COVID19 - Support in Gloucestershire
This page aims to serve as a place where you can see support available to you in Gloucestershire. It may be local services or wider support from the main government and will be updated regularly as new information becomes available.
Update 27 May 2020
Guidance for Village Halls and Community Buildings
If a pre-school or playgroup runs from your community building or village hall then please read Guidance for Opening Halls for Pre-school Use (pdf). Please contact the GRCC Community Development Team if you need further support: info@grcc.org.uk or if you would like to sign up to our Community Buildings Network. Find out more about how GRCC supports Community Buildings here.
0Update 12 May 2020
COVID 19 Mental Health update
Gloucestershire County Council has recently commissioned a range of new mental health services to respond to the changing situation in light of Covid-19. A press release outlining these services is available here.
As lockdown continues, it can take its toll on our mental health and wellbeing. The Community Wellbeing Service in the Cotswolds can work with you to find ways of easing the effects of ill mental health at this time.
We are open to new referrals and accept self-referrals as well as from health professionals and community members. We are maintaining contact via phone, email, and video calling where required. If you’d like to make a referral, please get in contact over the phone on 07738 106384 or via email cws.grcc@nhs.net.
Community Buildings and Village Halls - Emergency Grants available now
Government grants of £10,000 are available now. Local authorities should be in the process of contacting those eligible – money is already being received. Get in touch with your local authority if you are eligible and have not yet been contacted.
Village Halls are eligible for the Retail, Leisure and Hospitality Grant:
£10,000 grant - businesses with rateable values up to £15,000.
£25,000 grant - businesses with rateable values between £15,001 and £50,999
You must:
- be a ‘business’ ratepayer – note that charitable village halls are still business ratepayers even if they have been in receipt of the mandatory 80% rate relief and 20% discretionary rate relief
- be used either: a) as shops, restaurants, cafes, drinking establishments, cinemas and live music venues; b) for assembly and leisure; or c) as hotels, guest & boarding premises and self-catering accommodation.
Also available is the Small Business Grant:
£10,000 grant - businesses with rateable values up to £15,000
You must be in receipt of one of the following:
- Small Business Rate Relief
- Rural Rate Relief.
Note – village halls are not eligible for the Small Business Grant as they are not eligible for Small Business Rate Relief or Rural Rate Relief.
Government guidance for Local Authorities about how to deliver these grants.
ACRE’s guidance on eligibility
Gloucestershire Community Help Hub
The hub has been set up by Glos County Council to connect local people who need help, with others who can provide the support they need. You can offer help as an individual or business and request help for yourself or neighbours. You can access the help hub here.
Community Wellbeing Service
The Community Wellbeing Service can help you access local support in your area. You can find contact details by district here.
NHS Volunteer Responders
Become an NHS Volunteer Responder today to help create an 'army' of volunteers who can support the 1.5m people in England who are at most risk from the virus to stay well. Sign up here.
Parish Councils
GRCC and GAPTC have both been contacted by communities, parish and town councils to discuss what they can do at a community level to support the most vulnerable in their parish. The district councils are coordinating a response to the current COVID19 virus so any activities that parish councils plan to engage in should be cross referenced with the district councils in order to ensure appropriate public finance is being used in the best way.
General advice from GAPTC can be found here.
Guidance for Community Buildings and Village Halls
GRCC have developed a guide for the management of community buildings and village halls to help keep communities safe. Read the guide here.
Volunteer Guidelines
GRCC have developed some volunteering guidelines for you to follow as an individual and as a organisation with volunteers. You can access the guide by clicking here.
GRCC Keeping In Touch - grants and funding
GRCC has put together a newsletter with details of new grants becoming available to help voluntary and community sector organisations deal with the financial consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
Support for Businesses
The Chancellor has put together an extensive packages of resources available to UK businesses. You can view these by clicking here. District Councils will play their role in delivering this.
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme
Claim for wage costs through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme. Charities are eligible to claim but please note the closing date. HMRC have now published the guidance for employers on the coronavirus (COVID-19) Job Retention Scheme. Please click here to access the page.
Support for Charities
On 8 April the Chancellor announced a £750 million package of support for charities so they can continue their vital work during the coronavirus outbreak. £360 million will be directly allocated to government departments to charities providing key services and supporting vulnerable people during the crisis. In addition, £370 million will support small and medium-sized charities at the heart of local communities which are making a big difference during the outbreak, including those delivering food, essential medicines, and providing financial advice. This funding will include a grant to the National Lottery Community Fund for those organisations in England.
The Government will also match fund whatever the public decides to donate to the BBC's Big Night In charity appeal on 23 April, starting with a contribution of at least £20 million to the National Emergencies Trust appeal.
The full announcement can be found here.
Youth Work Resources
A dedicated website has been set up for youth workers to access advice and support. The website is designed to bring together relevant advice, guidance, support and tools for youth workers during the COVID 19 pandemic. This can be accessed by clicking here.
There is an updated guidance briefing for detached and outreach youth workers. Access that here.
Mental Health Resources
Keeping healthy is challenging at the moment. This includes your mental health and there are lots of resources available to support you.
Every Mind Matters have developed a number of resources and can be accessed here.
The Gloucestershire Local Enterprise Partnership has also offered advice on dealing with anxiety and what you can do to support your mental health whilst working from home. This can be viewed here.
Neighbourhood Watch Scam Advice
Unfortunately, fraudsters are exploiting spread of COVID-19 to facilitate various types of fraud and cyber crime. Neighbourhood Watch have given some advice on how to avoid falling victim to this. Read here.
#GEMOnline
The GEM (Going the Extra Mile) Project has launched an online training and support programme to provide opportunities for people to continue their development, maintain their wellbeing and minimise the effects of isolation during this time. The five core themes covered are: Employability; Skills; Wellbeing; Information; Social.
You will find the timetable for each week in the News section of the GEM website. The programme for the week beginning 13 April can be found here.
Wellbeing
The Isbourne’s Community Wellbeing: Be Well at Home series has been developed during the Coronavirus lockdown during 2020 to support people who are isolated at home. The YouTube series includes a variety of tips, advice and techniques from The Isbourne’s affiliated tutor team to provide a holistic toolkit that people can access at any time to support their mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health and wellbeing. Find the series here.
Thames Water - Priority Services Register
Thames Water is responsible for supplying clean water and managing the waste water network in 54 Gloucestershire villages. Their Priority Services Register is designed for people with specific medical needs, enabling Thames Water to tailor communications with their customers, improving their resilience, and prioritising how Thames Water can help them if their water stops. Information about the Priority Services Register is available on their website.
In the rare event that the water supply is disrupted, priority for the delivery of bottled water will go to those with water-dependent medical conditions (i.e. at home dialysis) and to those with mobility issues. For anyone self-isolating due to coronavirus it is recommended that they reach out to friends, family members or neighbours in the first instance. However if they have a pre-existing health condition or mobility issue, or nobody to deliver water along with their groceries, then they should join the Priority Services Register - registration form here.