d s mead in touch · vol. 19 • issue no. 2 • november 2013 free to stowmarket & stowupland...

Image by Nigel Paul

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Vol. 19 • Issue No. 2 • NOVEMBER 2013FREE to STOWMARKET & STOWUPLAND RESIDENTS 50p where sold

In TouchVolume 25 • Issue No. 9 • JUNE 2020

with Stowmarket& Stowupland

™ ©D S MEADALL BUILDING, CAVITY

WALL & LOFT INSULATION WORK UNDERTAKEN

30 years experience

Tel: 01449 745769Mob: 07803 173000

2 In Touch online:

3www.keepingintouchwith.com/stowmarket

A WORD FROM THE EDITOR

Published by: Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd, 20 Wharfedale Road, Ipswich IP1 4JP

In Touch Titles• Stowmarket & Stowupland• Kesgrave & Rushmere St Andrew• Melton & Woodbridge• Manningtree, Brantham, Lawford & Mistley• Hadleigh, Chattisham, Hintlesham,

Holton St Mary, Layham & Raydon • Ipswich East, Ravenswood, Broke Hall & Warren Heath• Elmswell, Beyton, Drinkstone, Haughley, Hessett, Norton, Tostock, Wetherden & Woolpit• Needham Market & The Creetings• Shotley, Chelmondiston, Erwarton,

Harkstead, Holbrook, Pin Mill, Stutton & Woolverstone

• Martlesham• Claydon, Barham, Henley & Whitton• East Bergholt, Dedham, Flatford

& Stratford St Mary• Bramford, Offton, Somersham & Willisham• Capel St Mary (Capel Capers)• Copdock, Belstead, Bentley, Tattingstone

& Washbrook• Gt & Lt Blakenham, Baylham & Nettlestead• Westerfield, Ashbocking, Tuddenham

St Martin & Witnesham• Sproughton & Burstall

We also publish Spotlight on Felixstowe

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Please recycle.

EDITOR: Sharon JenkinsT: 01473 400380Send editorial copy to:[email protected] are invited to submit articles, illustrations and photographs for publication. The publishers reserve the right to amend such submissions and cannot accept responsibility for any loss.

ADVERTISINGT: 01473 400380 E: [email protected]

DISTRIBUTIONTree Martin: 01473 400380E: [email protected]

PRINTING ColourPlan Print: 01473 400379E: [email protected]: The views expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher. Every effort is taken to ensure that the contents of this magazine are accurate but the publisher cannot assume any responsibility for errors or omissions.

While reasonable care is taken when accepting advertisements or editorial, the publisher/editor will not accept responsibility for any unsatisfactory transactions and also reserves the right to refuse to include advertising or editorial. They will, however immediately investigate any written complaints.

© Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means, either wholly or in part, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

© In Touch with Stowmarket & Stowupland is published by Mansion House Publishing (UK) Ltd

Wednesday 10 Juneis the advertising and editorial deadline for

the July edition

OIL & WATER IMAGE BY NIGEL PAULThough unusually abstract for a front cover, I love the image and asked Nigel to explain how he achieved it. It’s a lot of work but what a result.

I used a glass casserole dish raised from the ground with supports at each end. For the supports I used some wooden blocks but use whatever you have at hand, e.g. books, etc. In the space underneath the dish, between the supports, I placed some multicoloured material. I lit the material with a couple of LED lights on each side. The glass dish was filled with a couple of centimetres of water and a tablespoon of vegetable oil. As oil and water don’t mix, the oil sits on the water in circles. The camera, fitted with a macro lens, was set on a tripod and pointed directly down onto the circles of oil. To achieve blurring, a large aperture was used. I then focused on the oil circles, clicked the shutter and ‘hey presto!’

TIPS: Agitate the bubbles for different pictures. Use different materials and colours. Replace the material and LED lights with a lit tablet/iPad with a favourite patterned image.

Settings: Mode AP; Aperture f2.8; ISO100

www.facebook.com/www.shoots4fun

KEEPING IN TOUCHwww.keepingintouchwith.co.uk

Instagram: mansionhousepublishing Twitter: @InTouchEast

Facebook: Mansion House Publishing

Find out how Mansion House Publishing has Adapted to Life Under Lockdown on page 5.

