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Hi all,
As this year has been rubbish for us all, we have decided to spread a little Christmas spirit!
We have been wrapping small Christmas presents to hang around the village, it’s not a lot but we hope it brings a smile to a few children’s faces.
Presents will be hidden from 10:00am on Saturday the 19th of December at 2 main places, the Rec and the Paddock and around the circuit of the village. We will also be hiding pictures of Santa’s 9 reindeers for your children to look out for.
This is a community gesture and something to look forward to in Upchurch over the next couple of weeks.
Our only ask is that you take just one wrapped present per child so everyone can participate and with Santa helping he is asking if you can leave an extra mince pie or carrot just for him on Christmas Eve.
All presents will be wrapped with COVID regulations in mind.
We ask for no payment but to take photos of when you found your present and share them using the hashtag #upchurchxmas
If your child is in isolation or for any reason and can’t leave their house, please message me with your address and we will organise a present to your door.
Thank you
Have fun x
Ella
Upchurch Parish Council will be holding the above meeting via Zoom on Thursday 3rd December 2020 at 7:30pm.
Virtual meetings are open to members of the public.
Anyone wishing to join should contact the Clerk for the login details, they will also be allowed to raise questions or comments to Councillors during public time.
Wendy Licence - Clerk to the Parish Council
Tel: 01622 739324
Flu vaccines for children
This year, two and three year olds, all primary school children, and children in school year 7 will be offered the flu vaccination on the NHS.
For most children the vaccine is a quick and easy spray up the nose, which is quick, painless and simple.
Dr Navin Kumta, Clinical Chair for NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group, said:
“It is important that parents make sure children are protected as they can easily spread the illness among their friends and family. Flu can be a very unpleasant illness in children causing fever, stuffy nose, dry cough, sore throat, aching muscles and joints, and extreme tiredness. This can last several days or more."
Have your say on improving dementia services
Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) is working with its partners and people living with dementia and their carers to develop a proposal for a new model of dementia care.
We are seeking the views of:
• People living with dementia and their carers so the proposal will be informed by the lived experience of people with dementia.
• Families and carers so we can better understand what the effect can be on their physical and mental health.
• NHS and social care staff, domiciliary carers, care home staff and voluntary organisations to understand how our health care system is working, and to help identify any gaps and improvements.
• The public about how to improve the quality of care provided for people living with dementia.
Share your cancer treatment experience
NHS England and NHS Improvement are funding research to understand how patients with cancer feel about the care and treatment they receive.
Picker, an independent healthcare research charity based in Oxford carrying out this research, is looking for people aged 16 or older, who had a cancer diagnosis and treatment from the NHS for cancer in the past six months, to take part in a phone or online interview.
If you are interested, find out more on Picker’s website, Email them or phone: 0800 1975 273.It's good to talk...
This month sees the launch of a new NHS campaign encouraging anyone suffering from anxiety, depression or other issues to come forward for assessment and treatment.
NHS talking therapies, also known as Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT), is a confidential service run by fully trained experts. People can access the service by contacting their GP or refer themselves online.
Claire Murdoch, NHS National Director for Mental Health, said:
“Whether you are a new mum, an older person or struggling with work, please speak to your GP or self-refer online so we can get you the mental health support you need."
To find out more about talking therapies, visit the NHS website: nhs.uk/talk
Read the full bulletin at: https://bit.ly/37v5cF5
NHS Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group
Upchurch’s Co-op is fundraising again for their chosen charity partner this year, MIND - the mental health and support charity.
Win a Christmas Stocking Sweetie Cake*
*All sweeties no actual cake.
Enter in store for £1 per raffle strip - Please ask a member of staff at the till.
The winner will be drawn on Friday the 18th of December.
Good luck 🤞🏼
Read more about MIND at: www.mind.org.uk
Thank you
Nik - Upchurch’s Co-op
Thank you so much, everyone.
I have 36 children to provide stockings for.
Thanks to your generosity, I can provide each child with a Christmas Stocking filled with small toys and treats, at least one larger present and a parcel of books.
