All dentists have been advised to cease all face to face contact. A new directive has been issued that advises those with dental issues not to go to their GP or A&E, but to contact dentists that are participating in a triage service. A full list of dentists operating the triage phone service will be provided on the RCC website.
Dear resident,
First, a very happy Easter to you all. I hope you are able to enjoy the weather safely and that those of you with children and grandchildren are keeping them entertained whist following the no socialising rules. I’m missing my own daughter who was due to be spending the long weekend here in Rutland and sadly my contact with her is now only electronic. Please don’t be tempted to visit grandparents or let your children play with children from another family; social distancing is still essential. However, if you want something to amuse your children Visions Children’s Centre has come up with some ideas https://www.visionsccc.co.uk/sessions as has Rutland Museum https://rutlandcountymuseum.org.uk/kids-crafts/
Not all children are safe and happy, however, and RCC has recently issued a press release about safeguarding children. Here is part of it “Since the introduction of social distancing measures, brought in to limit the spread of coronavirus, the Council has seen a drop in reports to their safeguarding team. Council experts are concerned that, despite this drop, cases of child abuse may be on the rise, with fewer opportunities for it to be seen, reported and stopped. They are calling on residents to help make sure children are kept safe. If you have any concerns or something doesn’t look right, please let us know. Across the county front doors are being kept closed. But our door is always open. Residents are asked to look and listen out for signs that may indicate abuse:
* Very young children being left on their own
* Children looking dirty or not changing their clothes
* Children are withdrawn or anxious
* Aggressive or repeated shouting
* Sounds of hitting or banging and things being broken
* Children crying for long periods of time
* Relatives denied access to talk to children by phone or video call
To report concerns about children’s welfare call 01572 758 407 or email childrensreferrals@rutland.gov.uk <mailto:childrensreferrals@rutland.gov.uk> .
If a child is in immediate danger call 999 and ask for the police.”
Despite this lovely weather please don’t be tempted beyond your own garden other than necessary food shopping, a medical appointment or your own exercise. And don’t be tempted to have a house (or garden) party. The NHS needs us to keep lockdown so it doesn’t become overwhelmed. Stay safe. Stay happy.
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
Dear resident,
Many of you will have read in the press that calls to national charity helplines for those suffering domestic abuse have increased significantly during our self-isolation period. The Government has set up help for people suffering such abuse; it’s called The Silent Solution. Victims dial 999 and when the operator asks which emergency they want the caller taps the ‘phone or coughs. The operator will then prompt the caller to press 55 and the operator then directs the call to the relevant police force as an emergency. Please let anyone you know who might benefit from this service; more information on Rutland’s Facebook page (see below).
We all love our pets and they bring many people great comfort in times like these but please remember, when you are out walking your dog clear up its mess. Sadly we have seen an increase in dog mess in parts of Rutland. Please do your best to keep our pavements, paths and countryside clean.
If you are an individual or a business and have any Covid-19 questions and haven’t yet looked at RCC’s web site I would urge you to do so as it is being updated regularly. https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-services/health-and-family/health-and-nhs/health-and-support-services/coronavirus/ You might also want to have a look at the Council’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pg/RutlandCountyCouncil/posts/?ref=page_internal for up to the minute information.
Finally today I have a message from Alicia Kearns our MP.
Dear Residents,
Thank you for all you are doing to keep our communities safe. I’m enormously grateful to you all for adhering to the Government guidance. In this pandemic each of us can save lives, simply by staying home.
Over the coming months our communities will lose people we love, people we used to wave at on the street, and those we hadn’t yet had the chance to get to know. We’re already mourning people this virus has taken from us.
Thank you for all you are doing to support each other. In particular an enormous thanks to all our keyworkers, from NHS Staff and Carers, to our Council Workers, Teachers, Refuse Men and Women, Delivery Drivers, and Shop Workers.
If someone is giving their all to support our local communities, please write to me and nominate them for a Rutland and Melton Unsung Hero Award. I’ve launched these awards to say thank you to those working tirelessly to protect our communities, and have already recognised Oakham School and Rutland Plastics for their substantial and heroic efforts.
Following Government advice my office’s ways of working are changing. I am working to come back to you as quickly as possible, but ask that you make all contact via email as I cannot guarantee that we will be able to respond to telephone calls or letters in a timely manner.
For frequent updates on new Government support for individuals and businesses to defeat COVID-19, and to sign up to my newsletter please email alicia.kearns.mp@parliament.uk <mailto:alicia.kearns.mp@parliament.uk> .
I remain completely committed to supporting every single one of you, together we can save lives and protect our communities.
Stay safe,
Alicia
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
Under new regulations allowed by central government Parish Council’s can now hold virtual meetings which members of the public can sign into. Attached are the agenda’s for the above meetings along with the finance papers.
