibly and responsibly and where possible, a walkable distance away from school to avoid too many crowds around the school site;
respect social distancing at all times and avoid staying and chatting during drop off and collection times;
wash school uniforms regularly during the week and items like water bottles and lunch boxes daily;
avoid letting your child go to school with any unnecessary items like toys, unless there’s a good reason for bringing something in.
Most importantly, if your child or a member of your household or support bubble shows any symptoms of Covid-19, please do not send your child or children to school; please inform your school as quickly as possible, and please book a test as soon as soon as you can.
Anita Cranmer, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Education and Skills said:
“It’s essential we get our children back into the classroom and Wednesday will be a great day for Buckinghamshire schoolchildren when they can finally start working with their teachers again in the classroom. We know this has been an incredibly difficult and uncertain time for children of all ages, from exam stress in older year groups to children in Reception who started school last September, only to have their education interrupted. Every child has had to cope with a huge change and we are acutely aware of that, and will make sure together with our schools there is appropriate support in place.
I also want to reassure parents and carers that the number of coronavirus cases in Buckinghamshire is currently low and we are constantly monitoring our local position. We have very clear plans in place should there be any change in the local data, and what we will do if there is a positive case at a school.”
Where school transport and getting your child to school is concerned, we would ask parents and carers to consider walking or cycling where possible. We are adding extra public bus services on busy routes, but we would ask you to avoid using buses if possible to avoid traffic congestion. Children using public transport should be confident with managing social distancing, their face covering and hand hygiene.
As for the council-run school buses, we are working with schools where possible to create ‘bubble-friendly’ seating arrangements, and although it’s not mandatory, we would still ask that children over the age of 11 use a face covering and practice social distancing from anyone outside their bubbles.
Up to date bus timetable information is available on the Buckinghamshire Council website, (see the link below) and for those who have bus passes issued by the Council, they should all arrive by the start of the term but there will be an one-week ‘amnesty’ in case of any delays. (This means children will be able to board the bus if they don’t have their pass during the first week of school and up to 11 September).
David Martin, Buckinghamshire Council’s Cabinet Member for Logistics said:
“We have worked really hard with schools to consider how children should safely travel to and from school, as well as the arrangements for them once they’re on site. We have plans in place to mitigate the risks as much as possible and we do ask that parents and carers talk through these arrangements with their children, especially those old enough to travel to school alone. Parents and carers will find lots of helpful and important information on safe travel to school during the autumn term on the Council’s website so please do take a look at the guidance.”
Get voting to help Bucks based sports charity secure much-needed cash boost.
The only Buckinghamshire based charity nominated for a possible share of this year's £1m Persimmon Homes' Building Futures fund is looking for your online votes to help it secure vital, additional funding for the future.
Horizon Sports Club, founded in 1998 and based in High Wcombe, is the only club in the county providing a range of sporting opportunities for children and young people with varying disabilities. Through activities including swimming, tennis, football and ball skills, their specialist coaching provides unique opportunities and development for all those taking part.
And local Buckinghamshire Council councillor and Horizon chairman Lesley Clarke OBE is looking for a few minutes of your time to help secure much needed votes to boost the club's chances of cash success.
"As the only Buckinghamshire based charity in the running for these awards, I really hope residents, businesses and local communities right across the county will lend their support. The top cash prizes are £100,000, £50,000 and £20,000 as well as individual grants of £5,000, so it's a great opportunity to secure much-needed additional money especially at this time with Covid having such an effect on the charity sector as a whole.
"Voting is easy - simply log on to https://www.persimmonhomes.com/building-futures/finalists and scroll down to select Horizon Sports Club. You can vote as many times as you like, however no more than once in any 24hr period."
Lesley added, "The more votes we get, the greater our chances of success so please spare a few minutes and help support a great Buckinghamshire charity."
The closing date for voting is midnight on 18 September 2020.
For further information about the work of Horizon, please visit their website: https://horizonsportsclub.org.uk/
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