Join us for a festive quiz this Friday evening. BYO drinks and nibbles! Get in touch on contact@bellingdon.com asap for the Zoom link.
Festive Quiz: Friday 18th December at 8pm
Local interest
St John’s Bellingdon – Sunday Service 13th December 2020
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
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
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
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)
Gigabit Broadband Internet Access for rural* Bellingdon
Dear Resident,
The Government recently announced a fund of £5bn to subsidise the installation of Gigabit Broadband to Rural Communities.
This will hugely improve broadband speeds – up to 1 gigabit per second compared to the current 30-40 Mb per second – enabling improved working from home, and better streaming & downloading of music & films and other services.
Confused by all the letters and numbers? The main point is, its a lot faster. Its also not the same as “superfast broadband” or “fibre to cabinet” which most of us already have. This involves upgrading the individual connection to each and every house that signs up.
We are able to take advantage of this fund to pay for installation under the Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme (up to £1,500 per household installation).
Tony Orr (a Bellingdon resident) has been coordinating activities to date and recently asked home owners in Bellingdon (via the Cholesbury Grapevine, bellingdon.com website and BAACA monthly email) whether they wanted to sign up for the new service. Many of you did – thank you.
Please let us know if you’re interested by filling in this short form as soon as possible so we can gauge numbers.
What happens now?
The next step is that Openreach will send us a contract with all the addresses included in the project and costs. Once we’ve signed and sent back the contract, Openreach will transfer the addresses onto the voucher website portal.
At this point we will send you a link to the voucher portal website and each household will need to agree terms and request the voucher. Each household has to sign up for a 12-month minimum term to a service provider of their choosing.
Once Openreach have enough vouchers they will commence the rollout. Not everyone has to sign up but they haven’t told us what the minimum requirement is yet.
Questions?
Please drop us an email to contact@bellingdon.com and we will look to answer them. Some FAQs are provided below.
*****
FAQs
Q. What if we don’t want to take advantage of the current scheme?
A. There is no guarantee of future monies being available. If homes do not wish to take advantage they may have to pay directly in future if they (or future house owners) wish to take up the option. Currently Openreach are estimating a cost in excess of £1,000 per property for installation.
Q. Will this service add value to my property?
A. This cannot be guaranteed but bearing in mind the increase in internet demand (working from home, streaming music & films and other services) and that there is no guarantee of future government subsidy a Gigabit connection could be seen as positive selling point.
Q. How much will this commitment cost each property?
A. There is a requirement that each household will sign up for a 12-month minimum term to a service provider of their choosing. This might sound alarming, however the costs of gigabit fibre are comparable to the existing broadband they already have. For example, Vodafone are charging £21.50 a month for 35mb versus £25 a month for 100Mb, including line rental.
Q. Do I need to commit to more than 12 months?
A. No, each home is only asked to commit to a 12-month contract (with their chosen internet provider) After this time there is no need for further commitment.
Q. How many homes need to sign up to ensure the rollout?
A. We don’t know, Openreach don’t need 100% take up however they haven’t yet/won’t share what the minimum requirement is. We suspect that it would be in excess of 50% of the properties will be required to sign up before the rollout will commence.
Q. What about Asheridge?
A. Asheridge is covered by a separate project that will follow later.
*Q. Does this cover all homes in Bellingdon?
A. No, it only covers properties covered by the Rural Gigabit Voucher scheme i.e. those classified by Government / BT as rural. This covers properties from Savecroft Farm northwards to Bellingdon End Farm. Properties south of Savecroft Farm will have fibre provided by BT as part of the national roll out and will not have to apply for the rural scheme.
If you have any further questions please do let us know at contact@bellingdon.com and we’ll try to answer them.