Everyone in Lyonshall parish is invited to take part in this virtual walk through December. The amount of steps you walk each week should be recorded and sent to Jane Burgoyne at jeb@nashsoak.plus.com or phone: 340272 or sent to the WhatsApp group 'Lyonshall 6,000,000 Steps'. We are hoping that you will join this group and tell us where you have walked and send photos. You can register with Marie Hussey on 07757 813891. Jane will keep a regular update in the Church porch which will be a focal point for the end of the walk and where there will also be a map showing where in the world we are!

Please join in and make it a real community effort. If you walk as a family, everyone's steps can be counted and thus the distance will really mount up! We can't do much together at the present time and we hope that this will get us all talking together and create some Lyonshall 'camaraderie' even if we can't walk together as a group.

For more information please follow this link to a new page dedicated to this venture where you can also download a copy of the sponsor form.

Lyonshall Parish Council invites

Tenders for Mowing 2021

Amenity grass areas in Lyonshall Parish

to undertake specific mowing duties within the parish from 1^st March—31st October

Applicants should be self-employed, able to provide their own transport and qualified to use any relevant tools and equipment.  In addition, they should carry public liability insurance with minimum limit of indemnity of £5 million.

Job specifications and information from the clerk.    

Written tenders should be sent to the parish clerk, Rebecca Bissell, lyonshallparishclerk@gmail.com or

Firbanks, Lyonshall, Kington, HR5 3LN, by noon on 31st January 2021.  

Pop Up Pizza this Saturday - Cancelled

Flooding affected much of Herefordshire in October 2019 and February 2020, causing damage to homes, businesses and infrastructure. Herefordshire Council is gathering information from everyone affected to help inform future flood risk management activities in the county. To support this, the Council is asking anyone affected by the flooding to complete our survey. We would be grateful for any comments by 10 December 2020. A consolidated summary of the findings of the survey will be published on our flooding web pages next year.

Complete flood survey 

For more information on flooding, see Herefordshire Council webpages

A mobile Covid-19 testing centre for north Herefordshire is now operating on the Broad Street Car Park in Leominster. The unit opened will offer tests from 10.30am until 3.30pm each day and will be in place for the foreseeable future. It is being provided by the regional NHS test and trace team.

Anyone experiencing symptoms of Covid-19 – a high temperature, persistent cough, loss or change in sense of taste or smell – should immediately book a test by ringing NHS 119 or visiting www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test. They should self-isolate (not leave their home) while waiting for their test and until they have the result. Anyone who cannot get to a test centre can order a home test kit.

Who can get a free test

You can only get a free NHS test if at least one of the following applies:

• you have a high temperature
• you have a new, continuous cough
• you've lost your sense of smell or taste or it's changed
• you've been asked to by a local council
• you're taking part in a government pilot project

You can also get a test for someone you live with if they have symptoms.

All the latest observations from our dedicated spotters are now available on the October Newsletter here.

A thank you to Herefordshire residents for following the Covid-19 rules is available through this link

An open letter from Herefordshire Council and local health partners

Keep Herefordshire Warm

As winter’s cold weather starts to bite, we all need to stay warm and healthy in our homes. For many families, higher energy bills and keeping warm is going to be a struggle in the coming months. Keep Herefordshire Warm are pleased to offer a series of short webinars aimed at helping you to support struggling families this winter.

The webinars are free and last 20 minutes with a Q&A session at the end.  You can register for each session by simply clicking through to the Eventbrite link below each topic.

They cover a range of relevant topics; 

• Health in a cold home and COVID19

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/health-in-a-cold-home-and-covid19-tickets-128386536587    

• When should you be concerned about energy welfare?- signs to look out for.

