THE Birches Community Matters
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THE Birches Community Matters NEWSLETTER FOR KINGSTHORN, MUCH BIRCH LITTLE BIRCH, ACONBURY & WORMELOW First published 1977 June 2021 A note from the Editorial Team. Little Birch Village Hall Committee AGM All members of the community are invited to Now we are, hopefully, moving into a less “locked down” join us at our 2021 Annual General Meeting. lifestyle. Caution is still the watchword but our local businesses, hostelries and services are starting to come We look forward to welcoming you at 7:30pm on alive again. Our sincere thanks to all of them, and all the Wednesday 9th June at Little Birch Village Hall Community, for the tenacity, patience and understanding that this step has taken. The Editorial team wish all safe and well . The Birches Camera Club Keep your contributions coming in—without those there is and Photography Group…. no Newsletter! Have, once again, sent us some wonderful photographs of Best wishes to all views and wildlife which you will see scattered around this Editor publication. Many thanks to this marvellous group. [email protected] For further information about the group please contact….. Sally Nichol at [email protected] Much Birch Surgery Covid Vaccine Update 74% of our practice population 16yrs of age and over have now received their 1st dose and 52% have had both doses of the vaccine. All patients aged 50 and over who have had their first dose of Covid vaccine through the practice should have had their 2nd dose by the end of May. If any patients have not and they had their first dose either at the practice or the Larruperz centre in Ross on Wye, please contact the practice as soon as possible. All further vaccines for under 50’s should be booked through the National Booking Service online https:// www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/ or by phoning 119. Covid Vaccine ‘passports’/evidence The practice is unable to provide evidence of Covid vaccine status. For patients wishing to demonstrate their Covid vaccination status, proof of vaccination is available on the NHS App. The NHS app can be downloaded from the relevant App store for iPhone or android devices. For patients who are unable to use the app, call the NHS helpline on 119 and ask for a letter to be posted to you. This must be at least 5 days after you’ve completed your course of the vaccine, the letter may take up to 5 days to reach you. Access to appointments The practice been open throughout the pandemic and we are now busier than ever. It may take longer to get an appointment than normal but if you have an urgent matter the GP will speak to you on the day you phone. Appointments are either telephone consultations, video or face to face. Many patients have found remote consultations have worked well throughout the pandemic. The GP or nurse is able to take a full history, arrange any preliminary tests, e.g. blood tests and follow up with the patient with the results. If the GP decides on speaking with the patient that it is necessary to see them in person, a face to face appointment will be arranged, often on the same day. Patients are also able to book face to face appointments in advance if they prefer however, for a routine face to face appointment there may be a wait of 2 to 3 weeks. If the GP has requested an appointment they will determine its urgency and inform the receptionists. If you require a medication review and it is not booked before your medication runs out, you will not go without. The GP will be happy to issue another prescription if they can see an appointment in the diary. Please rest assured that everyone is working extremely hard to maintain services and prioritise access to GP’s and nurses. We appreciate your continued support and understanding. Patient Participation group meeting with the practice 7th June at 2.30pm by Microsoft Teams The Patient Participation Group is meeting remotely by Microsoft Teams with the Practice. We would like to invite up to 25 patients to join the meeting to hear Dr Horne and the group discuss the agenda. Places are limited to 25 and will be based on a first come first served basis. Questions from patients can be submitted before the meeting by email. Please email the secretary: [email protected] for a place at the meeting. The Teams joining link will then be sent to you. If you aren't familiar with Teams - it is an easy to download free online video service, any problems the secretary can help you. Website: https://www.muchbirchsurgery.co.uk/website/M81024/files/newsletter.pdf Facebook: Much Birch Surgery Patient Information Page 2 Jobs for the garden in June From Derek Scrivens Keep weeding. Cut back early flowering perennials to encourage