Community May 2020

Community
EastCambridgeshire
Your Community is here for you -
especially in these challenging times
May 2020
Find out how and where to get help
Information and advice about public services
Community stories -
Celebrating how we have been pulling together
@eastcambstc
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Pictured: The Wish Tree in Fordham – find out what else is happening there and across our district inside.

Welcome to Community,
a newsletter from East
Cambs Together.
We are a group of community and public sector
partners collaborating in these challenging times. In this
edition we’re shining a light on communities who have
come together to support each other during the
Covid-19 pandemic. From checking in on neighbours,
providing essential support, to helping raise the spirits of
residents, we have lots of heart warming stories for you
to enjoy.
Talking about raising spirits of residents, did you spot
Captain America in Little Thetford? He had heard how
well behaved the children had been, dug into his
Captain America pockets to purchase Easter eggs and
shared them with the village. Several children in the
village dressed as their
favourite superhero to
make him feel at home.
We’re positive this isn't
the only superhero
hanging out in East
Cambridgeshire!

ThePORTkeeps
familiesconnected
inLittleport
It’s not an easy time for families.
Young people want to see their
friends, and homeschooling is a
challenge. The youth group
ThePORT based in Littleport have
been finding ways to help
families and young people to
stay safe and supported by:
● Encouraging young people
to stay home and sharing the
importance of hand washing
through their Facebook page.
● Making contact with young
people from ThePort who
struggle with their mental health
and well-being, letting people
know phone support is available.
● Providing support to parents
who were struggling with
homeschooling along with craft
activities being distributed to
entertain young people, whilst
parents are home-working.
Friendships made in Sutton
Since lockdown Sutton
Timebank have supported 58
households with everyday
tasks, they’ve also set up the
Timebank phone buddy system,
where people are calling
isolated residents for a chat,
and a number of new
friendships have been made.
Sutton has seen a resident
selling plants from a
wheelbarrow outside her home
with proceeds going to charity,
and the drummer from the local
tribute band ‘Iron Fist ’has been
entertaining residents from his
front garden.
Fordhamshowsthe
valueoftime
During these uncertain times
simple tasks such as
popping to the shops for a pint of
milk, the daily paper, or picking
up a prescription is not possible
for a lot of people. Over one
hundred volunteers from
Fordham Timebank have
stepped up to this challenge to
provide essential support to
vulnerable residents, here's a
few examples of how:
● Delivering daily newspapers
to the shielding residents to
keep them connected.
● Setting up the Covid Assist -
Temporary Foodbank for people
in the village who need a little
help with the basic food items
during difficult financial times.
● They’ve kept the community
baking by sourcing a large
bag of self raising flour - villagers
were able to head to the British
Legion to collect flour.

ElyNorth&South
PrimaryCareNetworks.
As your local GP practices, we are facing our most
significant challenge in the history of the NHS.
Please be reassured that all the changes we have
made to how we deliver your care are to keep you and our staff as
safe and well as possible, in line with government advice. Key
changes are explained below. They may vary between practices
but it gives you a good idea of what to expect, recognising that this
may change again as the epidemic progresses.
1
More phone and video consultations. We have reduced face-toface
consultations in surgeries and at home, including residential
and nursing homes, and are introducing video consultations. Your
primary way of reaching your GP is now AskMyGP.
2
Reduced services. If we have cancelled an appointment with you,
it’s because we are re-focusing our teams to help those who may
have contracted Covid-19, and/or to minimise the risk of spread of
Covid-19.
3
Prescription changes. The demand for repeat prescriptions has
increased by about 50% since the government announced the
strict self-isolation guidance. This is putting immense pressure on our
dispensaries and pharmacies. Please don’t order your repeats early
or stock-pile medication. Request them no more than 10 days before
you are due to run out. We can only issue 1 months’ worth of
medication.
4
Government guidelines. The best ways to protect yourself and your
family are to follow the government guidelines on social distancing
applicable to everyone in the UK, self-isolation if someone in your
household develops symptoms, and good personal hygiene.
Our Social Prescribing Link Workers are able to contact older and
vulnerable people to check they have what they need. We are
based at the following Surgeries:
Staploe Medical Centre - Val Antell 01353 624121
Burwell Medical Centre - Jenni Milburn 01638 741234
Haddenham Medical Centre - Jenni Milburn 01353 740205
St. Mary’s Surgery, Ely - Pearl Charalambos 01353 663434
Cathedral Medical Centre, Ely - Sarah Porter 01353 669923
St. George’s Medical Centre, Littleport - Pearl and Sarah 01353 864100
If you are concerned about a member of your local community who
could be isolated, you can ring the Social Prescriber based at their
local Surgery.

