Saltford Community Association News Issue No 152 August/September 2020
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Saltford Community Association News Issue No 152 August/September 2020 JOINT LETTER FROM SCA & SPC The COVID-19 outbreak has made the last few months difficult for most of us and very distressing for many. We have had to learn to cope with a new way of living and the response to these new challenges by members of the community in Saltford has been magnificent and we are very grateful to so many persons. In March representatives of local organisations came together to establish the Saltford Support Hub, which, as many of you will know, set up a Helpline to assist residents in need through the provision of shopping, pharmacy and emergency food deliveries, post office services, counselling and other support. The work of the Hub has been made possible through over 200 volunteers, including a group of local chefs who provided over 900 hot meals to vulnerable persons during the first three months of the crisis. Volunteers also delivered over 200 afternoon teas to elderly persons in the area on each of the 75th anniversary of VE Day and the Queen’s Official Birthday and will do the same to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day on August 15th. Funding for the operation has been provided by Saltford Parish Council, the SCA, a grant from the Quarter COVID-19 Support Fund and amazingly generous personal contributions from local residents, including £1950 from members of Saltford Community Church. Although restrictions are slowly being lifted it is expected that the consequences of the crisis will result in continued hardship for many in the community and the work of the Support Hub will continue over the coming months – simply ring 01225 632216. Saltford Parish Council has generously approved a grant to the SCA to cover the costs of this special edition of the SCAN. This has enabled the SCA to provide all local businesses with a free advert. The SCA would encourage you to support all advertisers at this difficult time. In addition Saltford Parish Council has provided a grant to the SCA to cover the cost of the 2020-21 affiliation fees for all not-for-profit organisations affiliated to the SCA to enable them to get back up and running. Inside this edition many of them give an update on their future plans as lockdown starts to relax. Again please support these organisations which play such a vital part in our village. The SCA is planning to reopen the Saltford Hall on Monday August 10th for hirers whose activities lie within the government guidance for restarting. Strict protocols concerning cleaning and social distanc- ing will be maintained to ensure adequate protection against the virus and we look forward to seeing as many users as possible as we resume our steps back to a more normal life. Our thanks again to all residents who have supported Saltford’s COVID19 response, both during lock- down and as restrictions have eased. Saltford Parish Council and the SCA are currently discussing ways to recognise and thank volunteers for their efforts. Details of these plans will be formalised once restrictions are lifted further. John Davies Chris Warren Chair, Saltford Community Association Chair, Saltford Parish Council COPY DEADLINE FOR OCTOBER/NOVEMBER ISSUE OF SCAN: 10th September 2020 Copy sent by email to [email protected] will be very welcome. www.saltfordhall.co.uk 1 2 Saltford Community Association - Contacts SCA is a Registered Charity—Number 1162948 Hon Chair SCA John Davies 01225 344976 Hon Vice Chair SCA Peter Dando 01225 873917 Hon Treasurer SCA Chris Essex 01225 873878 Hon Secretary SCA Lis Evans 01225 873296 SCAN Distribution Jenny Herring 01225 874631 SCAN Editor e-mail: [email protected] 07770 750327 Hall Manager Christopher Pope 01225 874081 e-mail: [email protected] List of Sectional Organisation Contacts Saltford Drama Club Martin Coles 01179 831288 Saltford Short Mat Bowls Joan Hamblin 01225 872389 Saltford Village Choir Julie Latham 01225 872336 Saltford Panto Club [email protected] SCA Musical Productions [SCAMP] Corrine-Anne Richards 0117 986 0930 The opinions, advice, products and services offered herein are the sole responsibility of the contributors. Whilst all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the publication, the publishers cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions. SCAN takes no responsibility for the content of any images, screenshots or supporting graphics/visual data. SALTFORD HALL BOOKING OFFICE 01225 874081 E-mail: [email protected] www.saltfordhall.co.uk ANTIQUES & COLLECTORS FAIRS SUNDAY 27 SEPTEMBER SUNDAY 25 OCTOBER SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 9am - 2pm SALTFORD HALL BS31 3BY SOME LIMITED REFRESHMENTS MAY BE AVAILABLE VIA SCA COMMUNITY CAFE ADMISSION £1 Ring Mark on 07835 300965 for a table 3 SALTFORD COVID-19 SUPPORT HUB Whilst SCAN has been “off air” the SCA has been busy setting up and running our vital support hub for vulnerable residents. This is ongoing, albeit in a reduced capacity and residents should still ring 01225 632216. The following is a very brief description of the operation of the Hub since the end of March 2020. All this was made possible by 200 volunteers who came forward from across the village and a few in Keynsham. A huge thank you for your time and dedication especially if you are still actively helping residents. We set up a call centre with much help from Jon Godfrey a dedicated phone number for residents to ring, which is answered by a bank of volunteers in their own home using VoIP technology. From the start, all calls resulting in some form of help being needed, have been centrally logged. We have provided help with emergency shopping, pharmacy, PO Services, dog walking, home visits, phone conversations, bike repairs, sample pickup, emergency plumbing and electrical work and pastoral support. We have done 2 leaflet drops and countless Facebook posts and emails to residents in the village to ensure that everyone knew how to get help if they needed it. We have also done all we can to support and promote local businesses throughout this crisis. In addition we provided over 900 hot meals on a Saturday night to vulnerable residents. This has been possible through the volunteering of a team of chefs, a large number of deliverers and through the generous donations people have made to the hardship fund. We have also provided 400 afternoon teas to residents 75 or older to mark 75th Anniversary of VE Day and the Queen’s Official Birthday. Huge thanks to everyone who made cakes and scones for these or came down to the Hall to make mountains of sandwiches and box them all up for delivery. We have also helped mark some landmark birthdays and anniversaries during the lockdown as their planned events had to be cancelled. It was great to see so many of their neighbours come out and support. Looking Forward Call Centre - our dedicated helpline (632216) continues to be available but will not be personally answered. Please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Saltford Stories - Fiona & Rachel Bell are capturing lots of wonderful stories etc connected to how our community has come together during this crisis. I'm sure some of you have some lovely stories to share. Please email [email protected] or phone 01225 873693. Hardship Fund – due to the generous donations received, we have funds available to help those residents who are suffering financial hardship during this crisis. If you know residents or you yourself are experiencing financial hardship, possibly for the first time, please contact the SCA at [email protected] . Finally some brief thank yous to local businesses who have supported us throughout – Waitrose, VansGB, Rose & Crown at Pucklechurch, La Bottega, Bird in Hand, Tynings Fish & Chips and Newton Farm. 4 AFFILIATED ORGANISATIONS woodland. Where new woodland is the aim, natu- ral regeneration is generally preferable to tree- AVON VALLEY ARTISTS planting. Planting, when all steps are considered, Our Art group will start to meet again weekly from releases considerable quantities of carbon and Thursday 3rd September in Saltford Hall from 10am thus requires substantial time to become carbon to 12 noon. We have a programme of subjects neutral, let alone carbon positive. Certainly this is which can be drawn or painted in any medium, a topic Saltford Environment Group is looking into all levels and it is a lovely friendly group. Anyone for Saltford; we hope to produce a report relevant interested in joining us is very welcome to come to Saltford on this subject later this year. along for a free taster session. For more informa- www.saltfordenvironmentgroup.org.uk tion please contact Pauline Vowles. 07887355205 or 01275 832674. SALTFORD WOMBLES Well, the Wombles have certainly been very busy SALTFORD ENVIRONMENT GROUP indeed during the last few months. Our volunteers have been using their exercise time during lockdown to litter pick around the village and when lockdown rules were relaxed slightly in May/June and so many visitors came to the river area and left their litter behind, we really came into our own. Saltford Wombles would like to thank ALL of you for the tremendous amount of support you have shown us and for helping us in cleaning up the huge amount of litter the village has had to contend with, (in May alone we collected over 300 Don’t blight the land that feeds you! bags of litter and around 6000 nitrous oxide canis- During the lockdown residents may have seen ters), we couldn’t have done it without you! local news coverage that Mactaggart and Mickel We now have a clear plan of action should it Homes Ltd are looking again at trying to get plan- happen again and with thanks to a generous grant ning permission to build 200 homes on 25 acres of from SEG to buy new equipment and our award safeguarded Green Belt land between Saltford and from SPC, we are ready! Keynsham next to Crest Nicholson’s new Hygge Park development after their failed attempt last Following the Keep Britain Tidy guidelines, we year (2019).