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***CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION***

CORONA VIRUS IMPLICATIONS

Office Closure

Ottery St Mary Town Council has taken the decision to close its offices due to the Coronavirus pandemic for an undetermined period of time. Members of staff will work from home in order to maintain services to the best of their ability during this difficult time

The Council will still be contactable on 01404 812252 or by email to:

Christine McIntyre, CEO – enquiries@otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

Liz Graveney, Deputy CEO – admin@otterystmary-tc.gov.uk

Emails will be checked regularly and information will be posted on Facebook and on the council website

Business Continuity Plan

The Council will adhere to its Business Continuity Plan and Scheme of Delegation signed off at the Extra Ordinary Council Meeting held on 23^rd March 2020 and will try to maintain services as far as practicable

People in need of help and assistance

Responsibility for vulnerable and elderly people who receive help and support to live in their own homes lies with Devon County Council and East Devon District Council. However Ottery Community Volunteers has been formed to coordinate help and assistance for vulnerable and elderly members of the community and an emergency centre has been set up in part of the Council`s building to effect this. The contact telephone numbers/e-mail addresses for this are:-

01404 600013 and help@ottery.online

General Advice - The Council asks members of the public not to panic and stockpile food and other supplies as this tends to make the situation worse for those who are unable to easily get to the shops or have funds available to purchase large amounts.

Advice from the NHS is to regularly wash your hands for at least 20 seconds, especially when you get home or into work, use a tissue to cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze, dispose of used tissues in the bin and wash your hands. Try to avoid close contact with anyone who is ill and do not touch your eyes, nose or mouth if your hands are not clean.

Finally, keep any eye on the news for regular updates, advice and guidance.

Please see the Devon Libraries Website for full details of the library closure

INFORMATION FROM THE OTTERY COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS

Please sign up on Facebook here or through the link below by completing the form below

Thank you for your interest in supporting the people of Ottery.

We are not here to give medical advice to anyone

We are not here to criticise government or medical responses

We are here to make sure that when things get bad that there is a network in Ottery to ensure that no one who is vulnerable, sick, elderly, lonely or scared gets left behind.

We are not asking anyone to give any medical support or enter the home of anyone who may have the virus, or get into close proximity with them.

We are simply here to support Ottery Help Scheme and Coleridge Medical Centre and other local groups by being aware of the people around us whose needs may change and may need their assistance.

Remember there will be a lot of young and healthy people who will need to self-isolate at some point to protect others.

111 is the NHS number for medical advice

999 is the number for police or ambulance if you think someone is not capable of answering the door or phone or has not been seen for a while.

I would ask you please to complete the following form so that we know who we have, where they live and what they can do:

https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx…

We will try and organise a buddy system so that no one has to go anywhere alone. Please comment on the last question if there is someone you would like to be paired up with.

Thank you all so much for your time and effort.

BLOOD DONOR SESSIONS - FRIDAY 17TH APRIL 2020

There are Blood Donor sessions taking place soon in Ottery St Mary and a high number of appointments still available. NB Blood donation is considered essential activity and is not included in the current restrictions around COVID-19. Please see the link below for poster and all the information you need.

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Thank you on behalf of NHS Blood and Transplant and all those who benefit from local support in encouraging donors to give blood.

Mrs Johnson and Mr Mike Cozens Bob Johnson Allotment Cup

ALLOTMENT CUP WINNER

The Town Council's allotment holders enjoyed a splendid Christmas dinner at the London Inn. The Bob Johnson Cup for the best allotment was awarded at the dinner to Mike Cozens by Mrs Rita Johnson. The allotments are judged by Mr Les Peak who makes his decision over the course of the growing season. Congratulations to Mike Cozens, the recipient of this year’s prestigious award.

OTTERY MAYOR RECOGNISED FOR MORE THAN TWO DECADES AS DISTRICT COUNCILLOR

Cllr Roger Giles was named an honourary alderman by East Devon District Council at an extraordinary meeting of the council on Wednesday 19th December 2019.

The title is given to people who have, in the opinion of the Council, given good service to the authority as past members but are no longer elected representatives. The Mayor was one of 10 former district Councillors to be named an alderman and announced his retirement as district Councillor in May this year after more than two decades representing the Ottery area. Speaking after the extraordinary meeting, Mr Giles said: "I have had the great privilege of representing Ottery on this council since 1995. Ottery is a wonderful community, and I shall be forever grateful for the support of its people. I am delighted to accept the honour on behalf of the people of Ottery."

Mr Giles was first elected as an independent District Councillor, representing the Ottery St Mary Town ward, in 1995, securing 1,037 votes. In that time he has twice served as chairman of the council's scrutiny committee and once as vice chairman.

Proposal for a primary school and associated residential development at Thorne Farm Way, Ottery St Mary

Please click here for Questions & Answers for your information

CLIMATE EMERGENCY

Ottery St Mary has declared a Climate Emergency as it is committed to making changes to ensure that the Town does everything possible to contribute to a cleaner and better future for the next generations.

A group set up will take advice from experts, carry out its own research, talk to their neighbours and work out what Ottery St Mary can do to make a difference. It will also report back to the Full Council with a series of proposals and ideas for the Council to enact.

CITIZENS ADVICE BUREAU

Sadly, there will no further Citizen Advice Bureau meetings for the foreseeable future in Ottery St Mary. This is due to the entire service being under review. If the situation changes, we shall let you know.