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/when-should-you-be-concerned-about-energy-welfare-tickets-128389110285 

• How can we save money on home energy this winter?

 www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/how-can-we-save-money-and-energy-on-home-energy-this-winter-tickets-128389657923

• What Funding is available for improving your home?

www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/what-funding-is-available-for-improving-your-home-tickets-128390598737 

Early Help Hub

Herefordshire Council’s Early Help Hub offers a confidential support service to Herefordshire families with children aged 0 to 19 years. 

The Early Help team can provide families and professionals (working with families) with advice and guidance to support them through the difficult times and help them to get back on track.

Difficulties could include:

• Family relationships

• Challenging behaviours

• Domestic abuse

• Housing issues

• Struggling with finances

• Emotional and mental health

• Safety in the community

• Substance abuse

The Early Help Hub team are available on 01432 260261 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday, closed on bank holidays) or email earlyhelpcontacts@herefordshire.gov.uk

To find out more about the Early Help service visit: www.herefordshire.gov.uk/earlyhelp

For information about local support services for families, visit the WISH website www.wisherefordshire.org

There will be a short Act of Remembrance held outside Lyonshall Church at 11.00 am on Sunday, November 8th. Two minutes silence will be observed and the roll of honour read out.

Please come and join us. Social distancing must be observed.

Herefordshire Council’s language service, Herefordshire Language Network, is offering training for potential interpreters and the application process is now open. 

For the first time, this unaccredited ‘foundation training’ course will be delivered remotely by video, over a number of sessions.  Dates will be decided once participants have been selected, but it will run throughout January and February 2021. 

The training is an excellent starting point for anyone who has ever considered interpreting.  Once you’ve completed the training, it could lead to paid work in the county.  

Anyone interested in applying will need a very high level of fluency in English and any other language.  We welcome all languages, but at the moment the network is particularly keen to hear from speakers of Kurdish, Pashto, Vietnamese, Turkish and Lithuanian.  British Sign Language (BSL) is also welcome. 

Since 2009, the council has trained over 200 people in interpreting and translation skills, which allows them to work for the Herefordshire Language Network.  The network currently manages around 250 assignments every month for public services and voluntary organisations. 

The deadline for applications is Monday 7 December, and the fee is just £30.  To find out more about the criteria for applying, and to download an application form, please visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/language, or call 01432 260216.

Helpful links to Herefordshire Council information websites

• Coronavirus section on the Herefordshire Council website
• Wellbeing, Information and Signposting for Herefordshire WISH website includes: Coronavirus: National information and guidance  Coronavirus: Local community information  Coronavirus: Stay at home exercises and activities
• Join Herefordshire Council for updates on Facebook and Twitter - @hfdscouncil      Keep up to date with news

Small Business Recovery Grant launched by Marches Local Enterprise Partnership.

A new grant scheme been launched to help small businesses who have suffered from the pandemic across Herefordshire.

Grants of between £1,000 and £3,000 are available through the Marches Small Business Recovery Grant, which will help both tourism businesses and those in the wider economy.

Only small businesses with up to ten full-time employees and who can demonstrate a negative impact due to the coronavirus crisis are able to apply.

The grants will be available for projects running between November and January. Costs can cover specialist advice – including HR, accountancy, legal, financial, health and safety, IT/digital and sector-related consultancy – and/or equipment to address immediate needs in response to Covid-19.

The Marches Local Enterprise Partnership region has been allocated £215,000 to support tourism businesses and £415,000 for businesses in other sectors through the European Regional Development Fund.

Applications will open on Wednesday 14 October at 9am so please take the opportunity to review the information provided on the dedicated website www.marches-sbrg.co.uk around eligibility and what’s needed in order to prepare and make a successful application.

Wow! Thanks Julia and contributors for a 10 page bumper issue for the September Country Diary. Access it here and enjoy.

Lyonshall Parish Council has REOPENED the playground after considering its responsibilities for safety and the current risks involved.

For this to happen all users will take full responsibility for themselves whilst using the playground— Please read and stick to these rules and guidelines as advertised in the playground.

