Covid-19 – update

We are beginning to see the reopening of some services and businesses across the district. We hope that you, your councillors and residents continue to stay safe.

As we were unable to hold a Parish Forum in the spring we are considering arranging a virtual session. This will follow a similar format to the normal forum style where we provide you with a district council update, you request a speaker/topic and we also hold a virtual workshop with us splitting into smaller groups to discuss things in a bit more detail. If you and your councillors would be interested in attending and would like to request a topic, please let Claire Vaughan know at or tel: 01684 862449.

You can also keep up-to-date with all our public messaging by following our social media accounts or checking the coronavirus updates on our webpage

What is and isn’t allowed under the new rules

The Cabinet Office has provided a detailed FAQs list for people on what is and isn’t allowed following changes to the lockdown restrictions.

Track and Trace System

The Government has launched a new NHS Test and Trace service across England.

Anyone who tests positive for Coronavirus will be contacted within 24 hours by the NHS Test and Trace service via text, an email alert or a call and will be asked to share information about their recent interactions. This could include household members, people with whom they have been in direct contact or within 2 metres for more than 15 minutes. They will be given instructions on how to share details of people they’ve been in close, recent contact with and places they have visited, and will be asked to provide this information online via a secure website or over the phone with an NHS contact tracer.

Anyone identified to have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive for Coronavirus will be alerted by the NHS Test and Trace service via text or email. They will then need to log on to the NHS Test and Trace website. If this isn’t possible, a trained call handler will contact the identified person about what they need to do.

The Government has also expanded testing availability for children aged under five, to help support the phased opening of schools and childcare settings in England from 1 June.

All symptomatic individuals in England can now access a test if they need one.

Visit www.gov.uk/guidance/nhs-test-and-trace-how-it-works for more information.

Recovery plan for Malvern Hills District Council

Our recovery plan was approved at Executive Committee on 26 May. The plan sets out how the council will help its communities and economies recover from the Coronavirus pandemic, as well as how the organisation will get back on track. The approach to recovery is based on four pillars:

1. Our communities and the local economy
2. Resetting the business of the council
3. Recovery of the organisations
4. Councillors and democracy

Discretionary Grant funding

A grant from the Local Authority Discretionary Grants Fund is available for Malvern Hills businesses not eligible to receive either the cash grant for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses or the small business grant.

Guidance has been issued by the Government and the types of business that are expected to benefit from this new funding are:

• Businesses in shared offices or other flexible workspaces. Examples could include units in industrial parks, science parks and incubators which do not have their own business rates assessment
• Regular market traders with fixed building costs, such as rent, who do not have their own business rates assessment
• Bed & Breakfasts which pay Council Tax instead of business rates
• Charity properties in receipt of charitable business rates relief which would otherwise have been eligible for Small Business Rates Relief or Rural Rate Relief

We have put together a policy to help us distribute this money in the fairest way possible and to help us support as many businesses as possible. Unfortunately, the money will not be enough to help every single business that does not qualify for the two main grants.

Business should ensure they have read the guidance before completing the application form.

The application form is available here. The deadline for applications is 5pm on 26 June 2020. Payments will be made after the funding round closes.

Businesses occupying rated property that are eligible for the Small Business or Retail Hospitality and Leisure grants but have not applied are still able to apply via the MHDC website.

Covid-19 Memory Bank Project

Malvern Hills District Council has launched the Covid-19 Memory Bank Project.

The Covid-19 outbreak is undoubtedly a significant moment in human history and we are keen to capture information about what happened locally to inform future generations.

People are encouraged to send in messages of goodwill they have received from neighbours, rainbow pictures they have drawn, messages of thanks they have left for key workers, diary entries the may have made during lockdown, video blogs, pictures, video footage, poems, songs or artwork.

The subject can be anything from how people felt during this time to the way the community pulled together, the weekly clap for our carers event, response of key workers on the frontline and the challenges or joys of home schooling.

The information received will be used in a future art project or exhibition and then handed over to the archive at The Hive or locally for preservation.

You can find out more about the project and upload any contributions you may have our Covid-19 Memory Bank web page.

Guidance on social distancing in outdoor spaces

The Government has issued new guidance on what people can and cannot do outdoors following the easing of lockdown restrictions.

