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The Chalke Valley Stores Opening Times :
Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm
Saturday 9am – 4pm
Post Office
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday: 9am – 10am
About this Support Network
The Bowerchalke and Broad Chalke COVID Support Network leads and co-ordinate the villages efforts to support and the vulnerable and self-isolating during the COVID 19 pandemic. There is a network of area co-ordinators across the two villages. If you have any questions or queries please contact John Nicholas for Bowerchalke bowerchalke.parish.council@gmail.com or Nicki and Nigel Tinkler nandnt@btinternet.com
Thank you for visiting our website
The May Newsletter includes important information about changes to out HUB’s management and tributes to those members stepping down.
A direct link here or scroll to the bottom of the page. Thank you.
BOWERCHALKE & BROAD CHALKE COVID 19 SUPPORT NETWORK
GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES FROM 1st JUNE
Stay alert
We can all help control the virus if we all stay alert. This means you must:
- stay at home as much as possible
- work from home if you can
- limit contact with other people
- keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible)
- wash your hands regularly
Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms.
You can now
- spend time outdoors, including private gardens and other outdoor spaces, in groups of up to six people from different households, following social distancing guidelines
- visit car showrooms and outdoor markets
- in line with the arrangements made by your school, send your child to school or nursery if they are in early years, reception, year 1 or year 6, if you could not before
At all times, you should continue to adhere to strict social distancing guidelines when you are outside your home, particularly ensuring you are two metres away from anyone outside your household.
For the full guidance please use this link:here
The vulnerable or very vulnerable are still able to use all the services available to you in the village. These include: the Link to collect prescription medication; deliveries or phone and collect from the Hub and the delivery service offered by the Queens Head.
In these tabs you will find information about ‘local’ issues.
Please Read ‘Local Support’ before contacting support coordinators.
- In the Village This Summer
- Track and Trace
- Local Services & Information
- Health and Wellbeing
- Useful Links
- Local Offers
- Social Requests
Photographic Competition ‘Your Life in Lockdown’
This competition is being run in conjunction with the Broad Chalke Archive
Take a photograph – up to a maximum of three per person, which portrays your life in lockdown. It may be home schooling; working from home; your lockdown locks or chops; projects in the garden; projects in the house; home baking; rainbows; the wildlife you have seen or photos of your workplace. Whatever describes you lock down experience.
The photographs should be submitted via email with a brief accompanying sentence or description to here . Judging will take place on Saturday 13th June. At least the top 20 entries will make it to the village archive with the top entry getting pride of place on the cover of the Broadsheet in July.
This has been an extraordinary event in village history please help create a record of your experience.
The gallery is open for business here
BISHOPSTONE, BOWERCHALKE AND BROAD CHALKE VIRTUAL FLOWER AND HORTICULTURAL SHOW
Classes
- Garden in a grow bag
- Garden in the most unusual container
- Garden in a bucket (children under 10 years only)
- Best herbaceous boarder (photos must be from 2020 only!)
- If you cannot make it to a garden centre or you don’t have green fingers decorate your wheelie bin instead!
Classes 1 to 3 can be flowers, herbs, vegetables or all three
This is open to all residents in Bishopstone, Bowerchalke and Broad Chalke and is completely free.
Send all of your photos to to here in the week commencing 25th July for viewing on August 1st.
If you are unable to take a photo we can arrange someone to come round and photograph for you.
We hope as many of you as possible will be able to display your containers and buckets outside of your houses so we can produce a map which people can follow to walk or cycle around to admire them.
Grow a GIANT Sunflower!
How to enter: To avoid unnecessary travel and contact we are doing this by post with all three villages being coordinated.
Send SAE together with recommended donation of £2 (cheque payable to Broad Chalke Parish Council) and your email (so we can provide updates and information) to:
Clerk Broad Chalke Parish Council
C/O 6 Stoke Farthing Courtyard
Broad Chalke, SP55EE.
Entries must be received by 17 April. Your seed packs will then be posted out to you. To see the full poster click here.
Active Communities
With us all being stuck at home for the foreseeable future, struggling with ideas of things to do, stay active or just keep their mental health in a positive place, we’ve compiled a range of resources across a wide range of subjects to try and provide something of interest for everyone.
Build a Scarecrow.
Your amazing Scarecrows can still be found in the galleries below.
Visit Original Gallery. The Fry GalleryNHS test and trace: how it works
The NHS test and trace service:
- ensures that anyone who develops symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) can quickly be tested to find out if they have the virus, and also includes targeted asymptomatic testing of NHS and social care staff and care home residents
- helps trace close recent contacts of anyone who tests positive for coronavirus and, if necessary, notifies them that they must self-isolate at home to help stop the spread of the virus
This service has been introduced to help return life more to normal, in a way that is safe and protects our NHS and social care. It will allow us to trace the spread of the virus and isolate new infections and play a vital role giving us early warning if the virus is increasing again, locally or nationally.