a second flush. www.greenleafarchitecture.co.uk Tubs and containers that have been planted up with tender bedding plants should now be ok to move E. [email protected] from shelter to their display position – but with our crazy weather, listen out for frosts in the early days of Tel. 01981 257180 M. 07946457251 the month. Friendly and reliable, chartered Architectural Practice based Dead head roses, regularly, cutting to a leaf beneath in Wormelow. the flowers. House plants can spend a bit of time outside in a All Architectural work undertaken. General advice; Planning shaded place so that they do not get scorched by the applications; Detailed design for Building control and Tender; sun. Needless to say, inspect for slugs and other pests Project management regularly. Tomatoes grown as cordons – train the main stem to a support and pinch out the side shoots which will grow from leaf joints. The flower trusses will grow from the stem between leaves. If growing indoors allow a maximum of 7 trusses and outdoors 4 trusses when the growing tips should be pinched out. Keep sowing small quantities of radish, lettuce, salad leaves, spring onions, beetroot, peas and/or mangetout to provide young sweet veg. and salad. Water tomatoes thoroughly and regularly. This will both stop them splitting and help prevent blossom end rot. Plant out calabrese, Brussels sprouts, summer cabbage and spring cauliflower. Keep birds off berries with secure and taut net. Remove blanket weed from ponds leaving on the side of the side of the pond for 24 hours before composting– this will give small creatures an opportunity to get back in the pond. Deal with severe aphid and caterpillar infestations how you choose. Minor infestations can be left to birds, ladybirds, lacewings, hoverflies, ants and even public enemy number one, wasps. 3 BAYLEY’S WINDOW CLEANING SERVICE WATER FED POLE AND TRADITIONAL KEN RUCK DOMESTIC ELECTRICIAN WE ALSO CLEAN:- Fault Finding & Repair Reliable Service New Consumer Units Fully Insured Outside / Security Lights Re-Wires GUTTERS AND FACIAS Periodic Testing P.A.T Testing CONSERVATORY ROOFS Smoke & CO Alarms Showers Cookers etc. PROPERTY MAINTENANCE FREE QUOTATIONS Plumbing – Fault Finding & Repair * REFERENCES CAN BE GIVEN * + General Property Maintenance * ESTABLISHED IN AREA * Contact: 07780460258 or [email protected] PHONE ANDREW Or Visit my Facebook Page. HOME: 01432 508979 MOBILE: 07771 870891 EMail: [email protected] A big ‘Thank You’ to the Much Birch Community We have our Neighbourhood Development Plan On 6 May, following almost 5 years of local research and consultation, the Much Birch Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) was tested at the Official public referendum . In order to get the result as quickly as possible I attended the official count at the Hereford Leisure Centre on the following day. Whilst always being optimistic that the result of the vote would be a positive one, I did have a mild sense of trepidation that something might go wrong! I am pleased to report that this was not the case and 92.1% of those who voted were in favour of the plan . Total votes cast were 278 with 256 in favour and 22 against. The turnout was around 39%. The Parish Council have been advised that the plan will be formally adopted by Herefordshire Council in mid- June and will then become part of the statutory development plans for Herefordshire. This means that future planning applications within the Much Birch Council must be considered against the policies of the NDP and objections citing non-compliance with NDP policies carry considerable weight in the decision-making process by the planning authority. Our thanks to David Goldsmith who chaired the NDP Steering group, all who worked on the development of the plan and everyone who responded to the consultations on the way. Thank you, your contributions have been much appreciated, Alison Cook, MBPC Chair 4 Settling into life in the countryside— and all the strings attached! I guess many of us have been saying "this time last year we were...." and you can insert here... 'doing the garden', 'cleaning out the garage', 'decorating the spare room'... or any of the numerous jobs that we never found the time to get round to doing until 'lockdown' gave us the time. This time last year I was making plans to move from Wolverhampton to Little Birch. We were surrounded by cardboard boxes and keeping our fingers crossed that the government would allow removal companies to operate during the pandemic. Thankfully everything went to plan and we moved into 'Uplands' in the summer of 2020. So how has the first year been for this 'city boy' and his family in Little Birch? One of the biggest changes has been for my boys Leo (17) and David (15).