Jack, my 10-year-old, asked me earlier what I miss most since we’ve been in lockdown. After much thought, I decided the one thing I genuinely miss more than anything else is the physical company of others.

I’m working from home and attempting to home school, most days it’s just Jack and I, alone together all day long. We have good days, days when we’re full of energy and ideas, when he’s happily doing ‘stuff’ while I work, when we complete an entire activity sheet without arguing (I swear if I hear him say “that’s not how we do it at school” one more time I will throw my Carol Vorderman maths guide out the window), days when the sun is shining and anything seems possible, except freedom!

On bad days, and there have been a few, we’re grumpy with each from the word go! We’re tetchy, anxious, quick to tears (yes, both of us) and I get interrupted more frequently because Jack can’t settle at anything for more than five minutes. Bad days are long. Very, very long! On bad days I try to put my worries and irritations aside to focus on getting him through the day in one piece! We’ve managed so far but it’s hard keeping so many balls in the air and I’m not embarrassed to admit I’ve dropped a few.

Now back to my original point. I’ve been on Zoom, FaceTime, Skype and goodness knows what else in recent weeks. I’ve spent time with cousins as far away as New York and Australia. I’ve seen the inside of houses I’ve never been in before and even attended a funeral.

Technology is amazing and I honestly can’t imagine how we would have coped without it. However, I long to be in the company of others, to sit with a friend when we chat, to hug my mum and dad, to celebrate my nephew’s graduation down the pub... I’d even like to see my work colleagues face-to-face!

I know this will end and in time it will become a not-so-happy distant memory. TV shows have already been made but I’m sure there will be many more, movies and novels too. Perhaps we will be more resilient when we emerge on the other side. Perhaps, and I hope this is the case, we will appreciate the

value of physical connection, both in terms of ‘how’ we spend our time and ‘where’ we spend it.

Sharing a sense of place with those who are physically closest to us, supporting and being supported by our local community, using our spending power to sustain the local economy… well it all makes perfect sense now. We really are stronger together.

I realise my lockdown experience has, thankfully, been healthy and relatively stress free. I wish it was the same for everyone so to those of you who have experienced loss, illness, unbearable stress or simply had far, far too many bad days, I hope you know you’re not alone and that you can reach out for help. This edition includes information provided by several charities and organisations offering support and guidance. Perhaps you will find someone to help you if you are struggling.

If you’d like to share your lockdown experience, good and bad, please send your stories and images to me. Let’s make the next edition a celebration of what has been achieved within our local communities, of the people who have led the way and those who have gone above and beyond to help others.

I’ve been really impressed by the way in which simple ideas have taken off. Rainbow posters in windows, teddies waving from window sills, thank you notes on bins, jam-packed boredom boxes for elderly residents... not to mention the creative and caring ways in which local businesses have stepped up to meet current need. If you visit our website you can read about the plumbing and heating companies providing free oil level checks for the vulnerable, the bakery delivering more than 300 free loaves a week to the vulnerable and elderly, the taxi company giving a 10% discount to essential workers...

We have so much to be grateful for. To everyone who has helped in any way, we say thank you, well done and stay safe. I’ll end with another Irish phrase, “Go raibh míle maith agat”, which literally translates as: “May you have a thousand good things”.

Sharon

4 In Touch online:

During the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Stowmarket Town Council has been active in supporting the community by diverting staff and resources to assisting with essential services, as well as morale boosting and community bonding endeavours.

Since the start of the virus, we have offered support to GP surgeries, supported the food bank with collections, paid for printing for volunteer groups, erected flags and banners to show support and solidarity for the NHS and keyworkers, kept the market operational with essential food item stalls and published and shared relevant information on our website, including grant opportunities, information for businesses and individuals and links to trusted sites and resources.

In the past month we have gifted hampers to organisations providing supported living services to those in need, such as Avenues and Mencap, to thank staff for their dedication and commitment.

The mayor, Paul Ekpenyong, sent flowers to both Phyllis Barton (pictured) and Hilda Cullum to celebrate their 100th birthdays. He expressed his sadness at not being able to attend the celebrations in person, but sent his best wishes and congratulations to both ladies at reaching such an impressive milestone.

