Isle of Wight
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27th March 2020 iwobserver @iwobserver News 1 Isle of Wight FREESTAY HOME, SAVE LIVES The Island’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper Friday 27th March 2020 Observeriwobserver.co.uk Issue No.82 New helpline Volunteer to help Your local for Island the NHS helpline residents numbers next page next page 17 Information leaflet from the Isle of Wight Council Public Information www.iwobserver.co.uk 27th March 2020 Local Support This new dedicated coronavirus Support for Island businesses and employers (Covid-19) website www. The government has set out a package • grant funding of £25,000 for retail, available via the council’s website. iowcoronavirus.co.uk provides of targeted measures to support hospitality and leisure businesses These include areas such as: information on the local support businesses, employers and employees with property with a rateable value Licensing (including ensuring licences and community eforts available through the period of disruption caused between £15,000 and £51,000; held by businesses are renewed); in your area. by Covid-19. • the Coronavirus Business Environmental Health (including Let’s all help to keep everyone safe These measures are regularly being Interruption Loan Scheme ofering ensuring your business is following the and accessing the services they updated through government loans of up to £5 million for SMEs appropriate regulations if you are now need. announcements, with details posted through the British Business Bank; undertaking home deliveries of meals on its website at: https://www.gov.uk/ • a new lending facility from the Bank etc); The website allows you to search government/publications/guidance- of England to help support liquidity Trading Standards (for advice on product by location to fnd out what help is to-employers-and-businesses-about- among larger frms, helping them safety, weights and measures or age available in your local area. covid-19 bridge coronavirus disruption to related products for home delivery); It also includes supporting They are also signposted by the Isle of their cash fows through loans; Planning Services (including how the resources for health and wellbeing, Wight Council via its own website www. • the HMRC Time To Pay Scheme. government is relaxing some aspects of NHS Covid-19 support, employers iow.gov.uk/covid19_businessadvice, As further government details and planning to help businesses). and businesses and benefts and with additional localised advice for Island announcements emerge, including This information will be added to as welfare help. businesses on registering their details for on accessing the key funding support, further government details emerge. funding support. updates will be provided on the council’s Council leader, Councillor Dave Stewart, The government-announced measures website. said: “We are doing our utmost to Do you want to include: If you think your business qualifes for speed up the processes for our Island volunteer? • a Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme; these measures of fnancial support, businesses, large and small and the self- Do you think you might be able • deferring VAT and Income Tax please use this online form: http:// employed, to access funding support. payments; www.iow.gov.uk/iwforms/bussupc19. This includes ensuring we have the latest to help our Island community • a Statutory Sick Pay relief package for Application form for support for information from businesses on their during the coronavirus (Covid-19) SMEs; businesses afected by Covid-19 details to facilitate payment. pandemic by becoming a • a 12-month business rates holiday (Coronavirus) to provide details to “We are acutely aware of how vital volunteer? for all retail, hospitality, leisure and assist us with the processing of relevant cashfow is for Island businesses to If yes, please complete this form nursery businesses in England; payments. operate in these extraordinary times and www.iowcoronavirus.co.uk/form/ • small business grant funding of Other key advice for businesses are trying to ensure all the necessary Your details will be passed on to £10,000 for all business in receipt of There is also key advice on other council support is in place to assist them.” charities and community groups small business rate relief or rural rate services afecting your business at working on the Isle of Wight relief; this time, with the latest information to support people through the Covid-19 crisis. You are not committing yourself to anything, simply saying you New helpline to support are happy to be contacted by organisations who are looking for volunteers. vulnerable Islanders A new helpline number is volunteering to help those in now available to support the need over the past couple of Citizens Advice Isle Island’s most vulnerable weeks. of Wight can help residents afected by the “Thanks to everyone who coronavirus (Covid-19) self- has come forward to ofer with issues around isolation measures. help – including those People who do not have a who responded to the money, benefts and local network of friends Isle of Wight Coronavirus employment or family to support them Community Help group while they are self-isolating on Facebook, who we are Due to the current restrictions on or social distancing can call working alongside.” social isolation and the increase (01983) 823600 (seven days The partnership is trying to in demand, no face-to-face a week, 9am to 5pm). keep in contact with those it appointments are available. The helpline has been put knows are high risk to make The following support numbers in place by the Isle of Wight sure they are safe, healthy and online resources are available. Council in partnership and supported — and where • Advice line number is 03444 with the Island’s voluntary necessary, ofering this help. 111 444 — be prepared to leave networks, including Please note that none of the a message and you will get a Community Action Isle of partnership will ever ask you call back. Wight, Citizens Advice Isle for bank or other fnancial • Chat online www. of Wight and Age UK Isle details. citizensadvice.org.uk/about- of Wight, to support those Jo Dare, from Isle of Wight us/contact-us/contact-us/ who meet the coronavirus Age UK, said: “Working web-chat-service/ — this ‘vulnerable’ criteria. together means that those service is in high demand Mike Bulpitt, from most in need of help can be and someone will respond as Community Action Isle supported in the right way quickly as possible. of Wight, said: “We are and at the right time.” • Make an enquiry on using the working together to make it Council Leader, Councillor, webform at https://islehelp. as simple and easy for people Dave Stewart, said: “The me/contact/ who need help and support coronavirus is a national • Consumer advice is on 0808 to get hold of someone who emergency which means we 223 1133. can help. Initially we want must all pull together to help • If you are in real hardship you to make sure that people those in need. can apply for support through have access to groceries and “If you need help because ‘Help Through Crisis’ medications to keep them of self-isolation, please https://islehelp.me/help-through- safe and supported during get in touch. Or, if you are crisis/ or phone (01983) 823859. this uncertain time. healthy and able to help “We have a large network of by volunteering, please caring volunteers between get in touch as well by us and many more people emailing volunteer@ We can all help but actioniw.org.uk.” help safely have shown an interest in When going out to get yourself food and medication, think to help family members, friends or neighbours that need supplies and are unable to do this themselves; try not to make two separate trips. Make sure you are two metres apart when out and about. When delivering items for someone who is in isolation, ensure this is left on the doorstep for their safety and yours. 27th March 2020 iwobserver @iwobserver News 3 Isle of Wight FREESTAY HOME, SAVE LIVES The Island’s Only Locally Owned Newspaper Friday 27th March 2020 Observeriwobserver.co.uk Issue No.82 Island animal Plans for new attractions coastal path need help 4 7 COMMENT by Carole Dennett Proprietor, IW Observer We are living through unprecedented times and for all small businesses the future is Sign of the times uncertain. Pubs, restaurants and attractions are closed, along with all non-essential shops. Many other commercial premises are closed or closing, and domestic work for tradesmen is drying up. The pictures on this page show the stark reality of the new restrictions on our lives. Your Isle of Wight Observer started life on August 10, 2018 as a community newspaper reporting with a positive outlook on life on the Island. My small team have worked long and hard to get it off the ground and have improved it along the way. I’m proud of them. We chose that our newspaper should be free, funded by affordable advertising from local companies. We all love this newspaper. There’s no big, multi-national business behind us - we are independent, locally-owned and proud of it. We know from feedback that our loyal readers also love the IW Observer. As you can imagine the fallout from the coronavirus epidemic has hit us hard. Many Island businesses aren’t trading for a while, some are treading water, others are quickly diversifying, but they are all worried for their future. We intend to continue publishing throughout this crisis, but understandably many of our advertisers are unable to make commitments without knowing what the future holds. Our previously healthy advertising order book has been devastated. We plan to be here for you, our readers next week and through all the difficult weeks to come.