If any resident would like to raise any issue with the Parish Council please can they email the clerk: nlparishclerk@outlook.com prior to the meeting
A link to the virtual meeting will be posted on Tuesday 14th April so that any resident can observe the meeting.
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic Ahimsa Dairy is running free weekly deliveries of fresh milk in the villages of Manton, Wing and North Luffenham. Whole organic pasteurised or raw milk is available at a special subsidised price of £1.50 a litre throughout the lockdown period.
For more details please contact:
Nikki mobile 07958 347629 or email nikkisemail2002@gmail.com
About Us
The Ahimsa Dairy Foundation is a not-for-profit company that was set up to provide entirely slaughter-free milk. At present our girls, who all have names, produce 23,000 of litres of milk a year. We distribute to the door in North West London and parts of Hertfordshire. We have drop-off points in other areas of London and the South-East and can distribute milk and other products when available nationally by mail. We also go to Queens Park and Islington London Farmers’ markets on Sundays and Stamford market on Fridays. Cows are retired to join their friends in the non-milking herd when they are past milking age where they spend their days eating grass and chewing the cud.
We are looking at a variety of ways of working with bulls. These range from ploughing the land to producing electricity and milling flour.
Our mission is to make slaughter-free milk a reality and establish sustainable dairy farms in Britain, which give people a real ethical choice.
Dear resident,
I hope you are keeping well and cheerful. It is good to see so many smiling faces when I take my daily constitutional. Just two points today. First, if you are clearing out please keep anything destined for the dump/charity shop till all our systems are back in operation. Do NOT put extra bags out for the bin men. Our refuse collectors are working under extreme difficulties at the moment and have been instructed to empty bins only. They will NOT take additional bags. The second is that, as you know, children’s play areas are out of bounds but some anti-social people have been removing/damaging the signs which have been put out to explain this. If you spot signs which are damaged/missing please contact your parish council. Look after yourself and if you need to contact me, or just want a chat, the details are below.
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
Dear resident,
It is now official, there has been a recorded case of Coronavirus in a Rutland resident. We in Rutland are not immune from this disease so I would urge you to take self-isolation and social distancing seriously. This means restricting visiting a shop to not more than once a week, having shopping delivered if possible, using your village’s prescription collection service to reduce the numbers going to the surgeries and pharmacies, and staying indoors. Some people have to go out to work, of course, and we are all allowed out for daily exercise but one session of daily exercise is just that. It’s not a bike ride/jog in the morning and a walk with the family or dog in the afternoon; it is one or the other and walking your dog is your daily exercise as well as the dog’s! It has been reported that young people have been seen playing football on our village open spaces. This is not acceptable because it is impossible to play football and maintain the 2 meter social distance required by Government and it is enabling cross family mixing, again not recommended. Don’t let your children and grandchildren out to play with other families till all this is over and if you see any football or other games going on, feel free to challenge the players. The latest modelling suggests the death toll in the UK from Covid-19 will be lower that first feared, largely because of the success of self-isolation and social distancing but we all need to keep it up. Look after yourself and if you need to contact me, or just want a chat, the details are below.
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
It has been brought to the attention of the Parish Council that there was a a group of children playing football on the Oval Recreation Ground this afternoon. We would kindly request that this does not happen again in accordance with the Government’s current guidelines. The more that people follow the current advice then hopefully the current restrictions will be lifted.
Thank you North Luffenham Parish Council
Sadly we are no longer permitted to keep the church building open, but Church is not buildings, Church is the Christian community. Rev. Pippa will be conducting a Service this coming Sunday for the whole of the Benefice at 0930hrs. It will be accessible on the Rutland Water Benefice Facebook page as a Watch Party. It has the options of being listened to, or joined interactively. It is very easy to access, but to do so you must be on Facebook and then join the Rutland Water Benefice group. And if you are not a Facebook person, joining both Facebook and the Group is easy!
To join Facebook, search for Facebook, answer a few questions, provide a password and there you are.
Then, search for The Rutland Water Benefice
To request to join the The Rutland Water Benefice Facebook group, “Press Join”..
You will then become a member of the group – it may take half a day to add to you or far far less !
You will then have access to the Watch Party ready for Sunday 0930hrs
Please spread the News of the Rutland Water Benefice Facebook page as it is updated daily and a valuable source of Christian fellowship locally.
Dear resident,
This is my third note during these difficult times and this time it is a plea. Many people, understandably, are taking this period of forced isolation to have a good clear out. That’s great but please store what you want to dispose of until the municipal waste sites and charity shops re-open. Both were closed partly because of the need for social distancing but mainly because of the risk of staff becoming infected from the virus being on the goods disposed of/donated. DO NOT leave goods outside the closed charity shops. The charities will not be collecting these donations and their removal will be the responsibility of refuse collectors/street cleaners, both of whom will be at risk if the bags are contaminated. Thank you for your co-operation.