We have been asking to see pictures of your own window displays, and have loved seeing so much creativity. We were thrilled to see people partaking in VE Day celebrations, including socially distanced doorstep picnics. There is a new trail called Stowmarket

Scarecrow Trail, already with some impressive NHS ‘scarecrows’. There is a Facebook group for those who would like to get involved.

Stowmarket Boredom Busters – our Facebook page filled with fun ideas for the whole family – is a great place to check what’s on. Congratulations to Julie Mitchell and family, who won the VE Day colouring competition!

Stowmarket Market has enjoyed a boost in footfall, and has been a popular choice for shopping. The social distancing measures in place have been effective and, given the updated information by the government that being outside is no longer a limited activity (correct at time of writing – please refer to latest government guidelines for current recommendations), we hope that custom at the market will continue to rise. A full list of stalls can be found on our website.

Thank you to everyone who are complying with the current advice and helping to slow the spread of the virus.

Website: www.stowmarkettowncouncil.gov.ukFacebook: www.stowmarkettowncouncil.gov.ukBoredom Busters: www.facebook.com/Stowmarket-Boredom-BustersStowmarket Scarecrow Trail: www.facebook.com/groups/536285260609569

VE DAY IN STOWMARKET

#ControlTheVirus #ProtectTheNHS #SaveLives


Suffolk residents are being asked to continue their great efforts, which are successfully reducing the spread of COVID-19.

Stick With It Suffolk launching on Monday 18 May 2020, highlighting what we must all continue doing, to keep each other safe and to defeat the virus.

Recent data shows that around one in 600 people in Suffolk have tested positive for COVID-19, which compares favourably to Norfolk, Essex and the national average.

However, we are not out of the woods yet. The number is continuing to rise, although more slowly, which is why it is crucial that people keep following the instructions.

These are:• Keep staying at home• Keep working from home where you can• Keep 2 metres apart if you go out• Keep exercising safely• Keep washing your hands with soap and water• Keep self-isolating if you or anyone in your household has symptoms• Keep travelling by car, bike or walking• Keep staying safe at work• Keep shielding yourself if you’re vulnerable• Keep supporting local businesses• Keep looking out for each other

Stick With It Suffolk is being rolled out across the county by the Suffolk Resilience Forum, which include Suffolk’s NHS, Emergency and Public Services. These local authorities and organisations are working together around the clock to keep Suffolk as safe as possible.

This is how Suffolk will successfully respond to the government’s Stay Alert, Control The Virus, Save Lives message.

People are asked to share their stories and how they are managing to stick with it, using the hashtag #StickWithItSuffolk on social media.

Stuart Keeble, Suffolk Director of Public Health, said:

“On behalf of all the members of the Suffolk Resilience Forum, I’d like to say thank you to the people of Suffolk for the sacrifices they are making by following these instructions.

“But now, more than ever, it is important that we stick with it - the number of cases can very easily increase if we take our eye off the ball. This would be a backward step, with strict lockdown measures coming back into force.

“With young children of my own, I understand how difficult it is when they can’t see their family and friends, they would love to see their grandparents but I know this increases the risk to my family and Suffolk residents. We are making progress, and we will continue to do so if we Stick With It Suffolk.”

Dr Mark Shenton, Chair of the Ipswich and East Suffolk Clinical Commissioning Group, said:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our communities for their continued support in helping our health and care system to manage this public health emergency.

“These are unprecedented times and the measures we have all taken so far are really making a difference. This is why it is so important to continue following government guidelines and keeping the two metre distance from each other.

“I am so proud of how our services are responding to this crisis and extremely heartened by the continued support that so many people are giving us by following these rules.

“Please continue to stay alert, continue to help control this virus and help us all save lives.”

STICK WITH IT SUFFOLK: CONTINUE SLOWING THE SPREAD OF CORONAVIRUS


6 In Touch online:

Covid-19 Due to the Covid-19 emergency, from 23 March 2020, all council meetings were cancelled and council staff began working from home where possible. Many staff have been seconded to different service areas and some of the routine work has been paused for the time being.

MSDC have so far received £1.069M in grants from central government to assist towards extra costs and reduced income.