Coronavirus regional testing site opening in Salisbury
A drive-through coronavirus testing facility is to open at the Beehive Park and Ride in Salisbury, as part of the government’s UK-wide drive to increase testing.
Anyone experiencing a new, continuous cough, a high temperature, or a loss of or change in their normal sense of smell or taste, can book an appointment on the NHS website or by calling 119 to be tested for whether they currently have coronavirus.
The testing centre is being operated in partnership with Mitie and staff from Boots in Salisbury who have volunteered to run this COVID-19 testing station, which will start testing essential workers and people with symptoms of coronavirus on Saturday, 30 May.
Household Recycling Centers
Click to visit
SP5 post codes can only access the recycling centres on:
Thurs 4 June 5:30pm to 7:30 pm
Sat 6 June 9:30am to 7:30 pm
Expect queues and take proof of address with you.
Please read these new guidelines about how to use the CVS:
To ensure we comply with social distancing Government Guidelines, only 2 customers will be allowed in the shop at any one time. A volunteer will manage the entrance, please respect their directions.
At payment, you will be asked to keep 2 metres away from the till by standing within the marked area.
We will continue to operate a delivery service for those who are Vulnerable, Self Isolating or Shielding.
Please help us to help others and respect the above.
Collection and delivery of prescription medication for those self-isolating.
This is being run by the well-established Chalke Valley LINK Service. If you have prescription medication which you need collected and delivered to you, please contact the LINK on 01722 780800 and they will explain the procedure to you. If you are vulnerable you do not need to make unnecessary journeys to the surgery. Please ask the Link to collect your medication for you. Consider whether using the Link rather than a friend, family member or neighbour may help to reduce queues at Sixpenny Handley Surgery and minimise journeys.
If you have made an arrangement for the Link to collect your medication and then you don’t need them to do it, please remember to cancel.
Deliveries from Chalke Valley Stores.
If you require groceries delivered, please contact 01722 780998 with your order they will explain how payment can be made and arrange delivery.
The Queens Head is providing a takeaway delivery service for the vulnerable and self-isolating.
This will operate in Broad Chalke, Bowerchalke, Fifield Bavant. The delivery service will operate between Wed to Sun Please check the Queens Head website queensheadbroadchalke.co.uk for details about the menu and how and when to order.
Surgery Procedure Update
People wanting to order or reorder prescriptions from the Sixpenny Handley and Broad Chalke Surgery can register to do this online rather than bother the surgery by phoning. In the past, patients have had to produce ID in person at the surgery before this system could go live but this requirement has now been removed. Patient can just register online via the surgery website to access this service.
Groups of up to six people can now meet outdoors
You can now spend time outdoors, including in gardens and other private outdoors spaces, in groups of up to six people from different households provided you follow strict social distancing guidelines.
When seeing friends and family outdoors:
- Access private gardens without entering someone’s home, wherever possible
- Do not go indoors unless you need the toilet urgently, or are passing through to access the garden
- Avoid touching surfaces and if you use the toilet wash your hands thoroughly, wipe down surfaces, use separate or paper towels and wash or dispose of them safely after use
- You cannot use garages, sheds or cabins with non-household members – these are all indoor areas where the risk of transmission is higher
- You should not share garden or sports equipment with people outside of your household
- You can have a barbeque or a picnic, but should, where possible, try to avoid sharing food and drink. You should not pass each other food or drink unless you live together. You should not use plates or utensils that someone from another house has touched – either bring your own or ensure you have thoroughly cleaned them before using. Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly for at least 20 seconds and use disposable towels if possible.
FACE COVERINGS – the new modern etiquette
The latest Government advice says that people should aim to wear a face covering in enclosed spaces where social distancing is not always possible and you come into contact with people you don’t normally meet. For example, in shops and on public transport.
Cloth face coverings can help to reduce the risk of transmission and are intended to prevent the wearer inadvertently transmitting the disease to others. They do not protect the wearer.
There is a thought that wearing a cloth face covering in shops or when collecting food from the pub might be the new modern etiquette. It is about you trying to protect those providing you with a service.
When using face coverings wearer should wash their hands thoroughly before putting the covering on and wash their hands again when taking it off. Face coverings should not be worn by children under 2 years of age.
Chalke Valley Stores has a stock of gorgeous cloth face coverings for sale at £7.50 with £1.50 from each sale going to the NHS. They are available in 3 sizes.