• Parental guidance at all times
• Maintaining social distancing
• Sanitise/wash your hands before and after using the play equipment
• Don’t touch your face after touching any of the surfaces
• Do not take or eat food or drink in the playground
• Take all your litter home with you

Whilst all possible practical measures have been put in place to ensure safety, scientific advice suggests that the COVID-19 virus can survive for up to several days on some hard surfaces. The risks are reduced when outdoors, where surfaces may be subject to UV light and/or rain.

Connexus Housing Association currently have a 2 Bedroom house for rent in Fishpools.

Lyonshall Parish Council housing allocation policy priority is for local persons with a connection to Lyonshall.

If you or anyone you know with a local connection to Lyonshall would be interested renting the property please note it is now available on Homepoint for bids until Wednesday 23rd September - So quick action is required!

Any queries please contact Connexus Customer Service - 03332 31 32 33

All the latest sightings for August are here. Thanks to the many contributors.

There is a recent emergence in scams targeting the elderly with several incidents reported to the police in the last few days.

• Information on be scam aware on Herefordshire Council’s website is here
• Additional information is on the WISH website, and
• Scam Alert | Police are receiving multiple calls about a Police officer saying they are from the metropolitan police asking for fraudulent money to be handed over. This is a scam, Police will never ask you to hand over money. Please make elderly friends and relatives aware.
• 

Julia and our local spotters have been busy producing the July edition of the Lyonshall Country Diary. Click here.

Help control the virus

To protect yourself and others, when you leave home you must:

• wash hands - keep washing your hands regularly
• cover face - wear a face covering over your nose and mouth in enclosed spaces on public transport and in shops
• make space - stay at least a metre away from people not in your household

If you are feeling unwell, call 111, get a test and do not leave home for at least 10 days.

Herefordshire Council website offers local information and support available https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/info/200250/coronavirus

LATEST INFORMATION ON COVID 19

Government announces easing of lockdown measures to be postponed

The Government has today announced that further easing of coronavirus restrictions in England - due to come in this weekend - has been postponed for at least two weeks.

That means venues such as casinos, bowling alleys, and skating rinks must remain closed until 15 August.Indoor performances will also not resume, pilots of larger gatherings in sports venues and conference centres will not take place, and wedding receptions of up to 30 people will not be permitted.

Face coverings will be also be mandatory in more indoor settings, such as cinemas, and people attending places of worship will also be among those required to wear face coverings. Rules for face coverings will become enforceable in law from 8 August.

Changes to shielding

The guidance for ‘shielding’ patients will change from tomorrow, Saturday 1 August.

The key changes are:

• the government will no longer be advising people to shield
• support from the National Shielding Service of free food parcels, medicine deliveries and care will stop
• NHS Volunteer Responders will carry on delivering the food you buy, prescriptions and essential items where needed
• you will still be eligible for priority supermarket slots (if you have registered by 17 July)
• you can go to work, as long as the workplace is COVID-secure – but carry on working from home if you can
• children who are clinically extremely vulnerable can go back to school (when the rest of their class goes back)
• you can go outside to buy food, to places of worship and for exercise – keeping 2 metres away wherever possible

For all the latest guidance on the changes and help available, please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

Extension of self-isolation period

The UK Chief Medical Officers as of 30 July made a statement confirming that the self-isolation period has been extended from 7 to 10 days for those who have coronavirus symptoms or a positive test result.

Read the new guidelines at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/statement-from-the-uk-chief-medical-officers-on-extension-of-self-isolation-period-30-july-2020

NHS Test and Trace launches campaign

NHS Test and Trace have this week launched a new campaign to encourage everyone to get a free test as soon as they develop symptoms, alongside a new business plan to expand testing capacity and prepare the nation for winter.

The campaign will encourage people to get a free test as soon as they develop mild symptoms and will make them aware of the need to respond to the service if contacted.

The number of tests given to people without symptoms will increase to 150,000 per day by September, with testing capacity to double to 500,000 with more than 500 testing sites by October.

More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/nhs-test-and-trace-launches-campaign-to-encourage-everyone-with-symptoms-to-get-a-free-test

Another month with lots of information and sightings from our wildlife spotters. Thanks to all of you who contribute. This time there is an information sheet on Lyonshall bogs and marshes. Click here

You will find the May Country Diary with Bonus documents of the answers to the Tree Flower and Blossom Quiz and a Bird Lifespan Chart on this link.

Warmer homes Herefordshire Council is working with E.ON to help people across the county improve the heating of their homes by installing free first-time gas central heating systems in around 300 eligible residents’ homes. 

The project follows a successful funding bid by the Council to the £150 million Warm Homes Fund, established by National Grid, and administered by community interest company Affordable Warmth Solutions. 

Eligible households not connected to mains gas and currently relying on inefficient ways of heating their homes, for example electric storage or panel heaters, could be eligible for the measures, which are part of the Warmer Homes Herefordshire scheme. Subject to eligibility, where there is no existing gas supply to the property, a new gas network connection will also be provided by Affordable Warmth Solutions, usually at no cost. Still funded by Affordable Warmth Solutions, eligible properties (must be without existing central heating, unless the existing system uses solid fuel). Under this rural programme they would be able to support the installation of heating systems– e.g. LPG Gas, or Renewable heating (e.g. heat pumps or biomass systems).

For the full eligibility criteria and to apply, they would encourage any residents to call Keep Herefordshire Warm on 0800 677 1432 or email khw@severnwye.org.uk and take a look at: https://keepherefordshirewarm.co.uk/

WISH Herefordshire is a useful source of information, including local food stores / deliveries and virtual exercises and activities to do at home. Work is undertaken to keep this information up to date and relevant. If you know of any changes or additional services please could you ask they register them with WISH. A lot has been added to this site in light of Covid 19 and any help you can give to promote WISH locally, as a community resource, would be greatly appreciated.

Julia Evans and all the contributors have done us proud with an abundance of wildlife sitings and information for the April Country Diary which can be accessed here.

In addition, there is a quiz of tree blossoms and flowers seen in Lyonshall to keep you amused. Click here.

Hope you enjoy this lockdown entertainment. Thanks to Julia and all the spotters, please keep your sitings coming in. The diary appears each month on the Country Diary page.

Leominster Food bank offer support to those who meet the criteria for food parcels.

A short briefing note is attached which explains how someone gets referred and how it works. 

Please read the attached document HERE to see how to find out if you qualify. 

Contact Details: Food bank mobile is 07715410575 and email address is leominsterfoodbank@gmail.com

If you walk the Parish Footpaths for your daily exercise please stick the the public footpaths.

Keep your dog on a lead and pick up it's poop and take it home with you please!!

Please click for the  Definitive Footpath Map  and just enter your postcode.

Link to letter from Herefordshire Council Chief executive Alistair Neill - HERE

Stop Loan Sharks Helpline Information

In these difficult times its important to ensure you know who you are lending money from.

The Stop Loan Sharks helpline is available to all and full details can be found by following this LINK

Message for all Parishioners in Lyonshall Parish.

Here to Help!

Thank you to all those who have registered on the website and returned your information slips over the last week, this information is helping to identify possible volunteers and vulnerable people, so if you haven’t sent yours in yet please do to lyonshallparishclerk@gmail.com or post to the address on the letter.

You should have by now received a letter from Herefordshire Council in response to the Covid 19 outbreak providing simple steps to take and support contact details.

You can call the support line on 01432 260027 or email talkcommunitycovidresponse@herefordshire.gov.uk

Over the coming weeks it is important our community looks out of each other, please think about your neighbours or elderly people nearby, give them a quick phone call to check all is well and please offer help if you can.

If you are or know someone in need of help, Cllr Rod Bevan is organising coordinators and volunteers to call on for essential supplies, prescriptions and wellbeing contact.

Contact Rod Bevan rodneyjbevan@gmail.com or Tel 01544340347 between 9am and 5pm.

There is also a Facebook page and Whats app Next end/Rhyse lane/Whittern group and a Village Whats App group 

If you are able to volunteer you please let us know lyonshallparishclerk@gmail.com or help in the wider county please contact www.herefordshire.gov.uk/covid19help

There are some local business offering home delivery. Here are some but by all means not all. If you know of any others please let us know and we will update the list.

Lyonshall Garden Centre – For your gardening needs – 01544340214

Townsend Farm Shop – https://www.thewhatmeatcompany.co.uk or Call 01544388527

The Steppes – deliveries from the shop - 01544388506

Red Lion for Takeaway -  01544388007

Bells in Almeley – 01544327216 – email – thebellsinnalmeley.com

Helpful Links

NHS – Information on Symptoms

Herefordshire Council – Information

Gov.uk – Masses of information for all areas

Please remember there are scam operating on all platforms.

•          Do not give your bank details to anyone claiming to help you. Never give your PIN number to anyone either.
•          Do not click through on emails or other message links  - visit their webpage instead
•          Do not sign contracts with third parties who claim to be acting on behalf of the Council.

Link to information from Herefordshire Council for Businesses

WISH is a Herefordshire based resource where you can find help and support in the County.

https://www.wisherefordshire.org 

A new section has been added to this website 'Coronavirus  Update' which will contain general information relating to the epidemic and more specifically details of the support and help available locally.  It has details of the most recent, more strict, restrictions which will have an impact on the lives of everyone and underlines the need to communicate as much as possible and seek help when it is needed.

Please note Lyonshall Playground is CLOSED until further notice.

An open Facebook group 'Lyonshall Herefordshire' has been formed in response to the current need for social distancing and limits on many activities.  The intention is to offer support our local community with practical assistance with dog walking, shopping etc.  Facebook users just have to search for 'Lyonshall Herefordshire' and apply to join the group.

Herefordshire council’s Economic Development Team delivers a service called the Marches Growth Hub Herefordshire.  This online service offers FREE support services for all local businesses.  There are a number of government supported initiatives that can potentially help businesses through this unprecedented time of uncertainty. 

If you are a business wishing to have further information on Covid-19 then the details of the local support are available on the Marches Growth Hub Website - https://www.marchesgrowthhub.co.uk/advice-and-support/coronavirus-information-for-businesses/  Alternatively if you wish to discuss with a member of the Economic Development team please contact01432 261758 or 01432 383633 or business@herefordshire.gov.uk 

www.gov.uk/coronavirus

The Country Diary page has all the latest updates including a paper on Lyonshall wetlands. Check it out here.

Many apologies for the lateness of this bulletin. Where does the time go? All the August news available here. The next one will be along soon.

All the latest news on Lyonshall wildlife now available. There is an additional item about the danger to our native oaks in the information section. Click here.

The April update on Lyonshall Country Diary is now available on this link.

All the latest news from the Lyonshall wildlife watchers are available on this link. Thanks to you all.

Sorry the February Country Diary is late. I'm afraid life sometimes intervenes to delay. Follow this link to get the update.

Here is the first Lyonshall Country Diary of 2019. You will see that Julia has been making some interesting comparisons with previous years. Contributions and sightings come in from lots of local watchers. Many thanks to them all and please keep information flowing in. You will find January news and information about Isobel's Oak on this link.

We are already well into 2019 and I hope our many wildlife spotters will continue to send in sightings to Julia. Check out the news for December last year on this link.

If you were wondering what was happening in the great outdoors in Lyonshall, wonder no more. Thanks to our wildlife watchers overseen by Julia Evans there is a month by month update of sightings on our Country Diary page, click here.

Many thanks to all contributors and a good 2019 to all our readers.

Look out for local news here