Wellbeing in Partnership

Information on support available for Bromsgrove and Redditch residents through the Covid-19 pandemic

REMINDER – The Local Community Responses aimed at supporting residents through the Covid-19 pandemic 

Further Information on the local community responses aimed at supporting residents through the Covid-19 pandemic is attached with basic contact details listed below.  Please help ensure all local residents are aware so everyone is directed to and receives the support they need during this time:

• Support Bromsgrove – www.supportbromsgrove.com – Tel: (24 hr answerphone) 01527 306490 or Email: 
• Redditch East Stronger Together (REST) – Tel: 01527 919869
• Support Redditch Emergency Network (SREN) – Tel: 01527 359008 or Email: 
• Here2Help Worcestershire – www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help – Tel: 01905 768053

Public Health Worcestershire – latest COVID data and messages

• Real Time Worcestershire Coronavirus Data – is publicly available.  The live dashboard shows the numbers of new cases Worcestershire wide and also by District.  Further information about COVID-19 cases in Worcestershire can be found through the LG inform data website.  There are also interactive maps covering all of the UK can be found on the gov.uk website.

 

• As with the rest of the country, Worcestershire is now under national lockdown – Please see the Worcestershire Public Health pages – for any local messages in relation to the forthcoming lockdown and for further local advice.  The pages can be accessed here – www.worcestershire.gov.uk/coronavirus and information can also be found at www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/coronavirus and www.redditchbc.gov.uk/coronavirus.

 

• Coronavirus figures are rising rapidly amongst young people and young adults – please, if you work with young people especially those in the 17-18 year old age range or young adults aged 20+ could you keep reinforcing the key messages of staying home and hands, face and space.  Figures in Worcestershire including Redditch and Bromsgrove show that infections in these age groups are rising rapidly. If you have any concerns that young people are meeting up on a regular basis in particular places, please could you let Worcestershire Regulatory Services (phone 01905 822799 or email ) know so they can deploy their resources to tackle any breaches.

Service / Support – Information Updates

• *REMINDER* COVID Winter Warmer / Fuel Voucher Scheme – vulnerable households who are struggling to pay their fuel bills due to loss of income or increased fuel use are being encouraged to make use of this new scheme being administered by Act On Energy. The scheme supports people by writing debt write off (up to £250) to those who are unable to pay their fuel bill and have been in debt with their energy supplier for the last six months and are unable to set up a debt payment plan with their supplier.  Other assistance is also available – please see the attached flyer for more details.

 

• Social Prescribing in Bromsgrove – In case you missed it, the contract between Bromsgrove Primary Care Network (PCN) and Bromsgrove District Council is now in place!  To avoid further delays, the decision was taken earlier in the year to go ahead with recruitment ahead of contract signoff which means two social prescribers have already been appointed and have now commenced – Jenny Murray and Antonia Whitlock – and are part of Council’s Community Services team.  Please be aware that initially, referrals to social prescribers will be made via GPs/Primary Care health professionals only, however, further information will be circulated to partners in due course.  It is vital that the social prescribers understand all local provision on offer so no doubt they will be in touch with many of you directly.  To assist with making those connections with different local agencies, they have been invited to attend the next Bromsgrove Partnership’s Community Wellbeing Theme Group on 21 January 2021 to provide an update on the service and answer any of your questions.

 

• Age UK Bromsgrove, Redditch and Wyre Forest – following the latest lockdown announcement, Age UK BRWF is continuing to operate core services (including its Information & Advice, At Home and Befriending services) should anybody become aware of older members of our communities needing help and support. For more information, please see   https://www.ageuk.org.uk/brwf/about-us/news/articles/2021/coronavirus—update-from-age-uk-brwf-5th-january-2021

 

• Barnardo’s Beacon Project – please see the attached flyer which sets out information about the recently launched service to support victims and survivors of child sexual abuse across the wider West Midlands area.

 

• DIAL Services now available in North Worcestershire – please follow link to website for details www.dialinworcestershire.org.uk

 

• Lateral Flow Testing Sites Needed – Public Health is urgently looking for places where we could undertake rapid result Lateral Flow Testing of asymptomatic people.  In order for them to be able to do this they need your help.  Please could you inform them if you have any indoor space available such as a community centre, village hall or sports hall, that could be used to support our extended testing programme.  In order to enable the testing teams to use the indoor space it needs to: have toilets; be accessible to wheelchair users; have heating; have parking or be near facilities where parking is available and be available for use until the end of March 2021.  If you think you have a space that might be suitable please let our logistics team know on : 

Funding

• *New* Covid Winter Grant Funding Available – More funding has been made available by Central Government (via DWP) for organisations to provide food, energy and water bills for vulnerable households who may be struggling.  BARN is running a grants scheme to distribute this funding on behalf of the Worcestershire County Council.  There is a separate scheme for Bromsgrove and Redditch and there are two pots which can be applied for – one for children and families and one for single people and families without children. The amounts on offer vary between each area and for each pot so please read the guidance carefully before you apply.  Funding and delivery of projects must have taken place by 31^st March 2021.  The application window is from Friday 8^th January to midday Monday 25^th January but applications will be assessed as they come in and funding will be allocated throughout this window, so it is advised to get your application in as quickly as possible.  For more information and the application forms please visit  https://barn.org.uk/funding/covid-winter-grants-scheme/

 

• *REMINDER*Worcestershire Community Foundation Covid-19 Response Fund – This grant programme aims to support local activities that are helping communities affected by the Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak. It will offer local charitable and community organisations emergency funding to support emerging challenges faced within local communities as a result of the continuing threat of Coronavirus. Subject to available funds, the initial focus is on providing emergency grants to coordinated volunteer programmes, and those picking up extra demand such as foodbanks, counselling services, advice organisations and befriending services, who will play a key role in helping the most vulnerable people in our communities who have been impacted as a result of the virus.  Currently the maximum grant size is £5,000, but many applications will be for less than this.  Deadline for this grant round is 11th January 2021.   For more information email  or see the attachment to this email.

 

• Culture Recovery Fund – This fund has reopened for any organisations wishing to bid for large amounts of funding for cultural activities which can help them recover from the impact of Covid-19.  The links for more information are: Culture Recovery Fund: Grants Second Round: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/funding/culture-recovery-fund-grants-second-round?fbclid=IwAR2s5myV8AVnOslWjwJCcWxQYgolK8UqWT0vfYzmq9bNsrSDBv4dC9yrvB8#section-4 and Culture Recovery Fund for Heritage: Second Round: https://www.heritagefund.org.uk/funding/culture-recovery-fund-heritage-second-round.  Bids have to be in by 26^th January.

 

Awards

• Tryangle Awards 2021 – The Tryangle Awards, organised by Worcestershire charity, Young Solutions, celebrate the efforts and achievements of young people. The awards are now in their sixteenth year. The Tryangle Awards particularly welcomes nominations for young people aged 11 – 19 (or up to 24 years with a disability) who have had to overcome personal, health or other difficulties.  For full details about the Tryangle Awards please visit www.youngsolutions.org.uk/tryangle-awards Nominations close at 5pm on Sunday 21st February 2021.

 Finally…

As you will all be aware, Government Guidance including new guidance for the latest lockdown can be found at Gov.uk/coronavirus.  From a Worcestershire perspective, for your information, here is a link to the Worcestershire Coronavirus Outbreak Control Plan too.

We hope you find some of the information above helpful.  Please let us know if you would like any information put into these bulletins by emailing us at  .  We are currently sending out bulletins fortnightly.

Best wishes,

Della McCarthy & Helen Broughton

Bromsgrove Partnership / Redditch Partnership

Email: