Pershore Times A free monthly newspaper for Pershore and surrounding villages Issue 64 September 2021 FREE Harvest Time near Bredon Hill: Photography by Jayne Winter FRPS, www.imagesofworcestershire.co.uk Winter near Bredon Hill: Photography by Jayne Harvest Time utumn in and around Pershore is a lovely time of the pandemic, also the NHS hit so year, although it seems later than usual. hard and trying desperately to Hughes& A catch up. There is also rebuilding Company Harvesting has been going at pace and the weather has of lives broken, and the recovery been good. Maybe we will have an Indian Summer to of our businesses. We will make up for a fairly gloomy August. Lockdown manage all these challenges in suddenly seems a long time ago. Schools have reopened our own quiet way and we will with children and parents getting back to a normal life. come through as we always do! The football season has started The pandemic is far from over Paralympics we finished second but the cricket season hasn’t but there is optimism in the air with an astonishing 124 medals finished! Never a dull moment. A free daily online and it is so good to see new of which 41 of them were gold! Closer to home we plan to have newspaper! businesses starting in the town Everyone has to be congratulated today!, our on-line daily This is in addition to the printed version and and more events taking place. and the way both the Olympic newspaper, fully operational features news items which We are receiving more news and Paralympic teams were again this month. We had to we are unable to cover in items for our paper which is very followed and welcomed home curtail this due to the pandemic, a monthly publication. good indeed. was brilliant. A big cultural and we will make it better than daily news on - line So many things have happened change over the years! ever. We have lots of interesting everyday during the last few weeks. The We still have some big hurdles to articles for you this month which www.pershoreonline.co.uk British Olympic team finished in climb and will have to have the we hope you will enjoy. Thanks fourth place in the world medal same resolve as our athletes. to all our contributors and table, an incredible achievement Payback time is fast approaching advertisers for the continuing with 21 gold medals and in the regarding the cost of the support which is much appreciated! Business as usual normal opening hours Wednesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 9.00am till 4.30pm The ideal place to shop, as all stalls are under the same roof Customers can be assured of friendly, efficient and personal service 2 Issue 64 - September 2021 - Pershore Times One step at a time - Wellworking opens new Local woman’s challenge to celebrate 12 years in remission from blood cancer centre in Pershore Wellworking, the home and as more people work from office furniture supplier, is home, either some or all of the opening a new centre in Pershore time. Wellworking Managing as part of its plans to make the Director Luke Munro, said: town a focus of its nationwide “The pandemic has transformed expansion plan. the way we all work, and we The 5,000 sq ft facility in want to make it easier for people Goodwood Road within the to work well, wherever they Keytec 7 Business Park, will work. Having our team in employ four people locally and Pershore means we can deliver will serve customers all across quality, ergonomic chairs and Worcestershire, the Midlands, other products to more people A woman from Pershore is it represents my life in general the West Country and Wales. all over the region within 2-3 walking 78 miles across The and how I try to live everyday”, Wellworking, which has been working days of them placing an Great Glen Way during Blood she continues. “My friend, rated the best furniture company order on our website.” Cancer Awareness Month to Dionne, and I completed the in the UK for six years in a row raise money for Lymphoma West Highland Way walk back by customers on Trustpilot, is Action. Blair Ward will be in May, walking 96 miles in six responding to a big increase in For more information, please walking solo for five days from days and my mum and I walked demand for furniture in the area visit wellworking.co.uk the 7th September to support the 11 miles in one day along The only charity in the UK dedicated Granite Way back in June. The to lymphoma, a type of blood Great Glen Way will be my first cancer. It is one of three walking solo long distance walk, and I’m HMRC warns students challenges that she has set really excited!” herself this year to celebrate 12 “It feels fantastic giving back to of scams years of being in remission from charity that means so much to non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and to me”, she adds. “Lymphoma University students taking part- machine until they pay a ransom. give back to the charity that Action have been there time jobs are at increased risk of Between April and May this supported her through her every step of the way and I just falling victim to scams, HM year, 18 to 24-year olds reported diagnosis and treatment. As well want to thank them for the Revenue and Customs (HMRC) more than 5,000 phone scams as raising funds, Blair’s One outstanding work they do in is warning. Higher numbers of to HMRC. Mike Fell, Head of Step at a Time challenge is also supporting people affected students going to university this Cyber Security Operations at aiming to raise awareness of by lymphoma.” year means more young people HMRC, said: “Most students lymphoma as the fifth most “We are so grateful to Blair for may choose to take on part-time won’t have paid tax before, and common cancer in the UK. her support, and for raising work. Being new to interacting so could easily be duped by Her fundraising page can be awareness about lymphoma”, with HMRC and unfamiliar with scam texts, emails or calls either found at: says Sarah Thorn, Community genuine contact from the offering a ‘refund’ or demanding www.justgiving.com/fundraising and Partnerships Manager at department could make them unpaid tax. Students, who will /Blair-Ward3 Lymphoma Action. “Every 27 vulnerable to scams. have had little or no interaction “The past 12 years have been a minutes one of us is diagnosed In the past year almost 1 million with the tax system might be journey and challenging at with lymphoma, making it the people reported scams to HMRC. tricked into clicking on links in times” says Blair, 33. “Last most common blood cancer in Nearly half of all tax scams offer such emails or texts. Our advice December, I was given my 12- the UK, but there are still many fake tax refunds, which HMRC is to be wary if you are year clearance and discharged people are not aware of it. does not offer by SMS or email. contacted out of the blue by from my lymphoma consultant. Through the support from The criminals involved are someone asking for money or For the first time since my people like Blair, we can usually trying to steal money or personal information. We see diagnosis in 2008, I can continue to provide vital personal information to sell on high numbers of fraudsters honestly say that I’m feeling the information and support to to others. HMRC is a familiar contacting people claiming to be best I’ve ever felt both people affected by lymphoma to brand, which scammers abuse to from HMRC. If in doubt, our physically and mentally.” make sure no one has to face add credibility to their scams. advice is – do not reply directly “I named my set of walking lymphoma alone.” Links or files in emails or texts to anything suspicious, but challenges ‘One Step at a Time’, For further can also download dangerous contact HMRC through as not only does it apply to the information visit: software onto a computer or GOV.UK straight away and physical challenges ahead www.lymphoma-action.org.uk/ phone. This can then gather search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC in completing them, but I think BCAM personal data or lock the recipient’s scams’.” Pershore Times - September 2021 - Issue 64 3 HMRC can help with Annual Residents’ Survey childcare costs Families are eligible to save money towards the cost of Residents are being encouraged rubbish and littering had money on their childcare and childminders, breakfast and after to share their views on a variety increased. benefit from a government top- school clubs, and approved play of different topics as part of To help address this the council up worth up to £2,000 every schemes. Wychavon’s Residents’ Survey. launched outdoor anti-litter year, or up to £4,000 a year if a Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director The annual questionnaire, which educational sessions in schools, child is disabled. In June 2021, General for Customer Services, will run from 5 September to 3 which to date, more than 500 about 26,905 families in the said: “As your children head October, will give people across children have participated in. It West Midlands benefited from back to school this autumn, the district an opportunity to say also continued to promote its using Tax-Free Childcare, but don’t miss out on the what they think of their local Adopt a Street scheme, which thousands are missing out on opportunity to receive your 20% area and services.