NE43 Newsletter 8pp AW Issue 68 December 2020_Layout 1 23/11/2020 10:30 Page 2 THE NEWSLETTER OF STOCKSFIELD PARISH COUNCIL Planning the Issue 68 December 2020 future of Broomley and Stocksfield Best wishes for a very Happy Christmas and a Peaceful & Prosperous 2021-Stocksfield Parish Council The impact of COVID It has been a difficult year for everyone the proceedings. It is encouraging that the and Covid-19 has impacted on us all in so numbers ‘viewing’ the streamed meeting many different ways. There will be those are significantly higher than the numbers who amongst us who have been devastated by have attended Council meetings in person. Covid-19 – whether because they have For those who are online but who do not If you think you may qualify then please lost loved ones or have been caught by use Facebook, there is no need to have a contact Citizens Advice Northumberland on the virus, and the thoughts of all of us Facebook account to view the meetings – 03444 111 444 for advice on how to apply. who are members of or work for the just click on the Facebook logo on the As part of its contribution to individuals, the Parish Council are with those who have Council’s website. At the moment the Council made a donation of £200 to the been affected in this way. Others will be legislation allows remote meetings to West Northumberland Food Bank whose struggling financially and there is more on continue only until May 2021 although this area includes Stocksfield. The Council has that below. Hopefully the arrival of NE43 could be extended by the Government. also given approval in principle to set aside News through your letterboxes will The Council has been aware that there are £20,000 in grant funding received from coincide with the removal of the people within the village who are finding it Central Government and to use it for local nationwide restrictions that were imposed difficult to deal with the impact of Covid-19. groups and organisations affected by Covid- on 4 November. The caveat applied to The Council has limited powers and is unable 19. Grants feature in another item within this much of the content of this newsletter is to make awards to individuals. Where grants newsletter. that it was drafted in mid November and have been available for individuals from other Although the Council’s day to day work has much may have changed in the interim sources, the Council has tried to make this continued, a number of the Council’s period. It will be easy to think of this as information available as widely as possible. initiatives have suffered as a result of Covid- the ‘Covid issue’ but perhaps that may One example of this is the ‘hardship fund’ that 19. The project to install further defibrillators not be such a bad thing if, by the time of has been established within Northumberland stalled due to Northumberland the next edition, the disease is something for those households suffering hardship as a County Council’s decision to we can remember or even have adapted result of the coronavirus pandemic. The undertake only emergency to live with. We need something to be hardship must be because of the virus and a maintenance, as did the hopeful about and, as we go to print, person’s need can include a change in financial exploratory work around a much is being made of the promising circumstances or employment, a breakdown new artificial pitch at the sports signs of a vaccine. Remember that if you in a relationship or delays in payments of fields. Although there may be ever have doubt about what restrictions benefits. Grants designed to have a direct some further delays, the apply where at any time, make sure you and beneficial impact may be available. The Council has approved the check the information provided by the funding in West Northumberland, which was installation of eight new Government. (www.gov.uk/coronavirus) provided initially by Bernicea Homes, is defibrillators, as can be seen rather than rely on word of mouth or being administered by Adapt NE. elsewhere in this edition. social media. The good news is that the Council has not It is great to see that so many local residents have volunteered to help those who have been forced to close its play areas as a result been in need both during the periods of restrictions and beyond. All residents have been of the most recent restrictions. The existing updated by letters from County Councillor Dale and Rev Pat Moran which have been risk assessments have been reviewed and delivered to all households. In case some are not aware, the Stocksfield businesses listed the Council considers its play areas remain below are operating various delivery options: ‘Covid secure’. Much of the responsibility for social distancing and hand/face hygiene Branch End Spar 01661 842124 Food/essentials/Post Office rests naturally with the users of the play Stocksfield Convenience Store 01661 842110 Food/essentials/Post Office areas, and the Council is grateful that our (Opp Station) residents have acted sensibly in their Stocksfield Village Store 01661 842215 Food/essentials/Fruit & veg box continuing use of the facilities. Boots Pharmacy 01661 842137 Pharmacy Since June the Council has been using new powers to enable it to meet remotely using Whitelaws 01661 842239 Butchers video conferencing and, after a few months of less frequent meetings, has now returned Events can change things quickly and without warning, but we all hope that 2021 brings to its normal pattern of meeting on the first with it an effective vaccine against Covid-19 and at least the beginning of a return to Monday of each month. Every meeting is normality or perhaps a new normality. The Council’s two Christmas trees should be in currently streamed on the Council’s place in early December and we wish all our readers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous and safe New Year, whether you are a resident, local business owner or employee or a Facebook page which allows any member visitor to the village. Designed and produced by DesignBarb Ltd. 01661 844703 www.designbarb.co.uk 01661 844703 Ltd. DesignBarb by produced and Designed of the press or public to view and listen to www.stocksfieldpc.org.uk NE43 Newsletter 8pp AW Issue 68 December 2020_Layout 1 23/11/2020 10:30 Page 3 GRANT Funding Stocksfield’s Defibrillators Every year the Parish Council sets aside The Council’s plans to extend the provision funds to be used to provide grants to local of defibrillators across the area took a big groups and organisations. Grants of up to step forward at the November meeting £500 are available to groups for a range of purposes that will benefit the local with approval given to increase the number community. Applications for this funding of defibrillators to ten. need to be made in writing using the forms It is vital that residents understand how they that are available on the Council’s website are accessed. If a person suffers a cardiac where you will also find information about arrest then the first things to do are: phone eligibility, how decisions are made and the for an ambulance and commence CPR (or conditions which apply. If you don’t have cardiopulmonary resuscitation to give its access to the internet, please contact the correct name). When the call handler at the Clerk (contact details are on the last page). ambulance service logs the call, they will This year the Council received £20,000 automatically see accessible defibrillators from Central Government due to Covid- nearby. If there is somebody present at the The six further units will be located outside 19 and has agreed in principle that this scene who can collect the defibrillator, the Branch End Play Area on the A695, on money should be used to provide call handler will provide the location and New Ridley Road at the junction with assistance to local groups who have access code to the cabinet to enable the Meadowfield Road, on Ridley Mill Road at suffered as a consequence of Covid-19. defibrillator to be collected. The new Ridley Mill, on Birkdene, at Hindley on the The eligibility criteria and application defibrillator cabinets are yellow and green B6309 and at Broomley. These units all process are likely to be different from the although there are two older style cabinets require connections to new electricity usual grant funding mentioned above, and in use at the sports fields and golf club. supplies or street lighting and will be fitted will be agreed at the next Council meeting The defibrillators can be used by anyone in the coming months. on 7 December – too late for this edition and no training is needed. There is a switch When complete, the main areas of housing of NE43 News. The information will be to adjust the unit for a child (8 years of age across Stocksfield will be within 500m of a published on the Council’s website and or younger) and pads that need to be defibrillator and, as over 80% of cardiac Facebook page after the next meeting so attached to the patient. Once switched on, arrests happen at home, that could help to remember to check it. a voice instructs users what to do and when save lives for years to come. Some of the to do it. Using a defibrillator on a patient outlying settlements and more isolated within five minutes of a cardiac arrest can dwellings are not covered but the Council Branch End Surgery produce survival rates as high as 70%.