Milwich Parish Website

Our Post Office will be closed for one week from 17th August until 21st August so that Caroline can take a well earned break. Therefore, if you need to use the facilities, please do so in the next week.

Have a great holiday Caroline.

Walk In Covid-19 Testing Available For Stone Pub Patrons 

People who were drinking or working in the Crown and Anchor Pub in Stone on the 16, 17 and 18 of July are being urged to get tested for Covid-19.

Staffordshire County Council has been made aware of a number of positive cases of coronavirus that have been confirmed amongst visitors to the pub on these dates.

We are now keen to inform anyone else who may have been drinking in the Crown and Anchor on the 16,17 and 18 July, along with anyone who may have been in close contact with someone who went to the pub on that weekend.

People who may have been drinking in Stone on that weekend and are currently experiencing Covid-19 systems are also being urged to get a test.

A walk-in testing centre will be available on the Crown Street car park in Stone today (Wednesday 29 July) and Friday (July 31) from 10am to 5pm. The tests are free, and no appointment is needed. 

Dr Richard Harling, Staffordshire County Council’s Director for Public Health said: “As part of our outbreak control duties, we are dealing with an outbreak at the Crown and Anchor pub in Stone. It is important that anyone drinking or working in the pub on that weekend gets tested as soon as possible, which is why we’ve organised for a mobile testing unit to be in the town on Wednesday and Friday.

“We also want people who have been in close contact with anyone drinking in the pub on that weekend to get themselves tested, as well as people who were out and about in the town and are experiencing Covid-19 symptoms—namely a high temperature, new persistent cough or loss of taste and smell. It is also crucial that people self-isolate if they are told to do so.

“By getting tested, this gives us important information on the full extent of any outbreak, and allows us to put measures in place if needed to help prevent the spread of infection.

“We’re doing everything we can to prevent outbreaks and stop the virus from spreading. Residents can help by continuing to follow the rules to stop the spread of Covid-19—washing hands regularly, keeping your distance, and wearing face coverings in shops and on public transport.”

For general coronavirus advice including how to book a test, visit www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

Message Sent By
Emma Ray (Staffordshire Police, Community Engagement Assistant, Staffordshire)

All Saints Church Milwich is now open on a Wednesday for Private Prayer 10am until 4pm., and you will see from the rota attached there are two morning services at the Church but numbers are limited to circa 20 due to social distancing, so please book with me early. 01889505414 or email above.

Rev’d Lesley Bentley leaves us at the end of August and we are hoping to collect donations to be given to them to use to buy something for their new home in Cheshire

If you wish to make a donation is best done as follows;

If you do online banking send direct to Mid Trent Churches sort code 010847 account number 55072615 and please ref Bentley.

Alternatively, please send a cheque to the Team Treasurer, Ian Starkie at 3, Old School Close Weston Stafford ST18 0HF made payable to “Mid Trent Churches” and put a note in with “Bentley” on it please.

If anyone in the Village would like us to make a prayer for them or a member of their family, do send a confidential email to myself or Derek.

Update on Gordon Broomfield, he is feeling more settled as the Doctors sort him out, yesterday he was waiting to break the four minute mile on the treadmill. 

Gordon we are all thinking and praying for you.

Martin & Helen Hocknell celebrate 50 years of marriage tomorrow, being friends of both, I dare not say who deserves the medal?

Have a great day.

Staffordshire County Council have made additional funds available to Community Groups across the County in the wake of COVID-19.

We’re all in the fight against Coronavirus together, and brilliant work has been happening right across Staffordshire to help people stay safe and well.
A huge, co-ordinated effort across community and voluntary groups across our county is still making a huge difference to isolated and vulnerable people, and those in most need of help. Local people are also stepping up to put projects together make a difference.

Now, as lockdown starts to lift and we all adapt to the ‘new normal’, the new Covid- 19 Recovery Fund has been set up to help get community organisations back on their feet. It’s rapid, flexible funding to support communities to do their bit and to make sure that the voluntary sector continues to thrive now and as we emerge from the crisis.

Each county councillor has another £2,000 to support community groups in their area to be resilient, safe and connected. No match funding is required.

Funding is available for:
• Projects about community recovery, to help get activity going again or adapt to the ‘new normal’
• Existing volunteer/community groups who need support to keep going
• Support to keep helping people get through the crisis

More information can be found here

Yesterday the BBC announced that the over 75’s will have to pay for their TV Licence from 1st August. Beware of scams!

“The BBC have said no one will be expected to pay for a new licence until they have been contacted by a letter from TV Licensing and either claimed a free licence or agreed a payment plan. We will let you know when the BBC send out their official letters and tell you what they look like. For now, if you are over 75 please ignore any emails or letters you receive asking you to pay your TV licence as they may be a scam. You can find more information here.”

Staffordshire’s 43 libraries will begin a phased reopening from Monday 6 July:

• Burton, Newcastle and Stafford libraries will open on the 6 July
• Cannock, Leek, Lichfield, Perton and Tamworth Libraries will open on 20 July
• Biddulph, Burntwood, Codsall, Kidsgrove, Rugeley, Stone, Uttoxeter and Wombourne Libraries will open on 27 July

These libraries will initially open 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm on Saturday.

Community Managed Libraries are being fully supported by the county council and are being encouraged to reopen at their own pace.

An ‘order and collect’ service will be operating in the first few weeks of opening, so browsing will not be available and there will be limited numbers of visitors able to access the library building at any one time.

Meeting rooms will remain closed and there will be no access to toilets, PCs, printers, photocopiers, or bus pass renewals in person.

All loans will be automatically extended until libraries reopen and fines will not be charged for late returns so please do not worry if you have books at home, please continue to enjoy them.