Where to go
for support
Try locally first
You can find details of your local community
support in East Cambs throughout this
newsletter. The help that has been offered
varies, but some examples of the support that
has been offered include shopping, running
errands and friendly phone calls. There is a list
of local support groups on the back of this
newsletter for you to be able to cut out and
keep.
For the most up-to-date list you can check
the East Cambs District Council website:
www.eastcambs.gov.uk

ThemagicofJohn’sWood
T
hose taking a walk around the small woodland
hidden away in Coveney are unlikely to meet
another soul, but since the lockdown began signs of
children’s imagination are everywhere. There are faces
on the trees, rainbows chalked on the branches, fairy
houses and dens of sticks. Little signs from Coveney’s
youngest residents that community spirit continues
regardless of these strange times.
LuvEly
helping
those
in need
L
uvEly is working in partnership with
Lighthouse and volunteers are packing
food boxes using surplus supermarket
donations, along with support from
FareShare. These food packages are
delivered each week to over 130 families
in our community who are isolated and in
need of a little help.

Supporting
familiesfrom
afar
Little Thetford have been
providing support to their
vulnerable residents by volunteers
making weekly contact.
When they were contacted
via the village Facebook
page by a family who lived
150 miles away who were
concerned over the wellbeing
of their elderly
mother. The family was able
to talk to the volunteer who
could share the ongoing
support their mum was receiving.
The family was extremely
grateful and it put
their mind at rest.
Wickenpulls
together
W
icken's support network was
created by Amy Reeves and
Kate Wakefield with over 35
dedicated volunteers supporting
vulnerable residents.
A weekly fruit and veg delivery
service has been set up, and
managed by Amy and Kate, and
delivered by G&M's, a family run
business from Soham and
receives over 30 repeat orders
every week. Amy says:
"The residents of Wicken really
appreciate their weekly delivery
of fresh fruit and veg, the quality
of the produce is great and
people order every week."
Thankyou
Bikers!
AAA Motorcycle
Training Ltd are
offering a totally free
prescription collection
and delivery service
throughout Cambridgeshire
and into other bordering
counties. To organise use of
this service simply ring or
text Sam or Lori on
07384746025. Alternatively
you can email us on:
aaamotorcycletrainingschool
@gmail.com.

DearSoham
T
he Shade and Weatheralls schools in
Soham have been collaborating with
community organisations to celebrate VE
day. Over 30 children have written letters to
local older residents and in return they will
send their own letter to the children sharing
memories of VE day and post war
experiences.
Many of the residents are
shielding, and are
delighted to be taking
part, engaging with
children and sharing
their memories and
experiences. Some
residents at Soham
Lodge are not only
taking part in the letter
writing, but also making a
film of their memories which they will share
with the children. A wonderful way to
commemorate VE day whilst creating a
piece of social history.
Want to Join in? Here’s how
-MyDearNewFriend
The ‘My Dear New Friend’ project encourages children to write
letters to people living in care homes, it is supported by the National
Literacy Trust and you can find out more about it on their website –
www.literacytrust.org.uk/family-zone/mydearnewfriend
We learnt about this project just as we went to press. Already a few
Support Groups have said they would like to facilitate letter
exchange in their own communities – if you live in Fordham or
Soham then please get in touch with Fordham Timebank or Soham
Handy Helpers (details listed on back pages) and in Littleport
contact Joanne Coe by email Theport@mail.com. Age doesn’t
matter …we know people across the life spectrum would love to rekindle
the lost art of letter writing!

Our schools remain open for
vulnerable and keyworker children
O
ur Local Authority Education teams have been
working tirelessly with our primary and
secondary school leaders to ensure they can stay
open, and provide a safe and welcome learning
environment for our most vulnerable children and
those of our key workers. The result of this means we now have
considerably more children attending than the national average.
Schools were planning for this long before the lockdown was
enforced, so they are there for you now if you need them.
We have also been working with the Department of Education to
ensure families eligible for Free School Meals are still provided for,
whether children are at home or in school. We are helping promote
a Government voucher scheme, worth £3 per day for every eligible
child. These vouchers can be spent in a number of supermarkets,
such as Aldi, Morrisons and Sainsburys. Parents should contact their
school directly to find out more. The Government understand
people’s financial circumstances may have changed due to the
lockdown – so more families may now be eligible for free school
meals.
To help those with children at home, our team have produced the
amazing Home Learning Hub. This is full of ideas, activities,
challenges and tasks on a wide range of subjects from Maths and
English, to PE and Outdoor Learning. I would encourage you to have
a look. It’s proving to be very popular with parents who are
teaching their children at home.
www.cambslearntogether.co.uk
Newsfromyour
LibraryService
Ahave
ll library charges
been
suspended and the
due dates of items will
be extended until at
least the end of the
Government advised
lockdown for shielded
Individuals. Join the
library to read or listen
to books and use our
online resources:
www.cambridgeshire.
g o v . u k / r e s i d e n t s /
l i b r a r i e s - l e i s u r e -
culture/libraries
Lookingafterthecounty’scarers
A
project to support people across
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough who
are carers to friends and family has seen
hundreds of people contacted to enquire
whether they need support.
Family carers are currently delivering unprecedented
levels of essential care and support
to people with care needs in the community
who are impacted by the pandemic.
Cambridgeshire County and Peterborough
City Council staff have contacted 1,557
family carers known to adult social care, to
check that they are coping, provide preventative
advice and connect them to
sources of support where this is needed.
If you are a carer and you would like to talk
to us about the support on offer, please call
the countywide hub on 0345 045 5219.

