Author: Lesley Webb

The majority of police enquiry offices across the force area have been closed in a bid to reduce the spread of coronavirus. Four of them will remain open seven days a week, but should only be used if absolutely essential. Anyone displaying coronavirus symptoms or self-isolating should follow Government advice and stay at home and report matters for the police through our website instead. https://www.avonandsomerset.police.uk/report/ The four in operation from 8am-8pm (weekdays) and 9am-5pm (weekends) are: •Bridewell Police Station, Bristol •Patchway Police Centre, South Gloucestershire •Bridgwater Police Centre, Somerset •Yeovil Police Station, Somerset Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Cullen said: “This has not been an easy decision to make but has been made in accordance with the Government’s announcement on Monday that people should remain at home unless absolutely necessary to reduce the spread of this virus. The decision will remain under constant review. “By temporarily reducing the number of enquiry desks open it will allow us best maximise the resources available to the force at what is critical time for policing. “We remain committed to providing a visible police presence in all our communities, and any enquiries that would traditionally have been handled face-to-face will be conducted online through our website, including reporting non-urgent crimes. Further guidance: • Please only call 999 in an emergency. If you need to call our 101 service, please consider whether you can report online instead via our online reporting tools. • Visit our dedicated COVID-19 page for links to all the latest news on policing services. • Visit GOV.UK to read the Government’s advice on COVID-19. • See Government advice for staying at home, for households with possible COVID-19 infection and social distancing to protect vulnerable groups. • Visit the NHS website for hygiene advice and advice on calling 111. • For advice on mental health, visit the Every Mind Matters website. Please also be aware that all NHW Administrators are now having to work from home. This means that they will be available by email and by mobile phone only. All post, both incoming and outgoing will be severely delayed until further notice. Email: paulk.johnson@avonandsomerset.police.uk Mobile: 07889 656 575

With severe restrictions on our movement it is essential for us all to remain active. I have put together a selecting of online videos which you can use to create a regular exercise programme during this period of confinement.

The videos cover all ages and abilities including children and people with health restrictions such as bad knees or back, arthritis, etc. so there are no excuses !

The videos range from 5 minutes to over an hour and cover pilates, yoga, strength work, aerobic workout, PE for Kids and even belly dancing. So why not set your self the target of doing one each day and may be by the end of this period of isolation we will have some Timberscombe belly dancers !!

• First up are the pilates, yoga, strength, resistance and aerobic workouts videos created by the NHS.  I have listed the catagories below so you can see the huge range  of classes available. To access these videos Click HERE  and then choose the type of classes you want to try by clicking on the + to get a drop down menu of classes.

Pilates Level 1 (Level: Beginner)

Pyjama pilates (Level: Intermediate)

Yoga with LJ (Level: Beginner)

Beditation Pre- and postnatal yoga (Level: Beginner)

Chair-based pilates (Level: Beginner)

Pilates with back pain (Level: Beginner)

Pilates with knee problems (Level: Beginner)

Pilates with arthritis (Level: Beginner)

Pilates with scoliosis (Level: Beginner)

Pilates with osteoporosis (Level: Beginner)

Pilates with MS and fibromyalgia (Level: Beginner)

Basic warm-up (Level: Intermediate)

Abs workout (Level: Intermediate)

Legs workout (Level: Intermediate)

Waist workout (Level: Intermediate)

Arms workout (Level: Intermediate)

Bum toning (Level: Intermediate)

Cool-down (Level: Intermediate)

Wake up! workout (Level: Beginner)

Aerobics (Level: Beginner)

Dancing: belly dance (Level: Beginner)

Dancing: La Bomba (Level: Beginner)

Wake up! workout (Level: Beginner)

NHS Couch to 5k running plan

 

• If you have Kids at home these daily 30 minute PE lessons with Joe will be a must. To access these daily workouts click HERE 

 

• A selection of Trika Yoga session from 5 minutes to over an hour can be found by clicking HERE

 

• Finally if you are already fit and want to stay that way gymnast Max Whitlock and other sportsmen and women have produced a series of vidoes which can be found by clicking HERE. Warning do not try these unless you are already fit!

 

If you have any other ideas for keeping us all occupied during this period of isolation please let me know by replying to this email.

It is difficult to believe that at this difficult time there are not only people who are trying to scam us but even worse those who are trying to take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to scam us.

Somerset Police have produced a leaflet about the current Covid-10 scams. Click HERE to read it. The majority of scams which have emerged relate to the online sale of protective
items which may be in short supply across the country. This includes protective
masks, hand sanitisers and other products associated with coronavirus.
There have also been emails sent offering fake medical support, targeting people
who may be vulnerable or increasingly isolated at home.

