Copy
View this email in your browser

Your Residents' Association Newsletter

Community Matters - January 2021

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression.

This right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.

 
Universal Declaration of Human Rights

"Brave Jim Biggin"
It is with sadness that JSCHRA has received the news that Jim, our previous hard working chairman and wealth of  information has passed away in comfort, at his home on Sunday morning. It is a difficult time for the family but any further details will be shared at their request



 

Hoping you all had a Merry Christmas and have a Happy New Year

 
This newsletter is longer than usual as we didn't produce one in December, we hope you find it interesting.
If you have any community related articles you would like us to include in forthcoming newsletters please forward them to us.
If you can't see our logo above and at the end of the newsletter, make sure you have clicked the link to download pictures

Contents

National Lockdown
Support this winter
Christchurch Town Council News
Get Fit with Two Riversmeet
Beryl E-scooters and Bikes
Land slide at Hengistbury Head
Wessex Fields Living Lab
Sustainable travel
Police survey
Covid-19 - Scam
DPD Scam
Report a Crime
Broken Glass and Vandalism
Christmas Garden competition
     

National Lockdown:
Stay at Home

Following the Prime Minister's announcement on the 4th Jan, we are now in a national lockdown and must ensure we follow the government's guidance to stay at home.

There are only a limited number of reasons you should be leaving your homes, including:

• shop for necessities, for you or a vulnerable person.

• go to work, or provide voluntary services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home.

• exercise locally, limited to once per day

• meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary

• seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness, or risk of harm

• attend education or childcare - for those eligible.

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

 

Guidance on shielding

If you are clinically vulnerable, you could be at higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The government is advising the clinically extremely vulnerable to begin shielding again, and letters will be sent out to individuals with advice on what this means for them.

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19

 

Covid-19 vaccination programme

The health and care system in Dorset has been working extremely hard to deliver the COVID-19 vaccination programme to local people. They are delivering the vaccine in line with national guidance which means those people who are most at risk will be invited first. 

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/coronavirus-vaccine/ 

Please do not contact your practice or hospital to ask about an appointment - the NHS will get in touch with you when it is your turn to be vaccinated.
        

Community Safety during Covid-19


We all have a responsibility to follow the COVID-19 rules. If you have concerns about others who may not be complying with the current restrictions, you can report them in different ways.

How to report a breach
 




Support this Winter 

 
If you are struggling to afford food and keep warm over the winter months, then support is available for you. We can provide advice on:

• Flexible food vouchers

• Access to food banks and community food support

• Keeping warm this winter

For advice on accessing food:

Households with children, call the Family Information Service: 01202 261970

Households without children, call Together We Can helpline: 0300 1237052

For advice about winter warmth, please call Citizens Advice BCP: 01202 081732
 

Council Meetings and Consultations

 
Follow Virtual BCP Council Meetings on YouTube

Draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy Consultation
The consultation will run from Wednesday 28 October 2020 until midnight on 20 January 2021.
 


 



Christchurch Town Council
News and Events

The Council's Community Grants Scheme is now open. The policy and application forms are available for download below. Please note this scheme is for not-for profit initiatives for the Christchurch area and we cannot give grants to individuals. Applications must be received by 5pm on the 18th of January 2021.

Please send completed applications to sroxby@christchurch-tc.gov.uk or via hard-copy to

FAO: Town Clerk, Christchurch Town Council, Old Town Hall, 30 High Street, Christchurch. BH23 1EA.

Grant Application Form

Community Grant Policy

 

Council Meetings

Christchurch Town Council Meetings 2020/2021
If you wish to join a meeting details of the zoom link can be found on the relative Agenda.

Follow Virtual Council Meetings on Facebook
 



Get fit with 2 Riversmeet!

2 Riversmeet Leisure Complex has recommenced their popular free virtual classes. They want to keep the community fit and healthy through lockdown and make sure that everyone has something positive to focus on at the moment.

 The sessions are free to join in with no subscription or sign up needed, just the opportunity to join a great online community and get fit.
https://www.facebook.com/2RMLC

Videos can be seen on their YouTube channel 

    

 



 

E-scooter rental trial for Bournemouth and Poole

A fleet of brand-new electric powered scooters will soon be available for hire across Bournemouth and Poole following approval for a trial in the area.

