,
I am sure you will have all seen the Prime Minister’s address to the nation on Sunday in which he announced plans to restart the economy and ease lockdown restrictions. In response the NEDDC Senior Management Team is developing safe working arrangements for staff in anticipation of an easing of restrictions and phased returns to work.
In the meantime, our Community Support Team continues to help people in the District who need us the most. They have now carried out 3,903 pharmacy deliveries, delivered around 700 copies of local magazines, made 82 food deliveries and will be delivering 28 copies of the Derbyshire Times this week to vulnerable or socially isolated individuals. We have now received 5,338 calls registered with us for support.
Our housing provider Rykneld Homes continues to provide emergency and out of hours services to residents. There have been a number of cases where staff have gone above and beyond to make sure people are safe and supported and it is lovely to hear that a several thank you cards have been received from customers. Plans are underway to increase service provision starting with gas servicing and work in empty properties. Keeping residents safe is a key priority for us and making sure gas appliances are in good working order is an absolute must.
The Government has recently announced that £6m of new funding has been made available to ensure serving personnel, veterans and their families get the support they need during the coronavirus outbreak. More information about this is on the Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust website.
In addition, applications for the Government’s Self Employed Income Support Scheme (SEIS) open today. People can find out if they are eligible for a grant by visiting the gov.uk website. I have attached some employment support contacts you may find useful to signpost people in our District to. The attached also includes information about training and coaching opportunities to help people into work. This is being regularly reviewed and updated and I will ensure you see the refreshed information as soon as it becomes available.
We have also recently added a new factsheet on barking dogs to the Covid-19 health and safety advice section of our website. The section includes a range of factsheets for a wide range of businesses, from construction sites to takeaways.
In the meantime, if you know of anyone who still needs help and support, they can complete the form on our website (www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk) or call our Community Support Team on 01246 231111. Feel free to share my messages beyond Parish Councillors to your residents, local businesses and community groups, by forwarding the emails or putting the updates on your Parish websites.
Regards
Martin Thacker
Cllr Martin Thacker MBE