Coronavirus (Covid-19) – Update on Action being taken in and Bewerley

On Tuesday, representatives of the Town and Parish Councils, local churches, businesses and community groups from across attended a meeting at the Memorial Hall. The aim was to share ideas on how best to support people in our community as we face the unprecedented challenge of responding to the Coronavirus pandemic. It was clear that a great deal of activity is already underway – as we have come to expect in our wonderful community. The churches and community groups have been gathering names of volunteers prepared to help those who are self-isolating. Some ideas have also emerged about how best to organise those volunteers and make sure we are making the most effective use of people’s time and energy and do so in a way which safeguards both the volunteers and those they are supporting.

It is clear that we have to plan on the basis that this is going to be a marathon, not a sprint. We will potentially need to be able to provide support with things like shopping, prescription deliveries and overcoming the mental health impacts of isolation for a number of months. Central Government, along with North County Council and Harrogate Borough Council, is dealing with the big issues of providing advice and responding to the economic and health challenges. But we agreed that the practical day-to-day issues are best handled at a local level through the combined efforts of local councils, church and community groups, working closely with local businesses. We therefore agreed to do a number of things:

• Teams of volunteers will be organised at a parish level to make best use of local knowledge and familiar faces and names. This will help to reassure people as well as making a potentially enormous task more manageable • Nidderdale Plus will act as a hub signposting people to the right sources of advice or support. They will also provide practical support with things like producing leaflets for residents etc. • Nidderdale Plus will look to make the community car available to deliver prescriptions to people who are self-isolating or cannot get out as normal • Your local councils will use our websites and social media to relay key messages, advice and information about how to access support when you need it • People should be encouraged to shop locally as far as possible. We have a fantastic range of local businesses which are a great resource but will also need support in the coming months. • Local businesses such as the Spar, Dales Market Corner and Park View Stores will be offering more deliveries to people who need them. We will be looking to recruit volunteers to act as drivers. • A number of our local pubs, cafes and restaurants are already looking to offer takeaway meals in view of the advice to socially distance and avoid these venues. We will promote these options further as they develop. This is good news both for those self-isolating and for these businesses which face a difficult next few months.

Over the next few days, we will be working with the churches, community groups, Nidderdale Plus and local businesses to firm up the detail on how volunteers will be organised, how people can access support and how we can work to ensure everyone gets what they need. We will publish further information in the next few days. In the meantime, please follow the government, NHS and Public Health advice at https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ . If you need support locally please contact Nidderdale Plus on 01423 714953 or email [email protected] or contact your parish or town clerk as follows:

Pateley Bridge: Sarah Adamson on 07751 571374 or at [email protected] Bewerley: Tracey Dawson on 07719 181078 or at [email protected] (Bewerley Parish Clerk will additionally be keeping people informed using e-newsletters, contact her if you would like to be added to the distribution list).

We hope you and your families stay safe and well. Together, we will get through this.

Yours sincerely, Chris Skaife Graham Spooner Mayor, Pateley Bridge Town Council Chair, Bewerley Parish Council