Domestic Abuse Advice:
New domestic abuse out of hours helpline
Victims of domestic abuse or those worried that someone may be suffering in silence can now access to an out of hours helpline.
This joint initiative with Swindon Domestic Abuse Support Service will ensure people can get access to help and support at any time day or night.
The helpline number is 01793 610 610
If you would like more information, or need help now, please visit this link where you will find good advice and help line numbers. Additional information can also be found here
Mental Health and Wellbeing: Information can be found here
Here are a few local and national initiatives and organisations that can help:
- Age UK Wiltshire telephone befriending service. Email enquiries@ageukwiltshire.org.uk or call 0808 196 2424
- Independent Age Helpline 0800 319 6789
- Silver Line 24/7 telephone support service for older people
- Scope offers befriending to parents and carers of children and adults with disabilities
- British Lung Foundation listening ear service
- Macmillan Cancer Care helpline 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week, 9am to 5pm
- Macular Society telephone befriending service 0300 3030 111
- Samaritans 116 123
- CALM Helpline for men open 5pm to midnight seven days a week. National number: 0800 58 58 58
- Mens Health Forum 020 7922 7908
- No Panic helpline for young people 0300 606 1174
Action for Happiness monthly coping calendar to help you through the current crisis.
DON’T DELAY SEEKING MEDICAL HELP BECAUSE OF CORONAVIRUS
People living in Wiltshire are being advised not to let worries about coronavirus stop them asking for medical help for themselves or their children if they become ill, have a serious accident or have a concern about their health.
They are also being warned that not seeking medical help for symptoms that could be the early warning signs of serious conditions such as cancer could be putting lives at risk.
The warning comes as new data shows a considerable drop in the number of people coming forward to ask their GP for help and advice during the coronavirus outbreak.
Dr Ruth Grabham, Medical Director at BaNES, Swindon and Wiltshire CCG, said the statistics made for worrying reading because the drop in numbers “is not because people are not experiencing symptoms.”
“While it may seem that coronavirus has put a stop to most aspects of everyday life, the one thing it hasn’t stopped is what’s going on inside our bodies,” she says. “Now more than ever, we need to pay attention to anything that isn’t normal and seek help early on.
“For example, if you notice blood when going to the toilet, or if you’ve found a lump that wasn’t there previously, or if you’ve just noticed something odd that is causing you to worry, you need to speak to your GP.
“Should the symptom be the early warning sign of something serious like cancer, that delay in seeking help could have serious implications for how successful possible treatments may be.”
Although GP practices across the region have adopted new ways of working, such as establishing isolated clinics for potential coronavirus patients, the practices themselves are still open to offer care, treatment, advice and peace-of-mind.
The same also goes for emergency departments at the three hospitals in Bath, Swindon and Salisbury, all of which continue to be open 24 hours a day for people with a genuine and life-threatening health concern.
Additionally, all healthcare facilities in the region, as well as those elsewhere in the country, have put in place stringent infection control measures to ensure that the risk of contracting coronavirus while visiting a hospital or GP surgery remains low.
- For information about local hospital services visit salisbury.nhs.uk
- Further information on how to stay well throughout the coronavirus outbreak can be found at nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19.
Emergency Dental Clinic in Salisbury
This service can now be accessed via 111
Children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing
For parents and carers supporting a child or young person, there’s updated guidance on ways to help look after children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing during COVID-19. This also includes supporting those with additional needs and disabilities.
The guidance is also available in an easy read version for people with learning disabilities.
Please follow this link.
Dog Walking and Pet Care
A pdf with information regarding your pets and particularly dogs and dog walking can be found here.
Booklet to help families prepare for return to school
We have created a short guide with some tips to help families prepare as early years settings and schools welcome more children back through their doors.
The government has said early years settings, primary school reception, Year 1, 2 and 6 can return from 1 June. Secondary school years 10 and 12 will have some face-to-face contact from 15 June.
The booklet has some helpful tips for families including:
- Talk about the positives of going back to school
- Talk about all the things you have done during the lockdown period
- Think about ways for them to connect with their friends before going back
- For younger children explain when this is going to happen i.e. there are so many sleeps before going back
- Encourage open discussion
- Start to encourage the number of times your children wash their hands and practise maintaining social distancing
- Share school information with them to help them prepare for the changes
- Put a routine in place in the run up to going back get your child to talk to you about what the routine will look like
You can visit the government page here
The booklet can be downloaded directly in .pdf format here
You can view the booklet on this site here.
Age UK advice on spotting scams and fraudsters
Unfortunately, scammers often prey on people in difficult situations.
