Author: BAACA

Santa’s visit to Bellingdon & Asheridge tomorrow CANCELLED

~ BAACA

**Chief Medical Elf responsible for Santa Self Isolation Shock**

Unfortunately Santa has been in touch to let us know that he won’t be able to come around Bellingdon & Asheridge tomorrow afternoon as planned to see all the children. He’s having to self isolate for a few more days on the advice of the Chief Medical Elf to make sure he can deliver everyone’s presents safely when the time comes. (You can track him here on the night!)

As you can see below though, he’ll definitely still be able to deliver on Christmas Eve. Prime Minister Boris Johnson reassured us of that in late November, in response to a letter from Monti, an 8 year old from Cumbria.

Now as we all know, Covid has meant a lot of things have had to change this year, and it may be that Father Christmas won’t be able to deliver exactly what you have asked for, but he and his elves will do their best.

In the meantime, Santa has suggested that you enjoy this extra time with your family, go for lots of walks if the weather allows, play boardgames and maybe think of writing letters to elderly relatives or neighbours or to old peoples’ homes to help them not be lonely.

If mummy or daddy know of anyone who will be on their own now for Christmas in our villages, please ask them to contact Emma and we’ll see if we can help out at all.

Finally, Father Christmas was going to be raising money for some fantastic local charities. If anyone would like to still donate to these charities they can do so, or find out more, here.

Wishing you a very Merry Christmas,

Bellingdon & Asheridge Community Association

St John’s Bellingdon – Sunday Service 13th December 2020

~ BAACA

Dear all

It’s time to upload our the service for St John’s Bellingdon for Sunday 13th December onto YouTube.

This week our Psalm is Psalm 126 and the readings are 1 Thessalonians 5:16-24 and John 1: 6-8.19-28 and they are read by Fionnagh with me leading the intercessions.

It is on the Parish YouTube channel as usual – and this link should take you there

https://youtu.be/ZFFgENWk5Dg

As usual the service is available after 09.45 tomorrow when it goes public (and live)!

With prayers and best wishes to you all

Tim

Update from Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

~ BAACA

Dear Resident

It’s really heartening to see the pictures this week of the first people receiving their COVID-19 vaccines and I’ve got a short update below on how the vaccine is being rolled out in Buckinghamshire.

However, the main message of this update is to remind everyone that unfortunately, while the end is in sight, there is still a long way to go and as we move deeper into winter, it’s essential that we keep all playing our part in the collective responsibility of trying to keep the virus at bay.

We have already seen a concerning rise in cases again in Buckinghamshire following the lockdown and I don’t want to risk Buckinghamshire moving into tighter restrictions. We’ve seen cases go up from 117 per 100,000 people to 141 cases per 100,000 people in the space of a week. This is quite frankly moving in the wrong direction if we wish to move down to Tier 1. You can find the latest local data on the COVID dashboard on our website. It’s vital that as we all prepare for Christmas, we enjoy the festive season safely and keep following the rules.

You might also want to consider limiting your social contacts from this weekend to reduce your chances of having to self-isolate over Christmas – if you are self-isolating over Christmas it would mean you cannot be part of a Christmas bubble.

I know how hard it is and how desperate we all are for a return to a more normal existence, not least as we can see that on the horizon now, but we must keep going with strict adherence to social distancing, hand hygiene and mask-wearing if we are to avoid putting more pressure on an already very busy time for NHS services.

Please check out the extensive information, advice and guidance on the Government’s website and remember that at the moment, Buckinghamshire is under Tier 2 restrictions, so please make sure you’re familiar with the rules currently in place locally.

Vaccine update

Locally, the NHS will be starting to deliver the coronavirus vaccine in Buckinghamshire, in line with the government’s priority list of which people will get it first. If you’re expecting a vaccine, I know you will be keen to find out more but please don’t contact your doctor or the NHS to ask about it, as they will get in touch with you directly when it’s your turn. Supplies of the first vaccine to be authorised are limited, so please be patient.

There is more information about the COVID-19 vaccine on both the Government and the NHS websites, so please take time to click on these links and read through these pages if you want to find out more. We will keep you updated as plans for the vaccine programme progress here.

Helping Hand – how we’re helping vulnerable residents through Christmas

The pandemic has hit us all in different ways and life’s been especially tough for families who were already struggling to make ends meet. We are helping the most vulnerable families to put food on the table through the school holidays with our Helping Hand scheme which has launched this week.

Families already eligible for free school meals will be able to claim food vouchers across the Christmas holidays via schools, and many thanks to our schools for their hard work in helping us get the vouchers ready to go to families before the end of term.

