Pilton coronavirus volunteers and support

**7th April**
Updated supplier list :)
Happy to email this to anyone to share with those who aren't on facebook
Stay safe ❤️

*** 6th April update
Thank you and welcome to our latest volunteers. All requests and collections are generally going smoothly which is great.
Here is a list of the nearest businesses delivering to the village or offering contactless collections. Happy to update if I've missed any, comment below or send a message.
There is also an updated The Crown Inn, Conduit Square , Pilton take away menu.
I can email these to anyone in image or pdf format :)
Stay safe. And keep the Bread Street Sat night performances coming ;) ❤️

❤️❤️ Lovely clapping Pilton ❤️❤️
Please see below regarding pension collections (taken from Shepton group)

31st March update
All still ticking along nicely with our response to requests for assistance. If you are a volunteer and know that you are going to pick up a prescription or a little shopping in advance and would be happy to pick up someone else's medication or shopping, please send me a text :)
Stay safe folks xx

29th March update
A few more volunteers signed up which is lovely, great service from The Crown Inn, Conduit Square , Pilton and all requests for assistance going smoothly ❤️. As always as much notice as possible for prescriptions really eases the pressure on volunteers.
Stay safe and call the request line if anyone needs a chat.

26th March
If you know of anyone who needs support - especially when it comes to collecting prescriptions - please give us as much notice as possible.
If anyone would like any milk The Bush Nursery have some spare for free.
If any local businesses need support please send us a message - that's my day job!
Thank you so much to all of our volunteers who have been beavering away :)

25th March
We are starting to get more requests for help and in doing so working out how that's managed so please bear with us.
Getting hold of volunteers is proving to be a challenge and going forward we will call you if we need help. Volunteer requests will come from 07931509104 please save it and answer or respond if we call.
We understand the want to offer help but please consider your own safety first and if you are able to, without putting your household at risk.
We do need more volunteers if you know anyone who can help with collections and deliveries please get in touch.
It looks like things will get harder but we can get through this together. In the meantime please support the pub with their village shop offer, we're lucky to have this available to us.
Sorry for the long post!
Stay safe ❤️

Coronavirus (COVID-19): MOTs for cars, vans and motorcycles due from 30 March 2020

Information if your mot is due soon
https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-mots-for-cars-vans-and-motorcycles-due-from-30-march-2020

gov.uk What will happen if your car, van or motorcycle’s MOT due date is on or after 30 March 2020, including what you need to do to keep your vehicle safe to drive.

24th March
The Crown Inn, Conduit Square , Pilton village shop is up and running. We were able to safely buy milk, eggs, bread, bacon, sausages, beans, bread and all sorts. Nice opportunity for some safe, contactless exercise to get essentials, support our local pub and replenish our supplies. Thank you to The Crown for helping us :) UPDATED MENU BELOW

**polite village request** Think before having a fire🚫🔥❌
Please can I ask for people not to have garden fires during the day? As an asthma suffer and elderly parent with chronic COPD staying at home is already difficult, when we can't use our garden on top it's very upsetting

23rd March update
Please see below our coverage for volunteers. Apologies for the map quality, I can't access local gov maps at the moment due to remotely working. When I can, I will make some clearer versions, but for now these show the coverage of our 25 volunteers. Please let us know if you would like to be added to the list. As times get tougher the help needed is likely to increase :). The different colours are just to aid visibility.
The Crown Inn, Conduit Square , Pilton shop service goes live tomorrow and they are already serving take aways. Please support this mutually beneficial scheme, along with The Club's.
Stay safe ❤️

Please observe the comments about how to dispose of tissues 😊

!!! IMPORTANT: This post may well be out of date. Please click here for the latest daily update: https://www.facebook.com/SomersetWaste/

>>> IMPORTANT UPDATE Wed25Mar: Apologies: we know that so many people in Somerset are doing their best to reduce, reuse and recycle but growing staff shortages from the health situation mean that from today, Wednesday 25 March, if recycling collections are missed, we may not have the resources to make return pick-ups. If your recycling is not collected, please do not report this or leave containers out; take the boxes and food waste bin in and re-present them the following week.


All Monday kerbside recycling and rubbish collections as usual except ...
.. please accept our apologies, staffing issues linked to coronavirus (COVID-19) mean garden waste collections are suspended until further notice. More info below. And all 16 recycling sites closed until further notice - details below.

Recycling collections as usual from 7am but please rinse all containers, squash all but glass and aerosols, and sort-segregate materials - it speeds up collections - without using carrier bags. All food waste that cannot be home composted should go in your food waste bin, which can be put on top of your stacked boxes - see photo - to stop recycling materials being blown out.