Age UK have produced a valuable web page full of information for older people on how to spot scams and fraudsters who target them during this outbreak. Please do share it with anyone helping older people.
The information on this page covers how to keep money and information safe from scams, as well as guidance on what to do if you are worried that someone you know is being scammed. Click here.
Staying safe and #CyberAware online
The coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has impacted everyone’s daily lives. More people are working from home, looking after children and spending time online. Now more than ever, it is important for everyone to know how to stay connected, stay safe online, check the facts and remember to take a break.
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport has shared guidance for staying safe online. This includes advice for parents and carers.
The National Cyber Security Centre has also launched a #CyberAware campaign to share the UK government’s advice on how to stay secure online during coronavirus. There’s some great advice on how to keep yourself, families and communities safe online.
Keeping Fit For Everyone
Wiltshire Council have produced an exercise guide for everyone! A collection of nationally recognized organisations have provided links to exercise regimes suitable for the older person and those with disabilities as well as younger adults and children. You can find the guide here.
Wiltshire Library Service
ebooks and magazines are available via this service
A graphical display showing the distribution of infection rates and deaths by Health Authority and County.
Money Matters
In these tabs you will find help with financial issues.
Family Loan: A new Family Loan from Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union (WASCU)
The current crisis has created financial pressures for many in the community. More people are needing to draw on small savings pots or expensive loan options such as payday lenders or even loan sharks. Whilst the announcement of a temporary payment freeze of up to 3 months on some loans and credit cards is welcome, for many, this doesn’t go far enough.
Hardship and financial challenges can have a serious detrimental impact on general mental health and wellbeing, causing stress and anxiety. This perhaps rings even more true for families where mums and dads will do everything in their power to ensure that ‘family comes first’.
The Wiltshire and Swindon Credit Union (WASCU) has just launched a new Family Loan. Designed for parents receiving child benefit, it’s a fair, fast and fixed way of accessing up to £500, using child benefit to repay the loan over 12 months. The scheme is designed to be Fair
it’s easy to qualify with a simple affordability check rather than a credit check Fast – once your child benefit payment is set up, you can access the loan straight away Fixed – the loan has a simple fixed monthly interest rate of 3% (42.6% APR)
To find out more about the Family Loan, WASCU’s range of savings and loans options or for more about how Credit Unions help support the local community, please visit www.wascu.co.uk or get in touch via email at office@wascu.co.uk and phone on 01793 522216
Council tax and business rates payments can be deferred until June for those who need it
To support people as much as possible during the ongoing COVID-19 situation, we have confirmed that no resident or business in Wiltshire will have to pay council tax or business rates until June 2020 if they are struggling.
Any resident wishing to defer paying their council tax in April and May 2020, instead of the normal scheduled payment break in February and March 2021,
should call 0300 456 0109 or email counciltax@wiltshire.gov.uk to request the deferral these will be taken at face value and there will be no vetting of anyone wishing to defer payments for April and May 2020.
There is now no face to face service to assist people with benefits
People needing assistance with Benefits can call 0300 456 0110 or email benefits@wiltshire.gov.uk. Who will accept documents by email.
Vulnerable people and those Requesting Housing Assistance:
call 01722 434233, Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm; or email homeless@wiltshire.gov.uk
Advice for Businesses
View or download Here
NHS Healthy Start scheme
Families on certain benefits can get free vouchers each week to spend on milk, fruit and veg, vitamins and infant formula. You could qualify if you’re on benefits and have children under the age of four, or if you’re pregnant and under 18. Please look here
Small Business Grant Scheme
Retail and Hospitality Grant Scheme
Those businesses with a rateable value of under £15,000 will receive a grant of £10,000
Those businesses with a rateable value of between £15,001 and £51,000 will receive a grant of £25,000
You will have received a letter from us asking you to complete an online grant form. Please provide all the information requested as soon as possible so we can assess and verify the information. We issued our first grants on 2 April 2020 and are working as quickly as possible to issue this funding as we recognise how stressful this time is for businesses.
If your business is currently closed and you cannot collect your letter, you can complete the grant form if you think you are eligible for support.
A dedicated contact centre for COVID-19 business support has been set up and businesses who have queries on the grant process or require further information and advice can email us.
Hopper Williams & Bell Limited have collated business information as well as information for individuates and the self employed.You do not need to be a hwb client to make use of this resauce. Their website can be found here.
