Day 72 of (irregular?) Lockdown
The day 72 update starts with Woods Bowls Club keen to welcome you for a rollup. There then follows:
- The West Bergholt PC Health & Wellbeing Plan
- Updates from Essex County Council:
- Updates from Colchester Borough Council:
- Some more Bowls including comedy video.
Woods Bowls Club Restarts
Woods is a small but very friendly lawn bowls club that is normally open to all ages and abilities throughout the spring & summer months of April to September. The club consists of a mixture of male and female members with ages ranging from ‘Thirty-somethings’ to, sprightly Octogenarians! You are never too young or too old to play Lawn Bowls. Provided social distancing is observed, they are now allowed to play with a few restrictions.
New to Bowls?
Most people find bowls an easy sport to start playing, the basic skills are not hard and it does not require any great physical strength or athletic ability. New members are still very welcome, and this year is a great year to start as you’ll have the whole season being tutored by club members and playing friendly club matches before being unleashed into the Colchester and Sudbury leagues in 2021!
If you are interested and would like to try the game, please call the club secretary, Peter Pushman, on 01206 863854 or go to their website – www.hugofox.com/community/woods-bowls-club-8629.
The West Bergholt Health & Wellbeing Plan
The plan, below, documents the Parish Council’s response to COVID-19 in supporting the village & its residents:
Thanks to Volunteers
The Covid-19 pandemic may have shut shops, kept families apart and stopped events but the community of Essex has gone the extra mile to look out for one another in all parts of the county during the lockdown.
Volunteers Week
This Volunteers’ Week, running from 1st June to 7th June, Essex County Council would like to thank the residents of Essex who signed up in lockdown to help others in their time of need.
Essex residents responded quickly when The Essex Welfare Service, commissioned by Essex County Council and delivered by local community interest company Provide, called for willing volunteers. The welfare service’s website enables members of the public to sign up as a volunteer and for those without the support of family, friends or neighbours to request support.
Really Distressed
One resident who was helped by the service commented:
When I first called the Essex Welfare Service, I was really distressed, but the call taker was so patient and reassuring. They arranged for two food boxes to be delivered by volunteers and I’m now registered for priority delivery slots on supermarket websites. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
Support for those feeling isolated or lonely is also being provided through United in Kind, the social movement bringing together hundreds of community, charity, and voluntary groups from around Essex.
Lockdown Easing
As the lockdown eases Essex County Council is calling out to anyone feeling isolated or in need of some extra help to come forward, so they can be helped by one of the Essex Welfare Service’s army of willing volunteers.
The service is now assisting people of all ages and circumstances whatever their need – from a telephone chat to keep someone company or arranging delivery of food or medicines, to more individual help for people with disabilities, dementia, sensory loss or health conditions.
To seek support for yourself or someone you know see www.essexwelfareservice.org.uk/ or to find out more about United in Kind see https://www.unitedinkind.org/.
Libraries Opening in Phases – Colchester One of First
Like many other council services, Essex County Council is now preparing a phased approach to re-open libraries in line with Government guidelines.
From Monday 6 July 2020, sixteen sites will re-open; Basildon, Billericay, Braintree, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester, Dunmow, Epping, Harlow, Harwich, Maldon, Rayleigh, Rochford, South Benfleet and Witham. The initial sixteen sites re-opening were selected as they also provide Registration Services, and therefore allow this important service to be more easily delivered too.
Essex Libraries initial site re-openings are in line with other Counties, and the schedule avoids the initial expected increase in travel as non-essential shops begin to open during Mid-June.
Most by Mid-August
Further library sites will re-open as they are made safe and ready, staff are available, given shielding and support requirements, and they have finished assisting with vital redeployment activities being provided to the most vulnerable people; with as many as possible opening by mid-August 2020.
The safety of library employees and customers is paramount, and all libraries will be risk assessed and suitably prepared before they reopen to allow customers and staff to maintain social distancing and stay safe. Once open, regular cleaning measures will be in place.
Limited Service Initially
To begin with, the service offered will be limited, but Essex Libraries are looking forward to welcoming customers again. Customers will be able to return and borrow books, as well as have some limited time to browse the shelves. In line with Government guidance, the number of customers allowed in a library at any one time will need to be reduced to help people stay safe.
Self Service
To help us work safely, customers will be asked to use the self-service machines to issue and return their items and to pay any charges. Public computers, printing facilities and additional services such as recycling bags will be temporarily unavailable, but, these services will be reviewed frequently so that they can be offered again as soon as it is safe to do so.
We also encourage customers to continue to use the library digital reading and online services where possible.
Colchester Museums Launch Learning From Home Programme
Colchester Museums has launched its new Learning From Home programme. Aimed at children in Key Stage Two (children aged 8-11), the online programme will complement the topics covered by the National Curriculum and the schools’ programme that the museum service currently offers to school groups.
The programme is designed to aid parents and carers who currently home-school their children and who are looking for new materials for learning. By launching now, Colchester Museums hopes to be able to help many more families who are currently supporting children with home learning due to the current coronavirus pandemic.
Different Topics
The simple-to-follow format provides a wealth of information about a range of different topics, starting with everyone’s favourite, the Romans. In each session, a variety of learning styles are employed – from repetition, multiple choice, clear and colourful images and discussion tasks. The sessions all tie into Colchester Museums collections and help ignite imaginations, the will to learn, and truly bring history to life!
The sessions are free and the resources will be available on Colchester Museums website, under its learning resources section.
Download
Download the first activity here: https://colchester.cimuseums.org.uk/learn/teacher-resources/. New sessions will be added to the website at regular intervals.
Ensure you have subscribed to our newsletter and follow us on social media for all the latest news and information about Colchester Museums.
For more activities to help educate and entertain during the coronavirus pandemic, please visit Museum From Home at www.cimuseums.org.uk/museumfromhome.
The CBC Residents Contacts Pack has been updated.
The sections relevant to West Bergholt can be found here. The document lists important contacts including councillors, community groups & volunteer information. It also details local shops, meal & food delivery details. Further details are also included about a wide range of services, support groups etc… within the wider Colchester community.
More Bowls
Lawn Bowling With You
Mini Bowls Quiz
- What is the white object ball called in the game of bowls?
- Lawn Bowls has been played in various forms for centuries. Which famous sailor was said to be playing bowls at the time of being informed of an impending attack?
- Which explorer was a well-known bowler?
- How many bowls are used in a traditional game of lawn bowls singles?
- Every bowl is shaped so that it travels in an arc rather than in a straight line. What is this called?
- Lawn bowls is usually played on a very flat, well-maintained grass surface. Which of these surfaces can it also be played on?:
- Ice.
- Clay.
- None of these.
- Carpet.
- What happens if a bowl, when delivered, falls into the ditch?
- When playing a game of fours, how many bowls does each playing member play with?
See next page for the answers.