The Police and Crime Commissioner and Worcestershire County Council elections are scheduled to take place on Thursday 6^th May. Due to the ongoing public health situation we are promoting the availability of postal votes to Malvern residents.

Polling stations will be safe places to vote but we would like to encourage anyone who is concerned about attending a polling station to apply for a postal vote. Anyone who is already registered as a postal voter doesn’t need to re-apply and will be send one automatically.

Electors who want to apply for a postal vote can contact us on 01684 862202 or email elections@malvernhills.gov.uk

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.

Kind Regards,

Katie Vass (AEA Cert.)

Electoral Services Manager

01684 862212

The Council House, Avenue Road, Malvern, WR14 3AF

MHDC_May_elections

Operation SNAP West Mercia Police

As part of Operation Snap, members of the public can report and submit digital footage showing potential traffic offences via a secure online form.

Submit footage

This can range from driving dangerously or carelessly to overtaking on solid white lines, using a mobile phone while driving, ignoring traffic lights or dangerous driving around other road users, such as horse riders and cyclists.

Your submission will be sent to West Mercia Police where the evidence will be reviewed by one of our road traffic police officers.

Due to the large volume of submissions received each week, we are unable to update each submitter regarding the outcome of their allegation. However, all submissions are dealt with pro-actively to help reduce risk taking and poor driving on our counties roads.

Any footage submitted through the portal can be used by us to help educate other road users and to advise on case results.

For more information, please see the Frequently Asked Questions section or email OpSnap@westmercia.pnn.police.uk

Operation SNAP website

“ Dear Residents,

I know that the news of a new lockdown for England, will be frustrating and upsetting for many people. Worcestershire has tried very hard to keep Covid-19 cases down, and many of you have made sacrifices to protect yourselves and others. We have all had to make changes to the way we live our lives in recent months, and that included over Christmas, when so many were not able to spend time with loved ones.

But some stark realities remain for us all. Worcestershire’s infection rates are at the highest we have ever seen. In the past 7 days alone, the county has 1,888 positive Covid-19 cases, which is more than all positive cases seen during May, June, July, August and September 2020 combined. I am concerned about this level of spread, and the risk it poses to our health and the lives of our vulnerable and elderly residents. We need to act now to protect one another, prevent the virus spreading further and reduce the demand on our hospitals.

The pandemic continues to dominate our daily lives, cases are rising nationally and we know the new variant of Covid-19 spreads very quickly. Our NHS is also facing considerable pressure on its services. All of these factors have led to the government’s announcement of a new lockdown across England. This means once again, we are facing tough restrictions on our way of life. I know this is hard, but by doing as we are asked, we are saving lives. The restrictions have been brought in to protect every one of us.

Please now stay at home, don’t go out unless you need to, for example to buy food or collect medicines. The Government has set out the clear limitations of the lockdown and I ask you to read the restrictions and follow the rules. You can read a full explanation of all the restrictions on the government’s website; https://www.gov.uk/guidance/national-lockdown-stay-at-home

Once again, Worcestershire County Council’s Here2Help service is available to anyone who needs support or is clinically extremely vulnerable (shielding). If you have no-one to turn to for help, our service can respond and provide help such as collecting medicines and getting shopping. You can reach the service online; https://www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help

If you are on the Government’s shielding list, you will be receiving guidance about what to do now. It is key that you socially distance, and you reduce your physical contact with others. The governments webpages are updated regularly and you can read detailed guidance at; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

While we are all at home, please do remember to check on vulnerable or isolated residents. Just a phone call or a text message can provide a vital link to the outside world, and can ensure those who need comfort or help, have someone to turn to.

You will know that a programme of vaccination has begun nationally, and we are already seeing Worcestershire residents receiving the first doses. This process is being co-ordinated by central Government, and following a strict order for administering the doses. Worcestershire County Council is supporting NHS colleagues to ensure the roll-out is progressing. The vaccines are safe, and if you are called forward to receive one, I strongly urge you to do so. In the meantime, please keep following the rules, wear face coverings, wash your hands, keep your distance. These simple measures help reduce the spread of the virus.

We are all in this together. Throughout the pandemic, you have shown your resilience, kindness and compassion for others. We have seen many examples of people supporting one another, lending a hand or going the extra mile. The situation has demonstrated how working together, we are able to support one another and get through. I am asking you to do this once again. The single most important thing you can do for everyone, is to stay home. Please do this for yourself and for others. We all want to protect people who are precious to us, our family and friends. Let’s take care of each other, and work together.

Thank you for doing this. Our actions now will hopefully bring brighter days for us all in 2021.

Best wishes

Dr. Kathryn Cobain  “

We know that people over 60 can be badly affected by the virus. It can make you very poorly, need hospital care and even cause death. This is, of course, very worrying. It also has implications for our NHS. It leads to pressure on our services and creates a rising demand for intensive care beds. We need to act now, to prevent this situation becoming any worse.

How can you help?  How can you protect yourself and others?  Please follow national restrictions during the lockdown period and then any new guidance from 2^nd December. You should also keep your distance, wash your hands regularly and wear face coverings where needed. These measures are our best defence against the virus. We know it can be hard, keeping a distance from others, avoiding travelling to places, not meeting up with friends or family. But the virus spreads when we mix and have contact and don’t stay apart. Stay local, don’t visit areas with higher levels of restrictions. If we can stay local, stop visiting areas with greater numbers of infections, we can protect ourselves and others.

Please ensure you self-isolate as soon as you have a symptom of Covid-19. The symptoms to look out for are;

• a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
• a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
• a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste – this means you’ve noticed you cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

If you have any of these, no matter how mild your symptoms, please self-isolate immediately and book a test. You can do this online https://www.gov.uk/get-coronavirus-test or by calling 119.

With a second national lockdown in place, the County Council’s Here2Help service is on hand to help residents who require extra support.

A phone number has been set up to help fill out the form for those who can’t access the internet. The dedicated number is: 01905 768053 and is open Monday – Thursday 9:00 – 5:00pm and Friday 9:00 – 4:30pm.

Guidance for those who are clinically extremely vulnerable has been updated to include additional measures to keep this group safe during lockdown. This information is available on the Here2Help shielding advice page on the county council’s website. The Government is encouraging people in this group to register for support on the national website where they, for example, can get access to priority supermarket deliveries.

For more information, please visit: www.worcestershire.gov.uk/here2help

Western Power Distribution offers festive community support grants of up to £1,500

With the festive season approaching at the end of a difficult year, the region’s electricity distribution network company, Western Power Distribution, is extending its ‘In This Together – Community Matters Fund’ to offer help to the most vulnerable people affected by COVID-19 and in need of additional support at this time.

WPD is inviting charities, community groups and local authorities to apply for awards of up to £1,500 to support initiatives such as those offering food and clothing parcels and hot meals, as well as gifts and support to vulnerable children, adults and the elderly over the winter holidays.

Phil Swift, Western Power Distribution CEO, said: “We all know that the festive period is going to be different this year but, for some, the effects of the pandemic will hit particularly hard and make this time incredibly difficult. I’m delighted we’re able to extend our commitment and play our role in supporting our communities through this challenging time.

“Our grants have already delivered a welcome boost to a wide range of organisations from large city hospitals to smaller community groups. As winter approaches, we are recognising initiatives that work hard to spread a little festive cheer and practical support amongst those that need it most. By the end of 2020, WPD will have contributed £1million to many immensely worthy causes, and I can say – hand on heart – that every penny will have been money well spent.”

To date, grant-funded initiatives have directly benefited thousands of people impacted by the emotional, social and economic impact of COVID-19 across the breadth of the WPD network, with £750,000 awarded to 463 organisation so far this year already.

Applications for the ‘In This Together – Community Matters Fund’ are welcome from registered charities, community groups and councils within the WPD distribution network area.

The application form is available from the WPD website www.westernpower.co.uk/ITT-festive-fund  and the closing date for submissions is Sunday 15 November. Applicants will be notified as to whether their application has been successful or not by the end of November.

Please feel free to share this information within your community. We welcome applications up to £1,500 but no funding request is too small.

Apply for the fund  Our last ‘In This Together – Community Matters’ fund was a real success….