Please take the time to make yourself aware of these scams.

I have also been made aware of this scam:

People who have Amazon accounts , be aware scammers are calling on landlines purporting to represent Amazon, AMAZON DO NOT CONTACT CUSTOMERS BY PHONE, just ignore the calls or better yet contact Amazon through the website and report any calls.

 

Richard and Theresa from “The Lion” are offering a take-away/delivery services. Contact them on 01643 841 243 to let them know what you want. In addition to helping you this will help to keep our lovely pub going over this difficult time.

The Orchards Social Club are also doing takeaways on Wednesdays and Fridays at the Old Dairy. Contact John on 01643 841 778 to book a meal. 48 hours notice required.

Need a prescription collected Ellie Bishop our Village Agent  can collect from the surgery on Wednesdays and deliver to Timberscombe Post Office. Please contact her directly on:
Tel: 01823 331222
Mobile: 07985 748910
Email: ellieb@somersetrcc.org.uk

Stuart Lowen will deliver to Timberscombe residents who are unable to reach the shop. CALL 01643 706 034 to place your order.

Maybe you just need to talk to someone? There’ll be extra support from Somerset Mindline from Monday 01823 276 892 New hours will be 9am-11pm Mon-Fri, and 8pm-11pm at the weekend or go online at https://twitter.com/somersetccg/status/1241043892906201088

Want an information update Somerset Council have issued a very information update listing help for everybody from businesses to individuals. To see the latest update click HERE

…and don’t forget if you need help you can call the Timberscombe Good Neighbours on 07391870332 and we will do all we can to assist.

…and finally why no look after your body with Venitia’s tips. Prevention is better than cure!  

Nature’s medicine – LEMONS

Lemons are full of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, antioxidants and has power antibacterial properties. They are especially a good source of vitamin C and folate. The NCBI site reports that Vitamin C appears to exert a multitude of beneficial effects on cellular functions of both the innate and adaptive immune system. It is a potent antioxidant. Stockpile those antioxidants!

Hot water with Lemon

I just love this drink first thing in the morning it’s so refreshing; it’s like having an internal cleansing shower. Adding some honey may make it more palatable for you, and could help to sooth coughs and colds too. Anti-viral prevention information is suggesting we have a sip of warm water every 20 minutes to wash any virus into the stomach, and to gargle every day with lemon, vinegar or salt water.

I like this – Prepare for the worst, hope for the best and getting on with your life! – Be well Venetia x

 Telephone: 07973 953 012  

  Web: www.true-nature.co.uk                                                         ​                      

 Fb: https://m.facebook.com/truenaturecouk

More detail on this report by Martin Lewis can be found by clicking HERE

The UK sadly, rightly, importantly is shutting down. Apart from for necessary work, groceries, medical appointments, caring and once-daily exercise, we should all stay home. This has a mountainous and potentially catastrophic impact on people’s livelihoods, income and finances.

Things are changing constantly. We’ve seen a staggering number of announcements in the last week alone, each of which in normal times would be blockbuster news. To bring you up to speed, I’m going to briefly detail the NEW need-to-knows here, but use the guides for far more.

The new coronavirus need-to-knows
1) SELF EMPLOYED/FREELANCE? Try to hold on – the support package should come this week. There’s a real feeling of panic growing among the UK’s self-employed. While there are some measures in place, they’re simply not enough yet, so I’ve two important points…

a) I have it officially CONFIRMED the Govt is working on a further support package (some reports say it’ll be as soon as Wed, but it’ll almost certainly be by Fri). I don’t know what it is, but suspect it’ll be on a par with the 80% of your salary up to £2,500 for employees. So hold tight, and don’t make any drastic decisions until that’s announced.
For more, and for updates when we get news, see our self-employed coronavirus help including my video briefing.
b) Check the measures already in place to see if they can help, including deferring tax payments and claiming employment support allowance if you’re sick. Plus crucially, don’t dismiss universal credit (see below for why).
2) EMPLOYEES. Can’t go to work or have no work to do? Ask your employer to ‘furlough’ you and Govt will cover 80% of your salary up to £2,500/mth. This is officially called the Coronavirus Job Retention scheme, and it means employers can choose to put staff who can’t work on ‘furlough’ (on hold) – and then the Govt will cover their salary.
Think of this like a job being put on standby. The idea is you go into sleeper mode during the crisis, and then when it’s over, they can instantly restart things and get the economy running again at speed.
It’s up to employers to decide and define who is furloughed. It could be because you’ve no work to do (eg, you work in a closed restaurant), or as you have to be at home to look after children or you’re self-isolating.
The key thing to understand is the state is looking to support people. It wants this to be a broad sweep of support to gather people up. It’s looking to embrace people who need it, not loophole them out. See our employee furlough info, including my 5min video briefing.
3) If you lost your job due to coronavirus, or were in the process of changing jobs, furlough may still be available. Before the furlough support was announced, many people were laid off by panicking firms. If that happened, speak to the firm – they are allowed to take you back on, to furlough you.

