SUMMER 2021 Ntcouncilteam
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OUR PEOPLE I OUR PLACES I OUR ECONOMY I OUR PARTNERS Celebrating brilliant volunteers See page 4 for how volunteers have played a pivotal role in supporting our most vulnerable residents. Out and about We’ve got some great ideas for things to do right across NorthTyneside the borough this summer on pages 5-7. SUMMER 2021 www.northtyneside.gov.uk NTCouncilTeam More awards for our stunning beaches. See page 11. Support for businesses, employment and skills Pages 15-24: How we are working to support local businesses and people seeking a new job or training opportunity. Plus local business advertising. Keeping North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit this summer Sign up for local news direct to your inbox We are launching a digital version of Our North Tyneside soon. The monthly newsletter will include local news, events and opportunities for you to have your say. To subscribe, please opt in at my.northtyneside.gov.uk/newsletter. We will continue to deliver the printed magazine to every household three times a year. COVID-19: Please continue to Get your vaccine when follow the latest safety guidance you’re offered it Which test should I use? Self-isolation checklist If you have symptoms: If you receive a positive test result, or are • High temperature identified as a close contact, you will be asked • A new, continuous cough to self-isolate at a moment's notice. Make sure you’re • A loss or change to your sense of smell or taste prepared in advance: You and everyone you live with must immediately self- • Medication: Do you know how to order any medication isolate. Book a free PCR test at either The Parks in North online or by phone, or can someone bring it to your Shields or the Coronation Street car park test site in home? Are you already registered with your local Wallsend, open 8am – 8pm. Or order a PCR test kit to be pharmacy for prescription delivery? sent to your home by calling 119. (DO NOT use a lateral flow device/test if you have any symptoms.) • Food: Most online delivery slots book up days in advance – do you have a friend or neighbour who could If you do not have any symptoms: bring a shop to your house? Lateral flow device testing (LFD/LFT) is a fast and simple • Pets: Do you have a dog that will need walking? way to test people who do not have symptoms, but who may Have you already asked a friend or neighbour if they still be spreading the virus. Everyone can access free tests would be able to take this on? via: • Homeschooling: Do you have everything you need at • On-site testing, or collect LFD testing kits: Available at home to homeschool your children (if you have The Riverside Centre, Minton Lane, North Shields, children/they are at school), or if not, do you know who to NE29 6DQ. Book an on-site test and check opening contact who could help? hours online, visit www.northtyneside.gov.uk and click in the ‘coronavirus’ section. • Homeworking: Do you have everything you need to work from home if you are able to? If not, do you know • Pharmacy collect: Find your nearest participating who to contact at work who could help? pharmacy at https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/ • Caring: Do you care for someone such as a friend, • Postal kits: Order online at www.gov.uk/order- neighbour, relative? Have you made alternative coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests or call 119 and these arrangements for them to be cared for? If you need will be delivered to your home. support with this, please contact North Tyneside Carers’ Centre: www.northtynesidecarers.org.uk If you have been identified as a close contact of a positive case and are told to self-isolate, the advice is to • Exercise: You must not leave your home for exercise take a PCR test. Close contacts are being advised to take a either – can you exercise in your home or garden PCR test, to find more cases quickly and identify any close instead? Perhaps try some of the workouts from our contacts to contain the virus. (Do not use a LFD/LFT test if Active North Tyneside team – find out more on its you have any symptoms.) Facebook page. • If you test negative – continue isolating. A negative test • A helping hand: For those needing to self-isolate and result does not completely rule out infection, so you must who can’t call on family and friends, the council will continue to isolate and follow national guidance. provide support for the 10-day isolation period. Contact our COVID-19 Support Hub, see page 4 for • If you test positive – start 10-day isolation again from details. day of test. 2 OUR NORTH TYNESIDE A message from the Elected Mayor proud of the role the council has played in proposals to improve cycling and transport helping them to do so, with support from links, to wide-ranging plans to improve many wonderful voluntary organisations. North Shields town centre and the Fish Quay, plus plans to invest in Killingworth While the Delta variant caused us a Lake. Turn to pages 8 and 9 to find out setback, the council, along with our more. partners, responded and acted quickly and exceptionally well. Thousands of We are here to serve you, our residents, residents took part in surge testing and businesses and visitors and you can residents were vaccinated in their droves. read our customer promise on page 26. I would once again like to applaud and The council is determined that the Thank you to all our amazing vaccination teams, thank you all for your perseverance and borough not only recovers from the including the many volunteers. This photo was support in what was another challenging pandemic, but builds back stronger – taken at the Oxford Centre in Longbenton. period. where local businesses and high streets thrive; our children and young people It has been truly heart-warming to see While vaccine take up is high in the continue to receive an outstanding our communities come together once borough, we continue to need everyone education and families flourish; great again to celebrate family life, who is eligible to come forward for their care is offered to those who need it; and friendships, bustling businesses, and vaccination to afford themselves, their deprivation is tackled and inequalities being able to embrace activities which family, friends, and communities the are reduced. were previously accepted as normal maximum protection. before the pandemic, but which we now We are also committed to making sure the value more than ever. I know the easing of restrictions hasn’t borough continues to be clean, safe and been easy for everyone and people have well-maintained. I’m also delighted in this Hearing about friends and families reunited felt apprehensive, especially those who edition to share with you on page 13 our after months apart and people enjoying have been shielding. Our COVID-19 latest work to make North Tyneside a those ‘little’ things again has been Support Hub, with an abundance of more sustainable borough – something wonderful – friends catching up over a support from VODA and many other which my Cabinet and I are very coffee; grandparents spending time with voluntary organisations, has continued to passionate about. Visitors to our beautiful grandchildren; families having fun in our help people as they took tentative steps to coast can now refill their water bottles parks and open spaces; and residents and navigate North Tyneside and further afield from fantastic water fountains dotted visitors enjoying all of our brilliant local after lockdown. The Support Hub also along the coastline, with more on the way businesses once more. continues to be available for those who for other areas of the borough soon. are having to self-isolate (see page 4). Thank you for your extraordinary efforts, There are many reasons to be excited for the sacrifices you’ve made and for Our brilliant businesses have also the future and I look forward to continuing following the guidance to allow this to adapted exceptionally well too. Many to share them with you. happen. The enthusiasm to show kindness have innovatively used outdoor areas to one another has been nothing short of while, more recently, also made sure their Thank you for your continued support, it is remarkable. indoor space is COVID-secure. In this very much appreciated. edition, on pages 15 to 20, we are I’m sure many of you will join me in pleased to have once again offered free extending a huge thank you to our advertising space for local businesses to wonderful NHS, which has successfully promote their services. delivered the biggest vaccination programme in its history and enabled us to You can also read the latest update on our Norma Redfearn CBE have more freedoms again. I am extremely ambitious plans for the borough – from Elected Mayor of North Tyneside OUR NORTH TYNESIDE 3 Keeping North Tyneside a great place to live, work and visit this summer Read about local Queen’s Award for Celebrating brilliant Voluntary Service winners on volunteers page 38. The pandemic brought unparalleled and I have been humbled by their change and challenges to everyone – dedication and enthusiasm. across all walks of life – but the community spirit shone in the borough “I continue to hear about acts of kindness COVID-19 and was a beacon of light during the and compassion every day and it fills me most difficult of times.