Criminals are exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic to try and get their hands on your money and personal information. To date, Action Fraud has received reports from 2,378 victims of Coronavirus-related scams, with the total losses reaching over £7 million.

How you can protect yourself from Coronavirus-related scams:

There are some simple steps you can take that will protect you from the most common Coronavirus-related scams. Here’s what need to do:

1 – Watch out for scam messages
Your bank, or other official organisations, won’t ask you to share personal information over email or text. If you receive an email you’re not quite sure about, forward it to the Suspicious Email Reporting Service (SERS): report@phishing.gov.uk

2 – Shopping online
If you’re making a purchase from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, for example, by checking to see if others have used the site and what their experience was. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

3 – Unsolicited calls and browser pop-ups offering tech support
Never install any software, or grant remote access to your computer, as a result of a cold call. Remember, legitimate organisations would never contact you out of the blue to ask for financial details such as your PIN or full banking password.

NHS Test and Trace scams:

The NHS Test and Trace service plays an important role in the fight against coronavirus and it’s vital the public have confidence and trust in the service. However, we understand the concerns people have about the opportunity for criminals to commit scams.

What you need to know:

Contact tracers will only call you from the number 0300 013 5000. Anyone who does not wish to talk over the phone can request the NHS Test and Trace service to send an email or text instead, inviting them to log into the web-based service.

All text or emails sent by NHS Test and Trace will ask people to sign into the contact tracing website and will provide you with a unique reference number. We would advise people to type the web address https://contact-tracing.phe.gov.uk directly into their browser, followed by the unique reference number given to you, rather than clicking on any link provided in the message.

The NHS Test and Trace service will never:

• ask you to dial a premium rate number to speak to them (for example, those starting 09 or 087)
• ask you to make any form of payment or purchase a product or any kind
• ask for any details about your bank account
• ask for your social media identities or login details, or those of your contacts
• ask you for any passwords or PINs, or ask you to set up any passwords or PINs over the phone
• ask you to download any software to your PC or ask you to hand over control of your PC, smartphone or tablet to anyone else
• ask you to access any website that does not belong to the government or NHS

If you think you have been a victim of fraud, please report it to Action Fraud at https://www.actionfraud.police.uk or by calling 0300 123 2040. If you live in Scotland, please report directly to Police Scotland by calling 101.​​​​​​​

Message Sent By
Action Fraud (Action Fraud, Administrator, National)

Criminals are using government branding in emails to convince you they’re genuine and to trick you into giving them your money or information.

If you’ve received an email offering you a council tax reduction, take five to think about it. Don’t automatically click on any links or attachments as they could lead to fake websites.

If you’ve received a scam email forward it to report@phishing.gov.uk and visit the Take 5 website, takefive-stopfraud.org.uk for more information on scams.

Message Sent By
Emma Ray (Police, Community Engagement Assistant, Staffordshire)

ADW Milk – The Local Milkman

New villages added to my route.

*Hilderstone
*Milwich
*Gayton
*Fradswell

~Deliveries will commence Monday 15th June~

You can now receive a fresh locally produced milk & produce delivery 3 mornings per week. 😆
Thanks for your patience! Arran 🥛 🍞 🧈 🧀

Please Register Now

https://thelocalmilkman.yourmoo.co.uk/yourmoo/v2/register.php

The following news has come from Caroline at the Post Office:

Its’ still business as usual at the Post Office apart from ….. I have had a hand sanitiser dispenser station installed just inside the door for everybody to use. It’s looking brilliant, – I even managed to get it made in Post Office colours. As you can gather I’m very excited about it and I hope everyone find it easy to use. It is just inside the first door, you simply place a hand under the tap and the sensor will automatically dispense the correct amount, so leave your hand underneath until it stops!

Well done Caroline on a great initiative.

Dear supporters,

Neighbourhood Watch’s May 2020 eNewsletter is published.  Click here to read it.

This month’s edition looks at how neighbours are supporting their communities across England and Wales – from setting up a Calling Tree to providing shopping to the elderly, vulnerable or self-isolating. It highlights how Neighbourhood Watch groups, who supported communities through the recent flooding, are proving invaluable during COVID-19. Using local knowledge and a community resilience structure they are well-placed to call residents to action: organising food shopping; collecting medication; and ensuring the most vulnerable are safe and connected.

Neighbourhood Watch Week is fast approaching on the 7th – 13th June. The newsletter explains how we have rethought this years’ theme to recognise and celebrate all acts of kindness and neighbourliness, no matter how large or small they are.

“We have seen communities come together during times of need. Resilience and compassion, when needed and offered, are what makes communities special”
Cheryl Spruce, Head of Membership and Engagement at Neighbourhood Watch Network

We encourage you to share your stories with us on what your Neighbourhood Watch group or local community has been doing in response to COVID-19. To do this, please visit this page.

If you have a further few minutes to spare and have not already done so, please consider completing our survey (click here)  which aims to find out how the lockdown caused by COVID-19 has affected our use of, and trust in, technology. The survey closes this Thursday, 28th May.

Many thanks and keep well,

Central Support Team, NEIGHBOURHOOD WATCH NETWORK

Follow us…
Website:www.ourwatch.org.uk
Facebook:www.facebook.com/ourwatch
Twitter: twitter.com/N_watch
Instagram:www.instagram.com/neighbourhood.watch.insta/​​​​​​​
LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/company/neighbourhood-watch/

Message Sent By
Deborah Waller (NWN, Multi Scheme Administrator, England and Wales)

Sandon Village Stores is an ideal place to buy household essentials during (and after) the current crisis. It is our closest convenience store, just a couple of miles down the road.

Liann took over the shop shortly before the crisis took hold and is now open 7 days a week to serve the local community so make sure you support her in her new venture!

Full details of opening hours etc. can be found on the website or by clicking here

Good Luck Liann.