Rubbish collections as usual from 7am but you should observe the following government guidance:

"Personal waste (such as used tissues) and disposable cleaning cloths can be stored securely within disposable rubbish bags. These bags should be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste. This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual external household waste bin. Other household waste can be disposed of as normal."

Bulky waste collections: (update Tue24Mar) suspended. All booked customers will be contacted about refunds.

Waste containers: so staff are available for priority tasks, no new requests for bins, recycling boxes or food waste caddies are being accepted until further notice. Teams will try to deliver those already ordered.

Recycling sites: Due to the large number of users at recycling sites, it has been impossible to maintain the required social distancing to ensure the safety of both our teams and users of the facilities. In order to protect members of the public and employees, all 16 recycling sites will be closed until they can be operated safely. In the meantime, it is strongly recommended that everyone should follow the Government advice and stay at home.

Garden waste collections: we are extending subscriptions to last a full 12 months from the resumption of collections so subscribers will not lose out financially. Your options for uncollected garden waste include leaving it within the bin for resumed collections and composting the materials in your garden. More on composting: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/home-composting/ NB: Dumping garden waste outside your garden - where it can be a hazard to livestock or block water courses etc - is illegal fly-tipping.

We apologise for the inconvenience of the various service changes at this time. Please bear with us in what are unprecedented circumstances for everyone.

We are doing our very best to keep things moving, and your help is very much appreciated.

And for those who have read this far, sorry there is so much to say and thanks for making the effort - do share this information online and off, and urge others to follow on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news.

More on coronavirus and waste, and service changes, here: https://www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus/

21st March update.
Thank you so much to one of our wonderful volunteers, our first call for assistance is now a successful mission complete 😊.
It's been a great opportunity to look at our set up and has made me realise that if we have a lot of requests we're going to need a bucket more volunteers. We currently have 20 on the list and our first request was answered by the 3rd person on the list.
If that is the same for every request, we might struggle to get around if demand increases. We will rotate to ensure that tasks are shared evenly.
Please share this with anyone who would like to be registered as a volunteer, comment below, text me on 07931509104 or email [email protected] if you or anyone you know in the village might be able to help 😊. Thank you
Stay home, stay safe ❤️

20th March update:
Lots of lovely volunteers coming in following the leaflet drop - thank you everyone ❤️
We appreciate that many people want to do something help and by registering we are placing ourselves in the best position. The media may be painting a picture of hysteria and panic but we are quite ready here and will be in contact as soon as there is work to be done :).
From Tuesday the pub will be offering the below. With great supplies at the pub and The Club - we will have plenty for everyone. These are new ways of working for both businesses and really need our support in these difficult times. Stay safe 😍

Christine

Dear All. Have been asked to share this as widely as possible re waste services. Its a bit long but hopefully helpful.

Partner Authority Member and Officer Briefing

18 March 2020
Coronavirus - Disposing of contaminated Coronavirus
waste and SWP service disruption


Summary

• As the Coronavirus situation develops, SWP will be promoting the Government guidance on disposal of potentially contaminated personal waste.

• We will also be highlighting initial service disruption due to contractor staffing levels, and the likelihood of further disruption in the coming weeks.

The Government has issued specific advice on how anyone with symptoms of the Coronavirus should dispose of their personal waste such as tissues and disposable cleaning cloths.

The guidance is for anyone with symptoms, including those diagnosed with the infection who must remain at home until they are well. It also applies to people in households with someone showing symptoms that may be caused by coronavirus (a new, continuous cough and/or high temperature).

Personal waste, such as tissues and disposable cleaning cloths, should be stored securely in disposable rubbish bags. These should then be placed into another bag, tied securely and kept separate from other waste within your home.

This should be put aside for at least 72 hours before being put in your usual rubbish outside your house, which will be collected as part of the usual fortnightly collections.

Other household waste can be disposed of as normal. Full guidance for people staying at home because of confirmed or possible infection can be found on the Government’s website here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

This guidance is available on a dedicated SWP webpage www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus

We are already seeing some impacts on services, as contractor staff levels are affected.
• Cancellation of Garden Waste collection in Sedgemoor today (18.3.20). We are likely to experience further disruption to the garden waste service, and we’re aware that this is the time of year when people are re-subscribing or subscribing for the first time. We’re looking at a suitable way of making sure people paying for garden waste collections don’t lose out and will provide further information when we have it.
• Suspension of new requests for bins, recycling boxes and food waste caddies – teams will endeavour to deliver those already ordered, but no new requests will be accepted for the time being.
• Suspension of collection of bulky waste from inside properties – a service that tends to be used by older people and involves staff entering people’s homes.
The standard bulky waste collection service continues at present.
• Pausing of the Slim My Waste, Feed My Face campaign, which has been successfully encouraging food waste recycling across the county - this is in anticipation of increased pressure on support staff and services. A decision on delivering the campaign to the remaining areas of Sedgemoor and West Somerset will be taken at a later date.
• Suspension of assistance in removing waste from vehicles at the County’s 16 Recycling centres – in light of Government guidance around social distancing, staff at the centres will temporarily not be able to help people carry weighty or awkward items. We would ask the public to bear this in mind when using the centres in the coming weeks. Each site has allocated a drop-off area for bulky items which members of the public may use if they feel unable to deposit these in recycling bins. People are reminded to separate their recycling from their rubbish before bringing it to any site and make sure they follow the guidance on any rubbish potentially affected with Coronavirus.