BCP Council is one of a number of local authorities across the country to be given permission by the Department for Transport (DfT) to run a controlled trial for type approved rental e-scooters only, which will assist the DfT’s national research into e-scooters. The initial trial is set to commence on 25 January 2021.

The e-scooters will provide an innovative, emission-free transport option for both residents and visitors to the area. The Beryl hire e-scooters can be ridden on all existing public roads in Bournemouth and Poole as well as on the expanding network of signed cycle lanes and cycle/shared-use facilities. They cannot be used on pedestrian pavements.

The initial operating zone of the trial is within Poole and Bournemouth only. This reflects the hillier nature of the two towns (which is ideal for e-scooters) and potential greater demand. An expansion into Christchurch can be considered at a later date as the scheme progresses.

Privately owned e-scooters remain illegal to use on public roads including in trial areas.

 



Beryl Bike scheme expands to cover Christchurch

Want to get more exercise during lockdown? The Beryl Bike rental service has now been expanded to cover the Christchurch area. 275 new Beryl Bikes will be available to hire at 50 new Beryl Bays in the town and can be hired at a reasonable cost via the free to download Beryl app.

https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/news-article.aspx?title=beryls-bike-share-scheme-arrives-in-christchurch

 


 

 

 

Section of Hengistbury Head beach inaccessible

If you are visiting Hengistbury Head beach, please be vigilant. A 500 metre section of beach around the Head, between Hiker Café and Long Groyne, is closed due to the recent cliff slip and high tides, and is no longer accessible.
Please exercise caution, take a different route and avoid walking at the cliff base - don’t put yourself, your children or pets at unnecessary risk.



 


Plans to create a 'Living Lab' at Wessex Fields

Proposals for a leading-edge medical research facility at Wessex Fields have been approved by BCP Council’s cabinet.

Following detailed conversations with key stakeholders and partners, agreement has been reached for BCP Council to work in partnership with the University Hospitals Dorset and Bournemouth University on plans to bring forward a high tech, “Living Lab” science park, facilitated by the sale of part of the site to the local hospital trust.

https://bcpcouncil.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=a8a5b42a486fe4c6b83f98b58&id=57dffa04e7&e=33dd73b422

 


 


Transforming Travel sustainable transport plans take shape!

Plans to transform travel in the south east Dorset city region are taking shape. BCP and Dorset Councils have been working together on planning the £100+ million Transforming Cities Fund (TCF) investment in sustainable public transport infrastructure for the region.

https://www.bcpcouncil.gov.uk/news-article.aspx?title=plans-for-transforming-travel-in-south-east-dorset-city-region-take-shape
 


Message From Martyn Underhill -
Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner

Take 2 Minutes and Have Your Say Now on Dorset Police Funding

I hope you have had as good a Christmas as possible in the difficult circumstances. I know that, because of the COVID-19 restrictions facing all of us, many of you will not have been able to see family and friends as you would have liked this year.
We are now coming to the end of the most difficult year many of us can remember and I speak for many people across Dorset and further afield when I say I hope 2021 will give us reason to be optimistic.
I am now asking you to spend two minutes completing
my survey into something that affects us all – the future funding of our police force.
I’m asking our county’s residents if they would pay the equivalent of £1.25 a month to ensure Dorset Police can deliver a balanced budget, recruit new officers and pay for additional costs – some of which have been created because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Policing has been placed on the front line, dealing with this crisis – something that has brought with it new costs – and this means additional funding is needed which once again will not come from central Government.
An extra £1.25 a month, based on an average Band D property, will enable Dorset Police to meet these costs, provide an enhanced service in the face of the global health emergency, and recruit new officers.

How will the money be spent?
The Force are now predicting they will recruit 64 new officers by the end of March – more than had been planned. Now, in the second year of the Government’s three year ‘uplift’ programme, the Force plans to recruit further officers in 2021/22.
But police forces have faced considerable budgetary pressures in recent years with the need to manage more demand, real-terms cuts to funding and a number of nationally imposed costs.
I remain immensely frustrated that the financial burden for policing is being passed to local taxpayers once again. I have consistently argued that the funding settlement is unfair to smaller forces like ours, which has to make up almost half of its budgets through local taxation.
Although I have already said I will not be standing in next year’s PCC elections, I will use my remaining months in office to continue demanding a fairer settlement for Dorset Police, which remains one of the lowest funded forces in the country.
Once again, please take two minutes to complete my survey here and tell me what you think.
If the link above doesn’t work, please cut and paste the following into your web browser:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/6XMG28N

Martyn Underhill - Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner

 



Scam Alert -

Covid-19 Vaccine Scam

Police would like to make you aware of the following scam which has occurred over a wide area.


