Covid-19 Update

With reference to the current situation in relation to Covid-19 and the impact upon our Parish.

The Parish Council will lead a co-ordinated approach to provide a community support system for all Parishioners.

Purpose – To ensure no-one in the village is left unsupported during the Covid 19 epidemic.
Focus – Anyone living / staying in Ridlington parish. Coordination – Scheme coordinated by the parish council but operated by volunteers.

General approach – An active approach in which volunteers call on neighbours either electronically, by telephone or shout over the garden wall if necessary to actively seek ways to give them support.

The volunteer Street Reps to communicate together through a “WhatsApp” group.

By communicating on the WhatsApp group, problems can be resolved by the volunteers working together. If this App was open to all residents who owned a smart phone it may become bogged down by hearsay and triviality that is not needed. The Parish council will receive updates from Rutland County Council on a daily basis. This information can be sent to volunteers for communicating to neighbours.

Suggested areas to seek ‘street reps’;

  • Holygate Road = 14 households
  • West Lane / upper Main St, to no.15 = 10 households Church Lane / middle Main St = 12 households
  • Lower Main St, no.27 to no.41 = 9 households
  • East Lane = 8 households
  • Hannah’s Field = 11 households
  • The Green, Noel Lane, Top Rd = 11 households
  • Outlying lodges (Bancroft, Dalbys, Rowells, Nooks) = 4 households

I am looking for volunteers for each area as described above, more than one volunteer is beneficial in sharing the work load and for discussing resolutions to problems.

If you would like to help your neighbours and are suitably healthy at this time, please send your smart phone number to me, Dave johnson on david.ridders@gmail.com. or 07595955561 my personal number.

I will set up a WhatsApp group and add you to it. If you don’t have a smart phone, send your email address. If you don’t have any digital platform to communicate it will potentially be difficult to share information with you as we will shortly be in isolation and refraining from direct person to person contact. There is of course telephone use, but this could be time consuming, someone ringing round and I don’t want one person to be encumbered.

The format of this initiative will evolve as it is used and problems resolved. Its not perfect, but its a start.
We have a number of volunteers already, which is excellent. We have the ear of two residents who are busy paramedics. We have the local Baines bakery owners who are willing to satisfy orders.
I don’t have to tell you that the situation will worsen, so by starting now we can develop a dynamic and effective system to respond to the epidemic as it evolves.
The current information from Rutland County Council to the Parish Council is that

  • There are no tested, confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Rutland at present. There are numerous cases of residents self –isolating.
  • Rutland County Council have activated their emergency plan and are scaling down non-essential services to concentrate on priority services and the most vulnerable.
  • RCC website is the best place to obtain the most up to date information.
  • The castle and museum are closed and the library will likely follow shortly.
  • RCC will hold weekly conference calls with Parishes and issue daily briefings.
  • A register of volunteer groups within Parishes is being collated

The registering of Voluntary groups will allow resources from a County Council level, if such assistance is needed. I will be in contact with Rutland Council on a daily basis and will pass on relevant information.
Contact me if you are able to help.
Thank you.

Dave Johnson
Chairman Ridlington Parish Council.

 

For the latest information from the NHS https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/