We have all witnessed the courage of NHS staff, albeit for most of us through the medium of our TV screens. We recognise their dedication and the risks to their own health this brings. Can we also remember the dedication of staff working for Rutland County Council and give them a “thank you” too. Like all employers Rutland Council has adopted home working where possible but not all staff can work from home nor follow safe working practices such as social distancing. Staff answering your calls are in the office, refuse collectors cannot keep a safe distance from each other as they dispose of our waste and social workers, RCC’s Admiral Nurses and so on still visit people in their homes and like health service colleagues do not always have sufficient personal protective equipment. So, if you see any of these folk going about their work give them a cheery wave –from a safe distance, of course!
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
In accordance with new Government guidelines on play areas and equipment we have today had to close the use of the play equipment on the Oval Recreation Ground. Please respect this notice. Thank you NLPC
Dear resident,
This is my second note during these difficult times. Rutland County Council has recently announced additional on line support to businesses which can be found here https://www.greaterlincolnshirelep.co.uk/priorities-and-plans/covid-19/ Rutland County Council is now part of the Greater Lincolnshire LEP so their services are open to Rutland businesses.
Our local health providers have also set up a web site which can be accessed here https://rutlandhealth.co.uk/covid-19-coronavirus-rutland-gp-services/ Stay isolating if you can and stay safe. If you need to contact me the details are below.
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
As you may have heard we’ve sadly made the decision to close all of our water parks, including Rutland Water, to the public along with all activities with immediate effect to help limit the spread of coronavirus. None of our car parks will be open and all tracks and gates are closed. Public access will not be permitted in any areas.
All events at our parks will be cancelled until the end of June which sadly means that the Anglian Water Music Festival will be postponed until next year. We’ll be excited to welcome festival goers to the shores of Rutland Water then, but are advising those who have bought tickets for this year’s event to choose whether to defer their booking until next year, or claim a full refund. Refunds can be claimed via Eventbrite, and if we don’t hear from ticket holders by Monday 31st August, tickets will automatically be rolled over to next year’s festival.
We would encourage everybody to follow the Government’s advice to social distance and not travel wherever possible to protect the most vulnerable in our communities.
Bus Services from Monday 23 March 2020 until further notice
Centrebus will be operating in Rutland as follows:
12 & 29 – For details see Centrebus website
747 – normal service
RF2 – normal service
9 – no service (see separate RCC notice)
146 – normal service
RF1 – may go to a two hourly service
47 – no service
For up to date information on all services please visit www.centrebus.info / @CentrebusLive
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CallConnect services are operating as normal and the Booking Centre will open:
Mon-Fri 8.00 am – 5.00 pm
Sat 8.30 am – 4.00 pm
Tel: 0345 263 8153 / www.lincsbus.info / @callconnect
The above information is subject to change
Dear resident,
I hope you are well and safe at this difficult time. Rutland County Council is rising to the challenge of delivering essential services for residents but you will find changes to what is normally provided such as the closure of the municipal waste sites. The Council is regularly updating its Covid-19 web pages, including explaining how Government announcements, for example on business rates, is being managed. To find out more please go to https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-services/health-and-family/health-and-nhs/health-and-support-services/coronavirus-covid-19/ In addition for those of you who don’t subscribe the Council produces a free regular newsletter “Your Rutland” which also carries useful information. You can subscribe here https://www.rutland.gov.uk/my-council/your-rutland-e-newsletter/ Remember, follow the social distance advice and stay safe. If you need to contact me the details are below.
Gale Waller
County Councillor, Normanton Ward
gwaller@rutland.gov.uk 01780 722169
Jason is offering to sell today, on a take out basis, between 4pm and 8pm real ale for £1 per pint.
If you are interested please take your own container
Following the governments decision today that all pubs now need to close to help reduce the spread of Coronavirus and therefore the impact on the NHS.
As a consequence the Fox will now be closing, however Jason is going to be offering a take out service from tomorrow, Saturday 21st March 2020
For full details please see the attached leaflet
Following guidance from Central Government actual Parish Council meetings along with committees and working groups are to be suspended for the time being due to CORVID-19.
Central Gov’t is currently working on new legislation to allow future meetings to be held virtually. This means that the NLPC meeting scheduled for 23rd March is cancelled. Further information about the Annual Parish meeting scheduled for April and the Annual Parish Council meeting in May will follow, though at present it is likely both will be postponed to later in the year.
Please find attached the agendas for the above meetings which will be held at NL Community Centre
We recently posted an item with regard to the increase in dog mess that was being seen around the village especially in Church Street and also in close proximity to the childrens play area on the Oval. This issue is now a national campaign by ‘Keep Britain Tidy’ and they have just produced the following short video.
The Parish Council is also considering introducing a scheme run by RCC which has proved to be very successful in other parishes across Rutland. If adopted we will be looking for support from residents.