Martin Lewis at Money Saving Expert
Excellent advice if you are looking for financial help or advice on your rights during these extraordinary times. Start looking here
Citizens Advice Salisbury are offering a financial service. Call them on 0344 411 1444
MONEY ADVICE SERVICE
The Money Advice Service will continue to offer free impartial money advice on:
- Debt and Lending
- Housing and mortgages
- budgeting and money management
- work and benefits and more
They have included additional information related to COVID-19:
- Rights to sick pay
- what benefits you can claim if you are self-employed or not entitled to Statutory Sick Pay (SSP)
- your bills
- housing costs
- moving home
- information to help you find out what help is available to you based on your circumstances
You can find the information here.
The Chalke Valley Stores, known locally as the HUB, is situated in the United Reformed Church in the centre of the village of Broad Chalke in the heart of the beautiful Chalke Valley, officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It comprises a Shop, a Post Office and a Coffee Shop.
In addition to providing a service to the local villages, we also welcome visitors from all over the country – indeed increasingly from all over the world. Many come to the Chalke Valley to explore the area which is rich in history and has many places of great interest to visit as well as events to attend.
Tony Patel, the HUB’s manager is supported by Judith, Sarah, our Team Leaders and our large team of volunteers whose involvement adds to a strong sense of community and helps make the experience of visiting the HUB extremely relaxed and the welcome genuinely warm and friendly. Wherever possible our products are sourced from small local growers and suppliers who are dedicated to the use of fresh ingredients and very often to traditional methods of production.
The Shop
Coffee Shop
Post Office
Local Area
Volunteers
Contact us
Residents of the Chalke Valley use the HUB for their essential shopping as we sell a wide variety of household goods, stationery, fresh meats and vegetables as well as drinks and take-away snacks. Others use it for a coffee in the morning, a light meal of homemade soup at lunch time or tea with fresh cakes and scones in the afternoon. In addition the Post Office provides a full range of postal, banking and foreign exchange services.
Latest News
June Newsletter
NB we will closed on Monday 25th May – the Spring Bank Holiday
“WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER”
It has been an extraordinary month for everyone in the country and the way everyone has come together in the Chalke Valley has shown what a united community we are. The best illustration of this is the way volunteers have stepped forward to help in so many ways, both in the shop and in delivering provisions to those unable to leave home.
Tony is particularly grateful for the support and encouragement shown towards him and his team and he, in turn, together with the management committee, wishes to thank all those who have so generously given up their time to offer their help. It has been a testing time but the saying “we are all in this together” has never been more true than it is here in the Chalke Valley and the response has been truly amazing, so thank you all.
The HUB is featured on BBC Wiltshire
Tony’s was interviewed by Marie Lennon on BBC Wiltshire radio on 14th May. To say that he was a natural would be an understatement and he successfully put across how much he appreciated the hard work of the HUB’s new army of volunteers who have worked so hard to keep the HUB not just going, but extremely busy. This helped to generate an increase in orders for delivery by the volunteers plus an increase in phone-and-collect orders as well. Well done Tony!
Other shop news:
- Take-away hot and cold drinks, cakes and savories are now available and the take up is increasing as people are starting to get back to work
- Facemasks – both medical and non medical facemasks are now on sale. Made locally, a percentage of the sale price is going to NHS charities
- Tony has a supply of baking and bread making flour and also some yeast. This is good news as there is shortage of supply elsewhere
Post Office news:
- The reduced hours of the PO operation will continue for the time being i.e. 9am to 10am, Monday Tuesday and Thursday. The HUB staff is making every attempt, where possible, to “fast-track” PO-only customers when there is a queue for the shop.
- Our much-valued postmaster, Ed, has had to furlough all his staff. This means he is running the Post Offices at Tisbury and Broad Chalke single handed, both understandably, with reduced hours. Ed is doing a fantastic job for us and we are very fortunate that we have these three hours a week of his expertise and excellent customer service. Everyone in the Chalke Valley is very grateful to Ed for his commitment and hard work – thank you Ed!
THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR THE HUB. THIS WILL ENSURE THAT WE GET THROUGH THIS DIFFICULT TIME TOGETHER AND WITH OUR FUTURE SECURE.
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The HUB is a designated SAFE PLACE
This is an initiative set up by Wiltshire council to encourage vulnerable people to get out, by identifying places where they and their carers can go in the knowledge that if something was to happen, we are here to help.
Chalke Valley Stores
URC Chapel, High Road,
Broad Chalke, Wiltshire SP5 5EH
Call us:
01722 780 998
FREE parking available outside
Shop hours:
Week Days 9am to 4pm
Saturdays 9am to 2pm
Post Office:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
9am to 10am
Coffee Shop:
Closed until further notice.
Shop, Post Office & Coffee Shop are all closed on Bank and Public Holidays
Many of the photographs used on this website have been kindly contributed by Russell Emm and Andrew Wiltshire (www.countrysidephotography.org).
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