We’ve also set up a Helping Hand helpline for anyone worried about food or warmth over the Christmas holidays. Please call 01296 531 151 or email helpinghands@buckinghamshire.gov.uk if you are struggling and need our help.

Bucks Business Grants

We’ve paid out almost £4m in grants to local businesses that have been badly hit by the coronavirus restrictions. We have helped almost 900 businesses with our Additional Restrictions Grant and nearly 2000 businesses with our Local Restrictions Grant. There is help out there for firms that have been affected by the four week national lockdown so please get in touch if you think you are eligible for this support.

The Additional Restrictions Grant scheme we are also running can help businesses from any sector that have seen their income drop by more than 30% as a result of coronavirus measures. It’s quick and easy to apply for both grants online via our website. Applications for the Additional Restrictions Grant close on Friday 18 December so please apply now if you haven’t done so already.

Don’t forget – if you’re on a low income and have been told by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate, but you cannot work from home, you may be eligible for a support payment. To find out more check these details on our website.

Staying safe at Christmas events

COVID safe Christmas events are planned in our town centres this year and I’m glad we are managing to strike a balance between getting out and supporting local businesses while having these safety measures in place. There’ll be free parking in some locations and car parks in our town centres in the run up to Christmas including Sat 12 and Sat 19 December. Please check the information on site at each parking location and please note, this won’t apply to every car park, so do look at the signage when you arrive.

More details will be posted on the Buckinghamshire Council website in the coming days so take a look online at locations and dates where you can park for free in the run up to Christmas.

There’s festive music from traditional bands, free film screenings, and other treats in store for Christmas shoppers in our main town centres – look out for the details in your local area.

Merry Clickmas! Please shop local

Our local businesses have had a really tough year so please take time to look beyond the well-known national websites this Christmas and see if any local firms can fulfil your gift-buying needs! Many Bucks businesses are also offering ‘click and collect’ services so please do shop local where you can and check out our Merry Clickmas webpage for more details.

Where to find information on how council services are running

Some of you have asked for up to date information on how services like leisure centres and libraries are currently running. The best way to find this out is by taking a look at our website and to follow our social media channels (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram).

It’s very hard for me to include everything everyone wants and needs to know in these emails so please do use these resources if you have any questions or queries.

Please stay safe, and remember to follow the rules when shopping local!

Martin Tett

Leader, Buckinghamshire Council

TVP: Warning To Vehicle Owners Following Increase In Catalytic Converter Thefts Across the Thames Valley

~ BAACA

Thames Valley Police is issuing a warning to motorists following an increasing number of thefts of catalytic converters.

Offenders are most commonly targeting parked Toyota Prius, Toyota Auris, Honda Jazz, Honda Civic, Honda CRVs and Lexus RX400 vehicles.

Officers are investigating the offences, many of which are believed to be linked.

Since the start of the year, there have been 1,210 offences reported to the force up to the end of November, with an increasing number of reports since August.

In many of the cases, offenders use car jacks to lift the vehicle and are able to remove the catalytic converter in a matter of minutes.

Detective Superintendent Jim Weems, Head of Intelligence, said: “We are taking these offences seriously and investigating in our efforts to identify and arrest offenders.

“It appears there are a number of factors contributing to the increase in the theft of catalytic converters from vehicles. Significantly, they contain precious metals, from which criminals are profiting.

“Not only does it cause distress and inconvenience, it is likely to cost victims to replace it and repair any damage to the vehicle.”

There are a number of steps you can take to try to protect your vehicle’s catalytic converter. Please speak to your vehicle’s manufacturer to establish what locks and guards are available.

If your catalytic converter is ‘bolt on,’ you can speak to a mechanic about having the bolts welded shut.

When parking in a car park and having to leave your vehicle unattended, try to park with the front of your car against a wall and avoid parking at the end of a row. This makes it harder for offenders to gain access.

When at home, if you can, park your vehicle in a locked garage or, if that is not possible, park in a busy well-lit area, as close to your property as possible. You can also consider installing a Thatcham-approved alarm to your vehicle, one that activates when the vehicle is lifted or tilted offers effective protection. You can also mark your catalytic converter with a forensic marker.

Det Supt Weems added: “You may see what appears to be people carrying out repairs or work to a car but please look closely and report any suspicious activity to us immediately. Within moments, the catalytic converter may be gone. If you see such a crime in progress, please call 999 immediately.”

Anyone with any information about catalytic converter thefts should call the non-emergency number 101 or make a report on our website.

Message Sent By
Hannah Jones (Police, Communications Officer, Thames Valley)