I am also able to provide some pamper parcels for the parents who have had a really tough year.
The photo was taken after one carload of presents had already been delivered.
I can no longer accept any more donations as I have plenty now but I just wanted to thank you all for making such a difference to families this Christmas.
Thank you all again!
Cia Merrall
15 Forge Lane, Upchurch
Telephone: 07916 151299
Kent County Council is developing proposals to provide food vouchers to the families of children who are eligible to receive benefits-related Free School Meals ahead of the December school holidays.
The scheme would be part of a wider range of measures to help the lowest income households with food and fuel costs over winter.
Following on from the council’s half-term holiday food voucher scheme, families with children who are in receipt of benefits-related Free School Meals will receive vouchers to spend in supermarkets without the need to apply for them.
As part of the proposals, the council aims to have all vouchers distributed well in advance of schools breaking up for the festive period.
Leader of Kent County Council, Roger Gough said:
“No child should go hungry at any time of the year but Christmas can put additional financial pressure on families and make it even harder to afford the basics such as food.
“As the half-term voucher scheme was drawing to a close, colleagues and I were already looking towards the December holidays and discussing ways we could improve the offer even further to ensure the families of every child who receives benefits-related Free School Meals during term-time would benefit.
“The half-term scheme was launched, at very short notice, on the first day of the school holidays, after the Parliamentary debate on Free School Meals. The message about the dedicated webpage and helpline was widely shared, the uptake was good, and we distributed more than 20,000 vouchers. However, we have had more time to prepare for the December holidays and I am pleased to say the scheme we now have in place will allow all eligible families to receive their vouchers without having to fill out an application form or make a phone call.
“We hope that by providing these food vouchers we will be easing the pressure on some of Kent’s most vulnerable families at Christmastime, at the end of what has been an extremely difficult year for us all.”
The food voucher scheme would be funded by part of KCC’s £4.5m share of the Government’s £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme, which aims to help Local Authorities support children, families, and their most vulnerable residents over the winter.
Families will receive one £15 voucher per eligible child per week of the two-week December holiday, which can be spent online or instore at Asda or instore at Tesco. These are the UK’s two largest supermarket chains that have the biggest distribution of stores across Kent.
Any family that has not received a voucher by Wednesday, December 9th, and believes their children are eligible, should contact their school in the first instance.
The final proposals, covering the full £4.5m Covid Winter Grant Scheme, will be considered by the Leader of the Council as part of the usual Executive Decision-making process shortly. It is currently intended that over half of the £4.5m will be used to support the Free School Meals voucher scheme. Details of the additional schemes, which will help other residents including families with pre-school aged children, as well as families without children, are still being finalised and will be published as part of the formal decision. The Council continues to move at pace to plan and deliver support where it is most needed as quickly as possible.
KCC plans to launch a similar scheme to provide food vouchers for eligible families during the February half-term break and details will be available in the New Year.
Meanwhile, the Kent Together helpline and webpage remain open for anyone in the county who is struggling during the pandemic. Any Kent resident who requires support with accessing food, or who has any other urgent needs, can call 03000 41 92 92 or visit www.kent.gov.uk/kenttogether 24 hours a day.
Kent County Council
The
Government has announced that Swale, along with the rest of Kent and Medway, will be placed into Tier 3 - Very High, from Wednesday 2nd December.
Whilst falling, the number of cases in Swale remain among the highest in the country, and people are being urged to make sure they understand and stick to the new rules when they come in.
Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:
“With the number of cases we are seeing, we can’t be surprise to be placed in this highest tier, and it is now up to all of us to do all we can to get out of it.
"Our abiding priority has to be the health and safety of our residents, and that includes those with the covid infection but also others who might be at risk if our hospital are overcrowded.
“We need to make sure that when the national restrictions end on 2nd December we all know what we should be doing, and we do it.
“If we don’t, we will be stuck with the toughest restrictions for longer. More people will become ill, or much worse.
“The NHS is already under increasing pressure, and we need to try to make sure we don’t see other treatments being delayed or cancelled.
“Local businesses are also struggling, and jobs are at risk, so we absolutely must do everything we can to get the figures back under control.
“I am glad to see that the Government has promised to roll out mass testing for areas in tier 3 to help.
“As we have seen in Liverpool, this can make a massive difference to stopping the spread of this virus, so I look forward to hearing from them about when this will be rolled out locally.”
Swale Borough Counci
With over 160 pledges so far, gigabit broadband is now confirmed for Lower Halstow in 2021.
There is still time for Upchurch properties that share the Lower Halstow exchange, who are also eligible to pledge.
For all the latest news, head to: www.lowerhalstow.org where we have created a means of registering.
Thank you
John McGee
Thank you, Upchurch - we are going to need a bigger car!
Your generosity is amazing ♥️
I will be making one more collection for Swale Foodbank before Christmas in the bus stop lay-by opposite the Church on Wednesday the 16th of December between 10:30am and 11:30am.
I will also be collecting toys for The Salvation Army Christmas Present Appeal at the same location between 10:30am and 11:30am on Wednesday the 2nd and Saturday the 5th of December - more details here >> https://bit.ly/2J3Uf4A
Bless you, all.
Swale Foodbank is excited to launch their Christmas campaign which they are calling ‘Hampers Of Hope’
If you have been following Swale Foodbank for a while then you will know they run a Christmas campaign each year.
This year, like everything else, it will be a little different - but they are determined to still ensure as many people receive a hamper as possible.
However, there will be some differences to previous years:
Firstly, they will be accepting hampers throughout the whole month of December and will be delivering them throughout December too. This will ensure their volunteers can socially distance and still get the hampers to where they need to be.
Secondly, they are not asking for any restock hampers this year - if you would like to help them restock their shelves this Christmas, please leave all donations at their existing donation points in Asda and Sainsburys.
Thirdly, they need everyone to Email them to let them know you are making a hamper (or more than one!) so that they can offer you a drop off timeslot.
Please Email them at: info@swale.foodbank.org.uk with ‘Hampers Of Hope’ in the subject heading and giving your name and how many hampers you will be making.
Hamper Top tips
Do decorate your box - even the most boring looking box can look wonderful with a bit of wrapping paper, tinsel, tissue paper or ribbon!
Don't include any alcohol. They do not give alcohol out and will have to remove it before the hamper goes out for delivery.
Do include at least 20 Christmassy food items: candy canes, chocolate coins, boxes of biscuits, stuffing mix, gravy, cranberry sauce, pickled onions, trifle packs, selection boxes etc.
Don't include any fresh items that won’t last at least a week in a non-refrigerated environment. They cannot accept these.
Do feel free to include any small non-food items as well eg brand new hat/scarf/gloves, Christmassy stickers, small toys etc.
Do have fun making your hamper! The saying ‘It is better to give than receive’ is actually true!
Thank you
Swale Foodbank is part of the Trussell Trust.
William Little
Upchurch’s Co-op is fundraising again for their chosen charity partner this year, MIND - the mental health and support charity.
Win a Christmas Hamper
Enter in store for £1 per raffle strip.
Please ask a member of staff at the till to enter.
The winner will be drawn on Christmas Eve.
Good luck 🤞🏼
Read more about MIND at: www.mind.org.uk
Thank you
Sally - Upchurch’s Co-op
Give a gift and light up a life!
The Salvation Army believes every child deserves a new gift at Christmas (so they are unable to take used or second-hand items) and ask for donations with the following guidance:-
• 0-3 years: dolls, teddy bears, cot mobiles, baby clothes, bath toys, CDs of suitable music and nursery rhymes, puzzles.
• 3-5: dolls and action figures, cars, lorries, DVDs and CDs (music and nursery rhymes), colouring sets, pencils, crayons, books, puzzles.
• 5-9: educational games & toys, stationery (colouring sets, pencils, crayons, school sets), CDs & family-friendly DVDs, books, puzzles, wordsearch, crosswords.
• 9-12: games and toys, stationery, DVDs, books, t-shirts, hair accessories, gloves, scarves, hats.
• 13-16: books, make-up and toiletries (please try to ensure non-allergic ingredients if possible), gloves, scarves, hats, t-shirts, hair accessories and gift vouchers.
Over the years, millions of children and young people have benefited from gifts donated to The Salvation Army.
Collection will take place at the layby next to the bus stop in Horsham Lane, Upchurch between 10:30am and 11:30am on Wednesday the 2nd and Friday the 4th of December.
By giving a gift to the Christmas Present Appeal you can make a real difference in someone’s life this Christmas.
William Little
Councillor Roger Truelove.
An emergency meeting has taken place to help tackle the number of cases of coronavirus in Swale.
The meeting was called by Swale Borough Council in response to the recent rise in the number of cases in the borough, and included representatives from partner agencies such as Kent County Council, Kent Police, HM Prison Service and Public Health England.
Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:
“This was a valuable meeting where we were able to bring together a wide range of interested parties to discuss where we are and how we are going to improve the situation.
“We received the very latest figures from our public health colleagues, and these showed that whilst we do seem to be starting to see a fall in cases locally, they are clearly still too high.
“There are also worrying signs that the infection is growing among the over-60’s who are more vulnerable to this virus, and we are sadly starting to see the number of deaths increase.
“We also heard that Swale has the second highest level of testing in the county, which shows that the work we’ve been doing to encourage people with symptoms to get tested is getting through, and it will ultimately make a difference.
“We also had confirmation that only 12 per cent of cases in the last couple of weeks are related to care homes and prison settings, and that this isn’t a problem that is just on the Isle of Sheppey, but elsewhere across the borough.
“The overwhelming majority of cases are through community transmission. It’s spreading in residential settings, and through social activity and it only takes a small number of people to create the clusters of cases that are driving up our figures.
“This is why we needed to call the meeting, so we could be sure where we need to concentrate our resources to get the cases under control again.
“We will be getting in touch with local supermarkets to ask for them to be as vigilant as possible, and we will be carrying out work to make sure everyone involved understands the reasons why people might not feel able to follow the rules.
“Parents seen in supermarkets with children who should be isolating may not have any other childcare and can’t afford the minimum spend for a home delivery. People may be unwilling to get a test as they can’t afford to have time off work. These are issues we need to be able to identify so the relevant agencies can step in with the right support.
“Everyone is committed to making sure people understand the seriousness of the situation to people, and if we don’t follow the rules in place, we face a winter of further restrictions.”
The meeting was attended by officers from Kent County Council, Public Health England, Kent Police, HM Prison Service, the NHS, The Federation of Small Businesses, The Department for Work and Pensions, Optivo and Swale CVS.
Swale Borough Council
I am making Christmas stockings for families in need this Christmas.
So far I have just over 30 stockings to provide to families who have been affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.
The idea is to provide each child with a stocking ‘from Father Christmas’ stuffed with small toys and treats.
Lots of people have already very generously donated stocking fillers - thank you.
If anyone has any pre-loved but in very good condition toys or toddlers books, I would really appreciate them.
For some children, these will be the only gifts they receive this Christmas so I’d like to provide as many as possible.
Please get in touch.
Many thanks as always!
Cia Merrall
15 Forge Lane, Upchurch
Telephone: 07916 151299
Temporary Road Closures - 30th November - 1st December 2020
Kent County Council has made an order to temporarily prohibit through traffic on various roads in Swale from Monday 30th November 2020, with estimated completion by Tuesday 1st December 2020.
The following roads will be closed, as detailed below:
Breach Lane, Lower Halstow - 30th November 2020The road will be closed between the junctions with The Street and A2 Hartlip Hill, from 30th November 2020 for up to 1 day between the hours of 12:00 and 16:00.
The alternative route is via The Street, Forge Lane, Oak Lane, A2 London Road and Hartlip Hill.