Considerable continuity planning has been undertaken and SWP will be working closely with partners and contractors to keep disruption to a minimum. SWP are also engaging with neighbouring authorities to share learning and ensure consistent public messaging.

However, it is highly likely that there will be more significant and widespread disruption in the coming days and weeks. Services will be prioritised, ensuring public heath remains at the forefront of our planning.

Publicity will be taking place later today to highlight all of the above. The latest information about impacts on services will be found on the dedicated page www.somersetwaste.gov.uk/coronavirus

• For further information contact Mark Ford, Head of Communications and Engagement. Telephone 07977412198 or email [email protected]

19th March update
Thank you for all the offers of volunteering coming in - please keep them coming :)
Please don't think we're ignoring you - we are currently at the beautiful position of having more support offered than needed. How wonderful ❤️.
No reason to stop volunteering though as we suspect this is due to a rural lag and ability to communicate with those who need support and aren't online. Our online network is building and connecting, while we safely seek out where we are needed with the distribution of The Roundabout to every household. Basically we are able to be proactive rather than reactive - fab!
The Pub and Club will be offering different provisions soon - will keep you posted. I plan to post a daily update at least and other info as I receive it.
Stay safe, love to all 😍

⚡️Update!
Revd Christine Butler and I are working together to get the village support up and running.
What's happening now:
☑️ we are coordinating support offered with support needed - if you have either please comment below👀⬇️
Coming soon:
☑️ Posters for the village support phone line
☑️ an update in the Roundabout
☑️card to ask / offer help with the Roundabout
☑️ pub piloting basic groceries/ hot food / drinks takeaway service
Scary times out there, but we can get through it together :) Hopefully we have a few days delay time to the village to get our logistics up and running and if the pub can supply our provisions we can be self sufficient

National Trust to open parklands and gardens for free during coronavirus social distancing period

discoverwildlife.com The National Trust is closing its houses, shops and cafes but aims to keep its parks, gardens and open spaces in the countryside and coastal regions open free of charge.

***OK folks, time to start collating our lists of volunteers and those needing support ***
HELP NEEDED: Please PM me if you need help or know anyone who needs help. This info will be kept for as long as the crisis runs and only shared with the relevant helper.
HELP OFFERED: Please comment below with your name /email /Road / tel number and what you can do to help OR PM me if you don't want to disclose on here. ❤️

Covid-19

Information for formula fed babies x
https://www.cgbabyclub.co.uk/covid-19.html #

cgbabyclub.co.uk All the latest information and FAQs on Covid-19.

Hi everyone, I've spoken with the Parish Council and contacted Christine Butler as she has already started to pull info together. I hope to speak to her tomorrow and update here. If possible please can you invite other village residents who are on Facebook. There will be other methods of communication for those not on here and potentially need help most 😊. Stay safe ❤️

Broadcasting House - 15/03/2020 - BBC Sounds

From Shepton's group:
Do listen to this if you have been alarmed by recent disinformation. It is accurate, scientific policy from the horses' mouths not the distortions being spread by those seeking to discredit and delegitimise the current administration.

Listen particularly from 8'50" to the Scottish Chief Medical Officer - but applies in England Wales and N Ireland just as much.

She says unequivocally that over 70s will not be held in their own homes at gunpoint (!).

Self-isolating is for people with symptoms; as far as protecting vulnerable groups is concerned, they will be _advised_ to 'reduce social contacts by about 75%'.

"The thought of us advising people over 70 to sit in their home alone for four months is more likely to be scaremongering and is not actually what we would like people to do."

And she says a lot else about how crazy it is to pretend over 70s will be confined to their houses and adds that many over 70s are fit and strong.

Do spread this link; the deliberate lies for cheap political advantage are creating unnecessary fear and ultimately putting lives at risk.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m000gd76

bbc.co.uk The Sunday morning news magazine programme. Presented by Paddy O'Connell

Other groups are using this. I'm not sure on logistics as to whether we should get printed copies out?

I thought it would be good to set up this page as a place of communication and support. Over the next few days I hope to work out some logistics to find out who needs help and who can offer any. Any help much appreciated! Kelly 😊

Pilton coronavirus volunteers and support

Pilton coronavirus volunteers and support's cover photo