Of course, this is up to employers, and so I’d urge all employers to do what you can – you’re not playing fast and loose doing this, you’re doing what’s intended. Though of course there will always be the rare few who sadly don’t get it or don’t care.
4) Don’t dismiss universal credit. The changes are bigger than you think – especially for housing costs. Universal credit is a benefit available to many who are employed, self-employed, unemployed or on low incomes (but usually not pensioners), provided you’ve less than £16,000 savings in your household.
Last week, most people focused on the ‘£1,000 more a year’ increase, which of course is only £20/week, but that’s just the standard allowance. The housing allowance – which can cover rent, mortgage interest and service charge – has been unfrozen, so payouts can be larger (owner-occupiers can get help via support for mortgage interest payments). For example, in one London borough, for a two-bed home the max was £1,390/mth, it could now be as high as £1,550/mth.
Overall, some may be eligible for £1,500+/mth, and as there’s no tax taken off. That’s getting close to the max furlough payment for employees.
I know many are scared of sanctions and are worried about universal credit, but the strong message I’m getting from the DWP right now is don’t be scared, they want to provide support this way. For more help, read our coronavirus universal credit explained info and use our 10-min benefit check.
5) ZERO-HOURS CONTRACT? Help depends on how your contract is structured. If you’re paid through a payroll, you could be eligible for help as a furloughed employee (if so, your salary may, we think, be based on your Feb income – though that’s to be confirmed – and there may be wriggle room if that was a particularly bad month). Otherwise, you may be due self-employment help (we need to wait and see), and definitely check out universal credit information too.
6) Renters, you can’t be evicted for 3mths, and landlords can get help too. As well as universal credit housing help, new rules mean landlords in Eng/Wales won’t be able to start new eviction proceedings for at least the next 3mths, protecting private and social tenants – while in Scot, private and social landlords will have to give an increased 6mths’ notice before taking steps to evict a tenant. We’re still awaiting rules for NI.
Private landlords are also now eligible for a 3mth buy-to-let mortgage payment holiday if their tenants are experiencing financial difficulties. Technically they needn’t pass this on to their tenants, but morally they should and most will, so speak to your landlord if you need help. See renters’ help.
If your landlord doesn’t have a mortgage, there’s no help and they may be relying on your rent as their income. If so, and you’re both struggling, try to find a way to “meet in the middle” and work through it together.
7) Now 5 major lenders let you apply for a mortgage payment holiday ONLINE. If you are struggling to pay your mortgage, lenders will allow you to take a break on paying for 3mths. Now many let you apply online, and some hear back in minutes. For full help, including exactly how mortgage holidays work, see our how to apply for a mortgage payment holiday info.
Please DON’T call banks or HMRC unless you’re vulnerable or have urgent need – go online & end the 10hr waits
I’m not normally the person who sticks up for banks, but they’re a priority service right now for many who face financial desperation. They’ve also had to rewrite decades of policies within days, and adapt their staff to new working conditions.

Unsurprisingly that means call centres are clogged up, and I even heard of 10hr phone queues. So please do everything you can online. If you need to call, do it when needed (eg, only ask for a mortgage holiday if your direct debit is due within 7 days). If not, let those with more pressing needs go first.

The same applies for HMRC and other helplines. This way, those who need help urgently get it quickly, and it protects the vulnerable who may not have online access.

8) Check your mortgage rate and sort your savings. The UK base rate was cut again, to 0.1% – the lowest in 325yrs.  Those on trackers and variable rates should see their mortgage payment reduced (see mortgage lender-by-lender cuts) by about £40/mth per £100,000 of mortgage if you add both cuts in the last two weeks. For those free to remortgage, it is also worth checking if you can cut your mortgage cost.
Of course, things continue to be dire for those with savings, but act now to lock in better savings rates.
9) HSBC is giving £300 overdraft buffer – others may follow. Terrible timing means from Mon 6 Apr (earlier for some), regulation changes have resulted in almost all lenders charging about 40% EAR on overdrafts, nearly double high-street credit cards, making overdrafts the new danger debt.
HSBC has said to help with coronavirus it’ll automatically increase buffer zones (which let you go overdrawn interest-free) on its Bank and Advance accounts, from £25 to £300 for 3mths from Thu. I hope others will join, but if you’re struggling, see our full overdraft coronavirus help. Also see help on loans and credit cards.
10) Energy bill help. Disconnections are suspended for customers of all providers – most are pushing back bill dates (and British Gas has confirmed it’s removing late payment charges) for those struggling financially. We await to hear others’ plans. (Also see Brit Gas cheapest deal since 2016 below).
If your energy bill is a struggle, see our full energy bill help, and if you’re on prepay and worried about running out of credit while in self-isolation, see energy firm-by-firm prepaid top-up help.
11) Sky Sports customers CAN now pause their subscription. Subscribers to Sky Sports (though not BT Sport) can now pause Sky Sports payments while sport is suspended.

Scammers are vicious, immoral scum – it makes you weep
Low-life scammers are taking advantage of coronavirus to try to defraud people, especially the elderly and vulnerable. The National Fraud Intelligence Bureau says it’s already identified over 100 reports of fraud relating to coronavirus, with victims’ losses totalling almost £1 million.

Classic scams include calling saying: “This is your bank, we’re struggling due to coronavirus, so we need to move money to a new [scam] account.” Spread the word. Be vigilant. See how to spot coronavirus scams. And if you need one-on-one support, go to Citizens Advice Scam Action.

12) Almost all train tickets are now refundable. Anyone with an advance ticket can now get a refund. Season ticket holders can get the unused portion of their ticket back but may have to pay a £10ish admin fee. See how to get a rail refund.
13) Shops are extending their returns policies. For example, H&M upped its from 28 to 100 days for items bought in-store and online, so you’ve time to get things back during lockdown. See who’s extended return rights.
14) Struggling with council tax? Speak to your local authority. Some councils are offering forbearance, eg, Telford & Wrekin Council is letting residents defer Apr’s and May’s payments (though you’ll have to make it up later in the year). See council tax holidays.
15) Contactless card limit increasing from £30 to £45 on 1 Apr. This is to reduce personal contact, though it may take some time to filter through to all retailers. Contactless limits often don’t apply to mobile phone contactless payments. See contactless update.

16) Can’t get to your MOT? Change possible this week. If your MOT runs out, and you can’t get an MOT as the local test centre is closed/you’re stuck self-isolating, currently the only option is to get a SORN and take your car off-road. We’re expecting to hear a change this week, likely to soften this stance – updates in MOT help.
Don’t be afraid to ask for or give help. We all need forbearance – this is a time for compromise.
No apology for repeating my call that forbearance must be the word of the moment. Both in its plain sense to be patient or forgiving, and its technical meaning not to enforce legal rights including debt repayment.
Individuals are struggling right now, with huge income shocks. If you run a business or are a landlord, please show forbearance, try to work through something that causes the least worst outcome for both, so we can all get through this.
Yet firms are struggling with income shocks too, and even the Govt is facing enormous logistical issues, changing decades-old policies and work practices in hours.
So we must try to show them (yes, even Govt – which ultimately is still politicians and civil servants, ie, people, working under great pressure) patience, compassion and forbearance too.
17) Life insurance & income protection should still cover coronavirus. Not nice to think of, but we’ve had many ask us if life insurance policies will still cover coronavirus. Yes (unless someone took one out while they had it). The same should be true with income protection policies. However, most critical illness policies won’t define coronavirus as a critical illness. See insurance latest.
18) Package holiday or flight cancelled? You’re due cash, not vouchers – but that could change. When package holidays or flights are cancelled, the rules state you’re due a full refund. Yet many firms are currently trying to direct you towards taking vouchers. Of course, if you’re happy with vouchers then take them, as we need to support travel firms right now – but if not, you are due cash.
Enforcing that is tough though, as it may need court action. Plus travel expert Simon Calder has reported that the Package Travel Regulations may soon be suspended, meaning you only get vouchers for package hols. Full help in our Coronavirus Travel Rights guide.
19) Water bill problems. Trade body Water UK is today announcing it is working with water firms to arrange payment breaks, payment holidays and more for those struggling. See water bill help.

That’s it. Please stay safe, stay healthy, stay at home if you can, take care of each other, be forbearing – and try to find as many silver linings and smiles in this cloud as you can. Martin.