Author: Lesley Webb

Dear Villagers

I am writing to inform you that we have had to close the Timberscombe Pre School as of the end of this academic year.  As you will be aware, financially we have struggled for some time and during COVID 19 this has become impossible for it to continue despite all efforts including furloughing our two staff.

I would like to take this moment to thank our dedicated staff, Irene and Jo, who have given us years of care for our children and Joanne has seen generations through.  We would also like to recognise the efforts of everyone in our community in keeping a pre school in our village and giving support and time to ensure this provision has continued.  When we have a chance to come together without fear of COVID 19 we will mark the work of the staff and commemorate the Timberscombe Pre School properly and appropriately.

As we know just how important provision for our youngest villagers is, we have been able to work collaboratively with the school to ensure this remains in our village.  So, in happier news the school will be opening a new and different provision for 2 year olds from September 2020.  This will be called the ‘Timberscombe Little Oaks Early Years Provision,’ shortened to ‘Little Oaks’ and is different to the previous pre school.  For example, it will be relocating into the main class one space and will be led by school staff, extended hours, and many other exciting changes to secure this at the heart of our already tremendous school. The children will now all become under the ‘schools wings’ and be cared for all in the same way.  This will mean transition from one setting to the next is seamless with similar systems, environment, staffing, curriculum and nurture. All the children who were enrolled at Timberscombe Pre School will automatically be allocated a place, with no additional fees, to the Little Oaks Early Years Provision at the school.  Please let the school know if you do not want a place.

The school will be in touch soon with further details.

Thank you so much for your support of me as Chair and of our staff, this is both a sad time where we say goodbye to our team and the old pre school, but also an exciting time where the children have new opportunities within a new and different early years provision.

Best wishes,

Mrs Sophie Merrett

Chair

My name is Alan Ward, myself and my wife Andrea are taking over the Lion Inn from the 1st August. We will require part-time bar staff and we are keen to employ locally. Contact Alan on alibung0@btinternet.com if interested.

We are hoping to welcome locals and visitors back from the 1st August offering a small menu of old favourite comfort food along with bar snacks and specials, and of course real ales and fine wine.
Social distancing will be observed and all attendees will be asked for there details for track and trace purposes.
Looking forward to meeting everyone at The Lion and around your beautiful village.
Kind regards,
Alan and Andrea.

Jane and I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our Gourmet to Go service during lock down, it really has made a difference to whether we were able to reopen our doors to the public again.

Thankfully, on the 4th July we were able to do just that, albeit offering a limited amount of accommodation and seating in the restaurant.  We are now serving dinner Wed-Sun and are accepting non-residents in the restaurant, in small numbers and not too far in advance.

Unfortunately, this means that we have had to suspend our takeaway service for now as we are unable to manage the hotel, restaurant and this aspect simultaneously.

We will review this decision in autumn when things have quietened down again, but lastly we just want to to reiterate our enormous appreciation for the support you have given us, and hopefully you have enjoyed the weekend treats along the way!

Best wishes,

John & Jane Bradley
Dunkery Beacon Country House

Click on this link to read the 24th July 2020 Benefice Newsletter

Have you bought anything online recently?…

Almost 34% of all retail sales during May 2020 were carried out online, and new research suggests that only 16% of UK consumers intend to return to their old shopping habits post-lockdown.

Online shopping fraud during lockdown

Action Fraud, the UK’s national reporting centre for fraud and cyber crime, received over 16,000 reports relating to online shopping and auction fraud during the lockdown, with losses totalling over £16m.

Members of the public have reported buying mobile phones (19%), vehicles (22%), electronics (10%) such as games consoles, AirPods and MacBooks , and footwear (4%) on sites such as eBay (18%), Facebook (18%), Gumtree (10%) and Depop (6%), only to have the items never arrive.

Top tips for shopping online securely:

Choosing where to shop:
If you’re making a purchase from a company or seller 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.
Email accounts:
Use a strong, separate password for your email account. Criminals can use
your email to access other online accounts, such as those you use for online shopping.
Scam messages:
Some of the emails or texts you receive about amazing offers may contain links to fake websites. Not all links are bad, but if you’re unsure don’t use the link, go separately to the website. And remember, if a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Payment method:
If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one as other payment providers may not provide the same protection.

What to do if you’ve fallen victim to online shopping fraud

We all make mistakes and these days the scams can be incredibly convincing.
If you think you’ve visited, or made a purchase on, a bogus website, you should first, take a note of the website’s address, then close down your internet browser. You should then report the details to Action Fraud and contact your bank to seek advice.
Whether you’ve been a victim of fraud will depend on how much information you’ve provided to the website, so keep an eye on your bank transactions, if you can. Contact your bank immediately about anything that you don’t recognise, even small amounts.

For more information about how to stay safe online, please visit www.actionfraud.police.uk/cybercrime