Users have been sent a text purporting to be from a NHS body or similar informing the user that they are entitled to a COVID-19 vaccination. They are then invited to click on a link within the text message that takes them to a web page. This web page will ask for personal details including " card payment details" By supplying this information personal bank accounts are being raided by the scammers.This is a very convincing text purporting to be from the NHS.

Any genuine invitation from your GP or other NHS body for the COVID-19 vaccination will NOT ask for any payment details. Stay Safe, Stay Home ,Stay Well and beware of this Scam

Should anyone receive similar contact, please report this to Action Fraud on 0300 123 2040, or online at www.actionfraud.police.uk

 


 

Scam Alert:
Fake DPD emails and texts.

Action Fraud has seen a surge in reports relating to fake emails and texts purporting to be from DPD. The messages claim that DPD was “unable to deliver your parcel today” and provide instructions on how the recipient can arrange another delivery. The links in the emails and texts lead to fake websites that are designed to steal money, as well as personal and financial information.

Victims of this scam have reported losing over £242,000 since June.

For more information, please visit

https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/alert/fake-dpd-messages-lead-to-over-200000-in-losses-since-june



The most important thing you can do is to report a crime...

Please be vigilant as there is increased criminal activity on St Catherine's Hill and other local areas.

When reporting a crime to Dorset Police you can be assured that you will be listened to, understood, informed and together with our partner organisations, protected and safe.
 


Broken Glass on St Catherine's Hill

Please be careful when walking on St Catherine's Hill. Unfortunately too late for my dog but today I removed a larger than standard carrier bag full of broken glass that was close to one of the paths that mountain bike users have created on The Hill.


The Hill is an SSSI nature reserve site growing in popularity. The considerable amount of bottles and broken glass was scattered over an area of approximately 6ft including a pile of glass appearing to be covered with large clumps of earth at the base of a tree. 

             




Car Vandalism on St Catherine's Hill

Three lads were caught on CCTV doing a massive amount of damage to a car bonnet. The police are looking at the footage and hopefully will be able to identify them.

      
 
 
The Winning Entrant - Best Decorated Christmas Front of House competition
JSCH RA Christmas Garden Decoration Competition 2020
 
The RA committee wish to thank all members and local residents who displayed Christmas Lights in their front gardens and properties this Christmas; it brought immense joy to many during this difficult time.
 
We wish to thank the households who entered our competition, and congratulate those who were awarded a prize but also everybody that were short listed by our judges, thank you all.
Click here to see some of the entrants.
 
Members, depending on your feedback the committee would like to consider two further competitions during the coming year:
  • During the summer months a front and or rear garden competition.
  • Christmas Garden Decoration Competition 2021
Community Matters is produced and edited by a team of local residents who try to present you with the facts that will both keep you informed and enable you to make up your own mind on local issues
Jumpers and St Catherine's Hill RA
     

We are run by a committee of volunteers and a team of helpers who give their time free of charge in an effort to protect the environment that we all enjoy whilst living in this beautiful area
 
If you want to read the newsletter as a Word document, click here
GENERAL DATA PROTECTION REGULATIONS: MAY 2018

You are receiving this e-mail because you have previously asked to be included as a newsletter subscriber and gave us your e-mail address for that purpose

The personal information we hold for you is your e-mail address plus your name and address which is held on a Mailchimp data base.  The data base is password protected and is maintained by our Webmaster. 

You can opt out of the e-newsletter system at any time by using the link provided at the foot of every newsletter.

We hold your information purely for keeping you in touch with local events and news and not for marketing or any other purpose whatsoever.

We will not pass your information on to any other person or organization.

We will retain your personal information until you either request us in writing to remove it or you use the opt-out link previously mentioned

 
Follow on Twitter
Our Facebook page
Website
Email
Our mailing address is:
Jumpers and St Catherines' Hill Residents Association
82 Hurn Road
Christchurch, Dorset BH23 2RP
United Kingdom

Add us to your address book

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp