Weardale Community News June Edition

www.wcng.org
Stanhope Travel’s Sam
Cager on the impact of
the Covid-19 pandemic
FIRSTLY, I would like to say a
huge thank you to all of our
clients that we have spoken
to over last few weeks for
your patience, kindness and
understanding. Those of you
who have been in touch with
well wishes and compassion
have helped to keep our
spirits high whilst we are
working hard to provide
solutions for those with
disrupted travel plans.
Now, the day that would
change work as we knew
it, the 23rd April 2020. We
were worried for our local
community but, knowing
that our customers would
need to speak to someone
regarding their holidays, we
made the decision to work
from the office, but to lock
our doors; this allowed us
to do all of the above tasks
and to protect the local
community, our customers,
staff and their families whilst
worked on existing bookings.
Later that day, and after
much thought, we made the
difficult decision to close
the doors, send our girls
home and for myself and Jon
to work from home. With
only the one work laptop
available it wasn’t ideal, but
in this situation an absolute
must to be able to protect
the people of Weardale
from the spread of this
horrendous virus.
Now, as many of you
know we are a family of four
plus Marnie the Labrador.
Not an easy feat, working
from home with a child as
young as four, but we’ve
been working from 8am
until 11pm seven days a
week to get clients’ holidays
transferred, cancelled with
refunds or given credit
notes, and booking new
holidays for Winter 2020
and Summer 2021.
It’s a case of multitasking,
and we are working around
the clock to get clients sorted
by a date of departure basis.
Many tour operators, airlines
and hotels are offering
refunds; some are offering
credit notes or transfers to
a later date. Each booking is
different so it’s really a case
of us working to find out
what the outcome is on each
individual booking.
There have been
operators such as Jet2 who
have been very helpful,
keeping us informed on
affected bookings and
processing transfers very
efficiently.
Unfortunately,
the same cannot
be said for TUI
with whom I spent over five
hours on hold , only to be cut
off! All very frustrating for us
and the customer.
I’m glad to say I finally
got through and managed to
transfer the client’s holiday
to summer next year.
I am finding that this is a
trend at the moment, people
are sitting at home wanting
something to look forward
to, and what better than a
summer holiday? Booking
now on a low deposit and
bagging the early bird price!
I have a strong feeling that
once we come through the
other side of the pandemic,
and we will, that next year’s
prices will rise if bookings
are left too late. Winter
20/21 ski has also proved a
popular choice.
Now for the rescues!
Well, we’ve managed to
get people back from as
near as the Canaries, as far
as the Bahamas and some
new clients back from South
Africa. I’m so happy we
managed to get everyone
back from overseas.
We know that once this
is all over, the clouds will lift
and we can start thinking
of broader horizons again.
When it suits you, we will
be standing ready to plan
that next amazing holiday.
We really cannot wait to get
back to our lovely office, and
very much appreciate your
support.
All local businesses will
need the community to
support them during and
after this awful time, so
please once this is over
come in and see us. In the
meantime, you can speak to
myself or Jon on the office
number 01388 529436
which diverts to our home or
email sam@stanhopetravel.
com.
Lastly, I’m so proud of how
Weardale as a community
are pulling together, helping
the vulnerable with food,
prescriptions, checking on
neighbours and friends, and
the wonderful Weardale
Lockdown Dinners on
Facebook; it’s certainly kept
me entertained and if they
ever bring out a cookbook,
I’ll be straight out to buy
one! Stay safe everyone
and don’t forget if you feel
vulnerable or need to chat,
you can call us anytime on
the shop number, we are
here for you.
Weardale Community News, June 2020
Local foodbanks
available to provide help
By Kathy Perry
FOR over 10 years the
Congregation and friends
of Wolsingham Methodist
Church have supported the
work of the Salvation Army
Foodbank in Crook.
With many people on low
incomes, foodbank usage in
the county is increasing. The
change to the new benefit,
Universal Credit, can mean
a four to six week wait for
the first payment to come
through.
Benefit delays, a sudden
crisis or an unexpected
bill can push some over
the edge, and people in
our neighbourhoods are
going hungry every day.
All of these problems are
now exacerbated by the
pandemic.
Crook Foodbank is there
to support any one who is
facing hunger because of
crisis, and provide three days
of emergency food to help
people through. They also
listen to people and provide
practical advice to help cope
in the longer term; they
signpost to other services
in the area which can help
people to recover, rebuild
lives and break the cycle of
poverty.
Crook Foodbank is in the
Salvation Army Hall (next to
Aldi), and in more `normal`
times people are welcome
to use all the facilities of the
centre: café, charity shop
and children’s play schemes/
activities. They have a Debt
Support worker, providing
a comprehensive service to
help people regain some
control over their money and
become debt free. They have
direct links to a huge range
of professional support
agencies. Their task is not
only providing emergency
food, but supporting people
to move forward despite the
hardship they endure.
Donations for Crook
Foodbank come from a
wide range of sources
including local churches,
supermarkets, local shops
and the general public.
Food and sanitary products
go directly to people in
need from Crook and the
immediate area including
Weardale.
The aim is not to have
more foodbanks, but to
have less. Working with
the country wide foodbank
network, supported by The
Trussell Trust, they are part
of the movement to help
the many people affected by
poverty and hunger in our
society. The foodbank data
from across the country is
used to lobby government
and campaign with other
charities to change the
systems that result in
foodbank usage.
The Trussell Trust, who
are the founders of the
original foodbank service,
is a Christian organisation
and traditionally many
foodbanks, and/or
collection points have been
in Churches, and Church
halls. Where appropriate,
the foodbank volunteers
sometimes offer to pray with
people and many volunteers
come from local Church
congregations.
At present we have been
advised not to hold church
services or social gatherings,
so in Wolsingham the
convenience store has very
kindly offered to act as a
collecting point, whilst the
Methodist Chapel is closed.
Our Methodist Minister, Rev.
Bruce Sawyer, delivers the
donations to Crook Salvation
Army where the Foodbank is
open Tuesday and Thursday
mornings.
(Adapted by Kathy Perry
from an article by Alison
Rundle, Durham Foodbanks)
THE way our community
in Weardale has come
together during Coronavirus
is phenomenal. Not just
the neighbourly and
community support but
the broader adherence to
social distancing and where
necessary isolating at home.
I have been asked why
we can’t just leave it totally
down to personal choice
and allow people to take the
risk upon themselves. The
answer is that this isn’t just
about personal risk. There is
a broader risk to our society
of personal choices causing
our NHS to be overwhelmed.
The last thing I as your
local MP want to do is to
force people to stay at home
or not go out. We live in the
most beautiful part of the
world with a truly social
community spirit. The
measures in place are there
to not only prevent infection
of you, but also to stop the
spread of the disease across
the community. So far, we
have managed this.
It is crucial, now that the
Page 5
Richard Holden, MP,
with a message
for Weardale
MP for North West Durham, Richard Holden
Reinfection (R) rate is below
one so we can very slowly
relax the lockdown, that we
all continue to follow the
basic social distancing rules.
From Wednesday, we’ve
been able to meet someone
from another household in a
social setting as long as we
maintain social distancing
rules.
This has been the start in
a very long and slow process
of opening-up society again.
If at any point it looks like we
need to put a brake on, we
will.
The Prime Minister
outlined what might happen
if the R rate continues to
remain substantially below
1 but everything in the
future is at present what the
Department of Health sees
as a ‘best case scenario.’ I
want that scenario of falling
infections and life returning
to our high streets, pubs and
communities.
But we’ll only get there
if we all act responsibly and
continue to social distance.
Together, we can do it.
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