Cambridgeshire
Constabulary
UPDATES
afterpreviousstatement(4 th april2020)
W
e have been very pleased with the general East Cambs
community for observing social distancing and abiding
by the Government ‘stay at home’ message. Our officers have
continued to conduct high visibility patrols particularly around
Supermarkets and Chemists as well as our villages. It’s a large
area you may not always see them, but they are out and
about.
There has been some hate crime and hurtful comments
mainly instigated by social media – in a closed group setting.
We have taken steps to deal with it.
A number of crooks have been locked up. With the quieter
roads it isn’t as easy for people to get up to criminal activity
and keep a low profile. Officers are encouraged to stop and
engage with motorists and this has resulted in several people
being caught and arrested for criminal matters as well as
drink-driving.
Additionally with our quieter roads some motorists seem to
think they can speed through our villages, we have been
doing a number of randomised speed checks with our Laser
calibrated speed gun. A number of motorists are now facing
the consequences… to shed tears when caught won’t mean
you are let off!
A very small number of people have received fines for not
observing the ‘stay at home message’, including for having
house parties and also coming to our area to go fishing.
The Constabulary has enabled on-line reporting for suspected
government advice breaches which can be found at
www.cambs.police.uk/report/Report-a-breach-of-COVID-
19-restrictions
Finally, we take the opportunity to thank East Cambs residents
for supporting the emergency workers. It’s often a difficult and
taxing job and we are very grateful for public kindness
expressed by people’s comments and feedback.
SergeantMarkRabel

CambridgeshireFire
andRescueService
Cambridgeshire Fire and Rescue Service
is working hard to ensure there are crews of
firefighters ready to respond to emergencies. Residents
are, however, urged to stay fire safe while they isolate
in their homes, as many fires we attend can often be
avoided by following safety advice or people being
more careful.
It is really important that residents take care while
isolating and make sure they don’t put themselves at
risk. Small things like not having bonfires to clear
garden waste and making sure any smoking materials
are disposed of properly can all help prevent an
unnecessary fire, as well as thinking twice before
lighting candles.
One really simple thing people can do to protect their
families and their home is to ensure they have working
smoke alarms. They will alert you to a fire and give you
precious minutes to escape to safety. You should have
at least one on every floor and test them regularly.
Not only are we ready to respond to emergencies, but
our staff are also joining the local community hub to
provide support to residents who are shielding. We are
also providing support to the ambulance service by
providing staff to drive ambulances, deliver medicines
and to take vulnerable people to medical
appointments.
More fire safety information, including activities to keep
children entertained, can be found on our website
www.cambsfire.gov.uk.

Housing & Community
ADVICE SERVICE
Your Housing & Community Advice Service is here to provide free,
unbiased confidential advice to members of the public in the East
CambridgeshireDistrict.Whetheryouarehavingproblemswithhousing,
workissues,debtormoneyworriesweareheretoassistyou.
01353665555
housingservices@eastcambs.gov.uk
We want to listen we want to help

Connectwithcarenetwork
Help at home with essential
shopping and our well being
phone line services
01353659639
care-network.org.uk or call 01954 211 919
VOLUNTARY&
COMMUNITYACTIONEAST
CAMBRIDGESHIRE
Offering a support service to any
potential volunteers or community
groups that need help, advice or
guidance with procedures or
fundraising.
If you need any information or help
please ring me on 07971176124 or
email granville@vcaec.org.uk
Do you need help getting the support
and information you need at this difficult
time? Our information service can tell
you what is available locally. And let
you know your options.
03303551285
Text07520635176
www.healthwatchcambridgeshire.co.uk
Need help with
a problem?
Our friendly
team at
Citizens Advice
is here to help
you.
West Suffolk
Rural Cambs
03003301151
03442451292
www.citizensadvice.org.uk
Support your community
There are so many vulnerable people in our
communities and we must keep up our
awareness of how we can recognise and
support them.
Thank you for making your Community your Business
eastcambs.gov.uk/community-safety/community-eyes-and-ears
I
t’s important we keep talking,
now more than ever. If
days seem tough and you
feel low, LifelinePlus can help.