The Street, Lower Halstow - 30th November 2020
The road will be closed between the junctions with Breach Lane and Hollywell Lane, from 30th November 2020 for up to 1 day between the hours of 08:00 and 12:00.
The alternative route is via Breach Lane and Hollywell Lane.
Spade Lane, Upchurch - 1st December 2020
The road will be closed between the junctions with A2 London Road and Meresborough Lane, from 1st December 2020 for up to 1 day between the hours of 08:00 and 12:00.
The alternative route is via A2 London Road, South Bush Lane and Meresborough Lane.
Wardwell Lane, Lower Halstow - 1st December 2020
The road will be closed between the junctions with School Lane and Vicarage Lane, from 1st December 2020 for up to 1 day between the hours of 12:00 and 16:00.
The alternative route is via School Lane, Boxted Lane, Breach Lane and School Lane.
Access for emergency service vehicles, pedestrians and residents will be maintained at all times during the closure, when it is safe to do so.
The closures are required for the safety of the public and workforce while street cleansing works are undertaken by Swale Borough Council.
For information regarding the closures, please contact Swale Borough Council on: 01795 417850, who will be able to assist with the scope of the works.
Kent County Council 24hr Contact Centre:
03000 418181 (9:00am - 5:00pm)
03000 419191 (5:00pm - 9:00am)
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
Swale Borough Council has called an emergency meeting of partner agencies to address the high number of cases of Coronavirus across the borough.
The council has invited senior representatives from partners such as Kent County Council, Kent Police, HM Prison Service, The Department for Work and Pensions and the local voluntary sector.
Cllr Roger Truelove, leader of the council, said:
“We have been working with partners for quite some time in response to the pandemic, but the recent rise in cases is a significant cause for concern.
“We are particularly concerned about compliance with the restrictions in place. I know most people and businesses are doing what they should, but it is frustrating to still see people not wearing face coverings or keeping their distance when they should.
“This kind of wilful disregard of the rules means we are more likely to have further restrictions imposed on us in December, which is hugely unfair for people and businesses who have been doing the right thing since March.
“I want to make sure we are all doing everything we can to address the situation and keep local people safe.
“This is not where we wanted to be, but this is a chance for us all to come together to make sure we are responding effectively, and reassure people that we are all doing all we can to stop the spread of this deadly virus.”
Swale Borough Council
Hi everyone,
I would like to thank you all for the wonderful support we have received on behalf of Swale Foodbank so far.
My husband Ron and I will be collecting again in the bus stop lay-by opposite the Church in Horsham Lane on Wednesday 25th November between 10:30am and 11:30am.
Please come along with your donations (in carrier bags would be helpful) and put them into our open car boot while we remain at a safe distance.
We will then deliver your donations to the Swale Foodbank Warehouse, part of the Trussell Trust.
Due to harvest donations last month they have plenty of Pasta, Rice, Beans, Spaghetti and Soup.
If you have some more shoe box items, I can take those too. Thank you.
My December pick up will be a week early on Wednesday 16th December.
All gifts of food and toiletries are welcome but they are in urgent need of:
Rice Pudding
Custard
Tinned Potatoes
Instant Mash
Shampoo
Conditioner
Nappies Sizes 3,4,5,6,7
Christmas Treats
Thank you for your generosity and care.
You really are a blessing for those who are struggling daily.
Please tell your friends and family.
Thank you
Gill Gay - Foodbank Co-ordinator
It will be necessary to close Wallbridge Lane, Upchurch from Monday 23rd November 2020 for up to 1 day.
The road will be closed at the junction of Horsham Lane and Upchurch Stables.
The alternative route is via Horsham Lane and Oak Lane.
This is to enable drainage cleansing works to be carried out by Kent County Council.
Kent County Council 24hr Contact Centre:
03000 418181 (9:00am - 5:00pm)
03000 419191 (5:00pm - 9:00am)
Kent County Council - Highways, Transportation & Waste
