An update from Martin Tett, Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

Dear Resident, (Excerpts taken from email update)

Last week we told you about an important crisis fund that Buckinghamshire Council has made available for our many local volunteer groups that have set up during this emergency. I wanted to remind you about how to apply for these grants. Charities or registered ‘not for profit’ organisations can apply for the grants of up to £2,000. The grants are for groups who are supporting vulnerable residents or who are making deliveries etc to enable people to stay at home. You have to apply for the money via your local councillor.

Vulnerable residents This is something we are saying in every email but it’s so important we keep getting this information out to you. Our adult social care teams continue to keep checking in with all vulnerable residents we are aware of through this crisis, making regular calls, many daily. Please do tell us if you know of someone who might need our help. You can call the Adult Social Care team on 01296 383 402.

Video updates Hopefully you know by now that we are doing daily video updates – all available online, and these are a great way to get the latest information on the coronavirus emergency, with great guests who are giving us more details on many aspects of the crisis.

Health advice for parents during coronavirus Parents might be feeling confused about when to seek treatment for children for illnesses that aren’t related to coronavirus, especially with the current ‘stay at home’ advice and pressure on the NHS. But this is raising concerns that some people might not be seeking medical help when they should be, whether for themselves or for their children.

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health has produced this useful advice sheet for parents, with a symptom guide to help them decide which health services (whether GP, pharmacy, A&E or 999) to use if their child should fall ill or experience an injury.

Business grants Our business grants team worked over the weekend again to get applications processed and paid as quickly as possible. As a result, we have now paid out 4,022 grants totalling £52.7 million out of the total grant we received from government.

If you run a small business you can find out more and apply at www.buckinghamshire.gov.uk/businessgrant.

Garden waste Our garden waste service is still suspended so I wanted to remind you again of the options you have for managing this waste. You can store it for when the service starts again, or ideally, you can compost it. We offer a discounted price for Buckinghamshire Council residents when they buy a composting bin from www.getcomposting.com, so you might want to consider composting at home.

I know this might not work for everyone but please think carefully before you light a bonfire to dispose of your garden waste. While not illegal, bonfires can cause a nuisance to others and can exacerbate breathing problems for people with conditions like asthma, so please do consider your neighbours before lighting a fire and where possible, please store or compost your garden waste.

As ever, stay safe and stay well,

Martin Tett

Leader of Buckinghamshire Council

buckinghamshire.gov.uk

Buckinghamshire C