Guidance has also been issued to help owners of parks and public spaces help people to follow the rules on social distancing. You will find it at www.gov.uk/guidance/safer-public-places-urban-centres-and-green-spaces-covid-19

People Make Places Fund (Malvern Hills)

Helping our local economy and our communities to rebuild is important to our overall recovery plan for the district. As part of that plan, we want to get behind projects that have the support of the community and make a positive difference.

We have pre-selected some groups and organisations, including those signed up to the Good Neighbour Network, that we know are providing important services and support and would benefit from additional financial help. These groups will have access to our Spacehive crowdfunding platform to unlock and raise funds to continue their vital work.

The district is full of people with great ideas who come together to make things happen to support their communities. People Make Places Fund helps to connect those ideas that make a positive difference with supporters, to raise funds to make projects happen. You can find out more about the fund by emailing: . Details of local projects that are using the crowdfunding platform will be shared over the next month.

Funding support for community groups and charities

Each week we are adding new sources of funding support available to community groups and charities who are affected by the COVID-19 outbreak or who are working to support vulnerable people impacted by COVID-19.

Visit our support for community groups and charities page for more information. Please promote this support to relevant groups in your parish/town.

Here 2 Help reminder

A reminder that if you are aware of anyone who is vulnerable and in need to please make sure they fill in the form or call the number on the Here 2 Help website.

Pledge to help flood hit communities

Residents and businesses devastated by February’s severe flooding will be able to access help, advice and support at virtual roadshows.

Held by the National Flooding Forum, the roadshows in Malvern Hills will run on the following dates:

• River Severn and Powick – Friday 19 June River Severn and Powick – Monday 22 June
• Tenbury and Teme Valley – Friday 26 June

Anyone wanting to attend one of the virtual sessions needs to book a slot by calling the National Flood Forum on 01299 403101. Once interest has been registered, joining details for the online sessions will be provided. Click here for more information.

New training courses for clerks and councillors

Worcestershire CALC has just released a host of new training options for parish clerks and councillors. Visit www.worcscalc.org.uk/ to find out more.

Finally…

Did you see our Community Environmental Protection Officers Dan and Jude on Channel 5’s Filthy Britain SOS (formally known as ‘Grime and Punishment’) on Sunday evening? If not, then you can watch on catch-up and they also feature in the second episode on Sunday 7 June. It’s not all as filthy as the title would have you believe, with Dan and Jude demonstrating several of the tasks they regularly undertake to keep our streets clean including enforcement work and education.

Current Opening times;

Shop 

Monday – Friday 9am – 6pm

Saturday 9am – 4pm

Sunday 10am – 12pm

Post office hours as normal.

Abberley General Stores is still open during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I’m sure that most people are aware by now that we’re still open but I just wanted to clarify the current arrangements given the situation so you can best prepare yourself before you come in or in case you or loved ones need to use our delivery or collection service.

We have had in place for a few weeks now, a two in two out policy. This is to keep our customers and staff as safe as possible when shopping and working in store. We have quite a big floor space for a village shop so we feel we are all able to keep at least 2 metres away from each other at all times. For this reason it is preferred that you take ‘two in two out’ to mean two people shopping in store at any one time but if you need to shop with another member of the household because you can’t leave them in the car or at home then we will allow more than one person per household but please take extra care to keep your distance from other shoppers and be prepared to wait longer so we can let just your household in at once if myself or any member of staff feel this cannot be achieved.

If you would prefer to shop in-store alone, we are happy to accommodate this but please be aware that you may have to wait a little longer so that we can get the queue down first. If you ring the doorbell at the front of the shop then we will attend to you outside and you can explain this to us.

We occasionally have extra help to stock shelves or collect deliveries for us. These people are often volunteers but they are aware that they need to keep their distance from you and during these times we may feel it necessary to reduce the number of customers in at any one time or to lock the door altogether and serve you from outside, just whilst a safe distance is not achievable inside, this isn’t often very long.

Whilst waiting outside please remember to keep away from each other, many a time when I bring the chairs in from outside people have moved them right next to one another so they can have a good chat. The 2 metre advice is still relevant when out in the fresh air so please be careful and allow people to leave the store without being crowded.

Deliveries and collections;
We are operating a delivery and collection service for anyone who feels they need or want it. There are no ‘vulnerable’ criteria, we feel you are the best judge of your own safety and that of others.

Deliveries – This are made on Mondays and Thursdays.
To order to be delivered to on a Monday please order by Saturday 4pm at the latest.

To order to be delivered to on a Thursday please order by Tuesday 4pm at the latest.

This gives us time to order bread and fruit and veg etc fresh ready for your delivery.

Collections;
We can put orders up for you and these can be collected from shelving outside by the back kitchen double doors in the car park.
We prefer to keep the bulk of collections to Wednesdays and Fridays so we can organise staff around these busier periods, however, if you need to collect outside of these days please call us and we’ll try and help.

To place orders for delivery or collection please leave your orders on the answerphone on number 01299 896 620. We realise that you may not know what we have in stock / generally sell, especially if you are a new customer, but leave what you would ideally like on the answerphone and we will try and get items in even if we do not normally stock them or we will call you back with alternatives where available (if you have left a phone number). Please note, we can not call everyone back to confirm we have received their order but do not worry if you don’t hear from us until the day of your delivery or collection. We will get to you, do not worry, you will not be forgotten or missed. We realise it’s frightening stuck at home not knowing how you’re going to get supplies but we will be there. We often work late into the night and start early in the morning to get everything ready so just because the shop opening hours may have passed doesn’t mean you aren’t still in the system and we will get to you. If you are really concerned then you can always call us to speak to us in person using the 01299 896 000 number.

If you have symptoms;
Please do not enter the store. We understand that whilst people are told to self-isolate they can-not always get supplies delivered to them from supermarkets because of delivery wait times etc. If you ring the door bell on the front door I will come out and attend to you or we will happily put up collections or deliver to you if you phone in. We realise that symptoms do not always comply with delivery or collection days so please just call us on the 01299896000 number and explain and we will be happy to prioritise you so that you can keep yourself and others save by staying home. We have many vulnerable people shopping with us who we all need to try and keep safe and we ourselves are trying our best to keep our vulnerable loved ones at home safe by not bringing anything home. We can only achieve this by following these rules and we have delivered to many a family who have been self-isolating with symptoms, doing their bit to keep us all safe.

If the staff unknowingly contract this virus we like so many other key workers have the potential to spread it to others, this is why we wear masks and gloves all day, however uncomfortable and we serve you from behind the glass. If any staff develop any symptoms they will leave immediately and if we are not able to continue safely, in all likelihood we will probably have to close at least for a while. This would be a great shame as we have been able to reach so many people in these last few weeks and prevent them from having to leave their homes at all whilst still providing someone for them to talk to.

All of our staff at home or still working have had to make great sacrifices to keep the shop open. From those who have to stay home when they want to be in helping and working to those of us who just have to just wave to our parents through windows and keep to our rooms so we can try and keep everyone safe. Please respect this and do not enter with symptoms.

Lastly I’d like to say a massive thank you to our volunteers who, without them, we wouldn’t have been able to get to so many people or keep as stocked as we have. They have been our own little lifesavers and they are very much appreciated.

Also to our local suppliers, a massive thank you. We have been able to keep goods on the shelves that you may not have seen in the supermarket for some time. This is because our little local, often family run suppliers – who you have supported all year round by supporting us, have really come through for us all.
Mawley Town Farm – run by the Robinson family and their team have been absolutely amazing in keeping supply coming. Whilst Wiseman’s a national company, has reduced us to three days a week from six and who before this crisis began threatened to stop supply altogether despite driving past the door daily.
Also to Ashley’s Bakery – run by husband and wife team Estelle and Ashley, have been amazing. Never missing a delivery despite them both being out of action for sometime. Whereas Warburton’s a national supplier momentarily decided to stop supply altogether to us for at least two weeks at the start of the crisis but have since had a change of heart with intermittent supply going forward.

So many of our other suppliers too;
J Walsh – Tenbury Wells – paracetamol.
Cecil Hill – Hartlebury – Bread flour, yeast, pasta, chopped tomatoes.
Sue Coley – Abberley – reminding us all to keep calm and eat more cake.
Wenlock Edge
Wyre Pie – Far Forest,
Legges – Bromyard
Springfield free range chickens – Leominster
Our Meat suppliers from all over Worcestershire,
Hillhampton Honey,
Mill Orchard – Great Witley,
The breweries keeping us all sane whilst the pubs are shut – Cleobury, Wye Valley, Bewdley, Swan, Westons.
Bewdley Farm Shop,
They all deserve a mention for their tireless hard work.

Looking forwards to Drew’s tomatoes soon and Strawberries and Raspberries from Little Witley.

Samantha,

Abberley Village Stores