Can you offer help?
Do you need help?
East Cambridgeshire Hub
The East Cambridgeshire Hub provides local support for our residents and will respond
to individual offers of help or request for support. It will also connect with
and support mutual aid and other community-led iniaves. Parish councils and
community groups in many areas are also offering direct support, and can also be
contacted for help.
Call: 01353 66 55 55
Open: Mon-Thurs 08:45-17:00 / Fri 08:45-16:30
Email: covid19@eastcambs.gov.uk
Online: www.eastcambs.gov.uk/content/coronavirus-communitysupport
SupportifyouareShielding
If you believe you should be shielded and are at high risk, and
you do not have support from family, friends or neighbours,
please call the Countywide Hub.
The support network is now in place and everyday hundreds of
people are being supported to access food, medicines and
other support. The Countywide Hub is focused on supporting
residents who have been identified as shielding and being of the
highest risk.
To contact the countywide hub
visit www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/coronavirus
It can also be contacted Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm,
and Saturdays 9am to 1pm on 0345 045 5219

Useful contacts and
support groups in
your area.
If the support group near you do not have a telephone number Call
East Cambs District Council and they will put you in touch with them.
01353 66 55 55
Village
ContactDetails
Ashley Parish Support Group 01638 731 043
Bottisham general support 07572 892 227
Bottisham and Lode shopping
deliveries
Brinkley/Burrough Green 07715 574 296
Burwell Day centre (meals on
wheels) 01638 743 363
Burwell Help Scheme
Cheveley Parish and Support
Group 01638 780 835
Chippenham Helping Hands 07585 963 756
07852 549 654 (9am - 11.30am)
01638 614 331 (9.30am - 7pm)
Coveney (inc Ward Hill) Village
Hall Support Group 07890 988 443
Dullingham Volunteer Network
01638 507 997
Dullinghamparishclerk@dullingham.orh.uk
Ely Mutual Aid
Mon - Fri
9am - 12noon 07818580 209/07704 156 867
12noon - 5pm 07719 980 502
Sat & Sun leave a message: 07704 156 867
Ely Community Response
Lighthouse Centre
01353 662 228
Info@lighthouse-ely-org
Elt St Etheldreda Church Support
Group
01353 662 759 - 07763 800 565
priest@elyrcchurch.com
Ely Stour green Mutual Aid Group
07900 195 136
Annabel.line@gmail.com
Fordham Timebank 07395 941 522
Haddenham Support Group
haddenhamvolunteers@gmail.com
Isleham Parish & Volunteer Group 07831 168 899
Kennett Support
Little Downham & Pymoor Mutual
Aid
kennettparishclerk@kennettvillage.co.uk
07850 521 590
Community.lpd0@gmail.com

Village
ContactDetails
Little Thetford Parish & Friendship
Group 07795 200 447
Littleport Support Group
Lode/Longmead Mutual Aid
Mepal Parish & Support Group
Reach Parish Council & Support
Group
Snailwell Parish Council 07527 777 942
Soham Town Council & Soham Handy
Helpers
Stetchworth Support 01638 780 835
Stretham Parish Council & Womens
Institute
Covid19helplittleport@hotmail.com
clerk@littleportparishcouncil.gov.uk
07812 243 732
teresa@2spaces.co.uk
07842 499 377
mepalparishcouncil@msn.com
A.degiorgiomiller@gmail.com
01353 723 472 (weekdays 9am-1pm)
clerk@strethampc.org.uk
Sutton Timebank 07595 736 664
Swaffham Bulbeck Support Response
Swaffham Prior Parish Support
Wicken Support Group
Wilburton Isolation Support Group
01223 813 556
jgoodland66@gmail.com
07825 787 896
cherylwilding@hotmail.com
swaffhampriorclerk@gmail.com
07961 737 020
wickencoronavirushelp@outlook.com
wisguk2020@gmail.com
Witcham Parish and Support Group 07933 547 290
Witchford Parish & Support Group 07933 547 290
info@witchfordsupport.uk
Wentworth Support
01353 778 684
parishclerk@wentworthonline.org.uk
Westley Waterless 07970 582 184
Woodditton
wooddittonvillagenhw@hotmail.com
If you have concerns about an adult with care and support needs
please do use our usual route: Cambridgeshire County Council
0345 045 5202
careinfo@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
IF AT ANY TIME YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT
SOMEONES IMMEDIATE HEALTH OR SAFETY CALL 999
If you are a Community Leader interested in getting involved with
East Cambs Together please email:
wendy.lansdown@cambridgeshire.gov.uk
@eastcambstc
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