Meetings Since the lockdown there were no formal district council meetings until a planning committee meeting was held on Tuesday 28 April with members and officers using Skype facilities from their homes. The May Cabinet meeting was held using Skype and more and more meetings are being set up. Where possible, task groups and informal meetings are continuing to try to move forward as much council business as possible.

Decision Making Under delegated powers, as augmented by government legislation, some key decisions have been made by the chief executive. Most significant are the approval of Section 106 conditions regarding the SnOasis development and amendments to our statement of community involvement which means there will be no site notices for planning applications.

Virtual Planning Committee meetings are being held with shorter agendas. The majority of planning decisions are now delegated to the chief planning officer. Ward members are able to provide information and advice which is taken into account as decisions are taken. Also, we can call for a planning application to be taken to Committee if needs be.

Council DevelopmentsWhere MSDC have works in progress, these have been suspended for the present. There are no proposals to commence any other site works for the time being.

Garden Waste Collection of brown bins was halted for a while but is set to start up again during the week commencing 11 May in some areas; week commencing 18 May in others. Details are on the MSDC website.

Small Business Grants We have been encouraging businesses and other organisations that have not already done so to apply for a grant to help them through this difficult time. If you run a business or know someone who does and may not have applied, please get in touch with us or go to the MSDC website where there are details and an online application form.

Emergency Needs Grants MSDC has funds to support organisations providing help to vulnerable residents. There are details online, or contact one of us.

Homelessness Staff have been extremely busy in housing all rough sleepers, and also sofa surfers, in order to reduce risk of virus transmission. They have been accommodated in hotels booked by the district councils. A total of 27 individuals within the two districts were accommodated initially. Numbers may increase, including people who suffer a relationship breakdown or are homeless following release from prison.

Housing Council houses falling vacant are not being inspected or repaired for reletting as moving house is discouraged by government at present.

Planning

• Land west of Thorney Green RoadWe have had several discussions by telephone and virtual meetings with planning officers. Our chief concern has been the lack of a separate cycle/pedestrian route through the development. The drawing accompanying the reserved matters application showed cyclists and pedestrians leaving their existing route at the main access to the development and using a route alongside the main estate road. We felt that it would be safer if a separate link were provided to avoid potential conflicts and blocking drivers’ visibility at the junction. These discussions led to Linden Homes submitting a drawing seeking to amend the outline permission, and this has now been approved. The drawing sets out a segregated route from the existing cycle track/footway and also shows a community orchard; planning officers are proposing to make this a condition of any further detailed permissions.

• Gladman Application – Gipping RoadFollowing the refusal of the application for 70 homes, an application has now been submitted for 80 homes; this new application includes provision of an uncontrolled pedestrian crossing (subject to SCC agreeing the feasibility). I have asked planning officers to be certain that SCC are able to produce a safe crossing before determining the application. Even if a crossing can be provided, there are significant grounds for refusing permission. The previous application was recommended for approval by officers but turned down in committee. We will ensure that, unless planning officers are prepared to issue a refusal, the application is determined by committee. It is likely that this will be a virtual meeting sometime in the summer.

Locality Awards Locality Awards have been launched for 2020/21, along very similar lines to previous years. We have contacted a number of organisations within the parish, including a number which did not apply last year. If you know of a community group in need of some funding please put them in touch with us.

Keith Welham: [email protected] / 01449 673185

Rachel Eburne: [email protected]

DISTRICT COUNCILLOR REPORT: MAY 2020Councillors Rachel Eburne and Keith Welham, Haughley, Wetherden and Stowupland Ward

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT CHAMBER OF COMMERCEThe Covid-19 pandemic restrictions have changed the way everybody is working, including the Chamber.

This means that for the foreseeable future we will be holding virtual networking meetings via Zoom. You’ll have to provide your own refreshments but we would love to see you!

Friday 5 June: 10am to noonFriday 19 June: Breakfast from 9am

We are also sending out weekly e-newsletters with tips, advice and the latest information for businesses.To sign up for newsletters and receive all the latest info and booking links go to https://stowmarketchamber.co.uk and fill in the form at the foot of the homepage.

STOWMARKET CARNIVAL 2020This year’s carnival has been cancelled but the carnival committee is already planning fundraising events and activities to help make the 2021 carnival bigger and better than ever.

Keep an eye out for posters and notices in In Touch.

www.stowmarketcarnival.org.uk



Caring is at the heart of everything we do...Together we respect, with compassion we care, through commitment we achieve

Part of the Healthcare Homes Group

Barking HallPart of the Healthcare Homes Group

Uvedale HallPart of the Healthcare Homes Group

Hillcroft House

Barking Hall, Barking, Near Needham Market, Suffolk IP6 8HJ

Tel: 01449 720793

Uvedale Hall, Coddenham Road, Needham Market, Suffolk IP6 8AX

Tel: 01449 722250

Hillcroft House, Finborough Road, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1PW

Tel: 01449 774633

Specialising in general nursing, dementia and end of life care. Specialising in dementia care. Providing residential care.

healthcarehomes.co.uk HealthcareHomes Barking Hall, Hillcroft House and Uvedale Hall

have been rated Good in all areas by CQC (2019) Good

8 In Touch online:

BABERGH AND MID SUFFOLK DISTRICT COUNCILS

SMALL BUSINESSES TO BENEFIT FROM NEW INNOVATION & GROWTH FUNDCouncillors have agreed a £300,000 funding programme for small businesses in towns and villages across Babergh and Mid Suffolk to be allocated over the next three years.

With many businesses currently facing uncertain and difficult times, the new fund scheme from Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils will provide a much needed boost to businesses after the coronavirus crisis to help sustain and create jobs, provide opportunities to grow and innovate as well as react to the changing business landscape.

Small businesses, from start-ups to those looking to expand, will be able to apply for a grant from one of four different funding streams:

• Growth and increased Productivity Fund • Enterprise and Innovation Fund • High Street Premises Enhancement Fund • Environmental Sustainability Fund

The grants can be used in a variety of ways from improving environmental outcomes and sustainability, accessing professional advice and training, improving disabled access and business frontage or for the development of technology-based business solutions.

The grant value will be up to £2.5k for each of the funds except the Enterprise and Innovation Fund which will have a maximum limit of £5k. The criteria, eligibility and application process will be confirmed

once the business grant fund programme is launched later this year.

Cllr Michael Holt, Babergh District Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said: “This new business fund demonstrates our commitment to driving growth and innovation whilst also recognising our High Streets needs and encouraging sustainability and reducing energy costs in our districts, which will be exceedingly important following the impact of COVID-19 on our business landscape.”

Cllr Gerard Brewster, Mid Suffolk Council’s Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Economic Growth said: “We understand that small businesses are at the heart of our communities and this funding scheme can enable enterprise and economic growth to help businesses grow and diversify as well as increasing employable skills and aspirations to support the needs of the wider community.”

This new funding programme is entirely separate to the emergency help given to support individuals and businesses as part of the council’s immediate response to COVID-19 and instead looks to help businesses plan and deliver their future growth.

The business grant programme reflects Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Council’s commitment to supporting small and medium sized businesses, which make up 99.6% of the registered businesses in the Districts, as was outlined in the Joint Open for Business Strategy adopted in February 2018.

Up to April 28, Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils had approved grants totalling more than £64,000 to support local communities in their response to COVID-19.

The Emerging Needs Grant allows both new and existing groups in Babergh and Mid Suffolk to apply for funding of up to £2,500 to cover increased costs incurred as a result of the Coronavirus (Covid-19). These costs include general running costs, ongoing staff costs, volunteer expenses, utility bills and the purchasing of food or other consumables.

A straightforward application process has enabled 62 community groups across both districts to apply for the grant, with this figure set to increase over coming weeks. The councils’ Communities Team, bolstered by the redeployment of other council officers, has worked around the clock to respond to over half of applicants so far - helping to ease the challenges faced by residents during the crisis.

As a result of this over £48,000 of much-needed funding has been paid out during the past month to groups in Babergh and Mid Suffolk, who are playing a key role in protecting vulnerable residents and helping our communities remain resilient during the COVID-19 outbreak. Another £16,000 of grants are currently at offer stage and will be paid shortly.

Included within these figures is over £15,000 of funding for local foodbanks, with groups in Hadleigh, Bildeston, Stowmarket, Battisford and Debenham amongst those in receipt of grants to enable their vital work to continue.

Founder and co-ordinator of Bildeston Foodbank Shaun Moffat said: “We wanted to create a non-judgemental and strictly confidential facility to lighten the burden on individuals and families who are

feeling the financial effects of this crisis. The funding from Babergh District Council will allow this vital work to continue.”

Other groups to benefit from the Emerging Needs Grant include The Bridge Project and Aspect Living who deliver meals on wheels to self-isolating residents, The Green Light Trust and Beyond the Wall groups which offer mental health support at this uncertain time and numerous Parish Councils providing outreach services to those in need.

Gina Saunders, employee of grant recipient Suffolk Accident Rescue Service said, “Our volunteer clinicians are now operating in an extremely challenging environment due to the virus and we are doing our best to continue to reach critically ill and injured patients. We are really grateful for the extra support from Mid Suffolk District Council, this will make a big difference.”

Cllr Derek Davis, Cabinet Member for Communities for Babergh District Council said: “We recognise it’s more important than ever to provide support to our residents who are experiencing difficulties. Our Emerging Needs Grant ensures financial help is available quickly and easily for those who need it most.”

Cllr Julie Flatman, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing for Mid Suffolk District Council said: “I am delighted that groups and organisations are pulling together to relieve the financial hardship of residents, or to assist the vulnerable who are self-isolating at home. This grant scheme has allowed for their hard work to continue, providing comfort at this uncertain time.”

Community officers will continue to work closely with district councillors, towns and parishes and community groups to ensure financial support is available and directed to meet needs as they emerge within communities.

COMMUNITY GROUPS TO RECEIVE OVER £64,000 IN EMERGENCY FUNDING

www.midsuffolk.gov.uk / ‎@MidSuffolk / www.babergh.gov.uk / @BaberghDistrict



We operate on a simple premise here at Mansion House Publishing: supported by income from advertising, we produce, print and deliver 70,000+ free magazines every month. However, it’s the principle by which we operate which has sustained us and our customers in recent months and enabled us to carry on doing what we do in a challenging marketplace.

Our business is built on and around ‘community’. We work with communities in each publication area to publish relevant content and we’re passionate about local business, local events, local charities... everything local in fact! At a time when local news and a supportive mechanism to sustain local business has never been needed more, we put our shoulders to the wheel and got on with the task.

Of course we were inspired by you. With local support groups forming almost overnight and businesses adapting their offer or the ways in which they work, we simply had to step up by doing what we do, providing information, maintaining communication between readers and business, and providing continuity and reassurance when normality ceased to exist.

How we’ve adaptedWe’ve had to adapt too, but it’s been a constructive experience, as well as a massive learning curve. Until we feel it’s safe for our delivery teams to work again, we are publishing magazines online. We’ve always done so but it’s not something we’ve promoted heavily. It is now and we’ve worked hard to direct readers to our website where, in addition to their regular monthly edition, they discover a whole lot more.

Of course the added benefit of using social media and the internet more effectively, and this is universally acknowledged, is the ability to share information quickly, within seconds in fact! We’ve been working with support groups, doctor’s surgeries, food delivery outlets and businesses providing a range of in-demand services to do so and it’s been extremely effective for all concerned.

Our new online Business Directory

Our digital offer, both in terms of editorial content and marketing options, has developed at the speed of light. In addition to dedicated web pages for each publication, we have created a digital directory to enable our readers and visitors to identify local businesses which are open.

Adding your company to the directory is free with several enhancements available to help you make the most of your listing.

Just go to www.keepingintouchwith.co.uk/business-directory-plans to choose the best plan for your business.

“Our readers know it’s critical to support the local economy but with so many working from home it’s difficult to know who is open,” explains our sales manager, Daren Stainton. “As this is an entirely new directory, readers can be confident it’s up to date and that every business listed is open and able to respond right now. That’s very reassuring.”

Social MediaOur social media accounts – Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – have never been so busy, Facebook especially. Even those of us who haven’t used Facebook very effectively in the past, have come to appreciate it’s value both in terms of sharing information and interacting with others. The ability to interact, to engage with and share content which we know others will appreciate, and to do so quickly from just about anywhere, is incredibly liberating for users and provides a vital connection for just about everyone.

We’ve devised digital campaigns for several advertisers with company profiles shared on social media and linking to our online directory. This has worked well for MP Plumbing & Heating, Avenue Taxis and Ashtons Legal, amongst others, so if your business is offering much-needed services or has adapted how it operates in some way and you want to let your customers know, give us a call.

Online magazines attracting more readersWe know many of you miss having a printed magazine, but it’s pleasing to see that the number of people reading the online editions is increasing steadily. It’s particularly pleasing to see how long you spend reading, which suggests we’ve managed to get the right mix of content. I know the Brain Teasers page in last month’s edition was particularly popular. One of our care home advertisers even asked for it as separate document so he could circulate it to residents.

Richard Hartley from Poetry Plus in Manningtree wrote to congratulate us on last month’s electronic version and said he was particularly impressed by the way the pages flick over when you “turn the page”. Please note that it is possible to download a PDF if who’d rather read it in ‘document’ format or even want to print it out.

We’ve had wonderful feedback from many, many people which will help sustain us going forward. Who doesn’t like a little praise now and again! It seems our efforts to be there alongside our readers and advertisers as we deal with unprecedented challenges is appreciated and is, in itself, another mark of how strong we are together.

Join us on social media, visit the website to read the latest edition and if you run a local business, get in touch to discuss how we can work with you to enhance your profile and grow your customer base to meet the challenges which inevitably lie ahead.

We’re confident about the future and we’ll be with you every step of the way as we move slowly towards normality.

Stay safe. Stay strong. Stay In Touch.

ADAPTING TO LIFE UNDER LOCKDOWN

Mansion House Publishing is part of Mansion House Group which means we can offer a range of additional services including print and office supplies, with both companies continuing to operate and deliver.

For office supplies go to www.boswellofficesupplies.co.uk where you can order online. For print go to: www.colourplan.co.uk

10 In Touch online:

I hope you are well and coping in the current situation. We’re all going through events which even a couple of month ago would have been considered as a science fiction movie. Thousands of very dedicated key workers, supported by an army of volunteers are doing their best to support and help those who are in need. The NHS and other services are working very hard, often putting patient need above their own personal protection or comfort. We are sincerely grateful for their dedication.

Our charity exists to help those who are still adversely affected by a similar set of events going back 34 years, from 26 April 1986, but for many of them there was never an exit from their ‘lockdown’. They had to learn to live in a new way, often referring to times ‘before’ and ‘after’ Chernobyl. This is why they truly value and appreciate your kind and generous wish to help them look after their future – their children.

In addition to Chernobyl related problems, many of the communities in Belarus and Ukraine have to face Covid-19 together with bush and forest fires, some of which are within less than two miles of the Chernobyl reactor. These ongoing fires started some time ago and yet very little is mentioned about them outside of Belarus and Ukraine. The fires are burning in highly contaminated areas, releasing contamination and engulfing vast territories in smog. In some areas, part of or complete villages have been lost to the fires and it’s not over yet. They haven’t seen rain for over a month and the prospects don’t look good. For all of us this is a very difficult time; for them it brings a terrible sense of déjà vu. They feel, once more, they are living in a nightmare, shut off from the outside world.

There is no comparable NHS in Belarus and nowhere near the network of support services that we in the UK are privileged to have the benefit of. Despite this and the problems they are living with, I am receiving daily

messages from the parents of children who have been to the UK expressing concern for the families who hosted their children.

They live in a very closed society and the only news they receive is state controlled. Those of you who have hosted the children, or who have been to Belarus and met the families, understand how much our support is needed and how much it means to them. We may not be able to bring the children to the UK this year but with your help there are ways that we can help them in Belarus. The families are trying their best to cope with very limited, and in some cases non-existent resources.

Our charity will not qualify for any of the advertised aid for small charities. We are a registered UK Charity but, like so many others, because we are not a ‘frontline community’ organisation we do not qualify. With your donations we can arrange financial help for those most in need. There were 18 children coming from the poorest of families to Mid Suffolk this July. They will no longer be travelling; we will no longer be providing the support they were looking forward to. Please help us to help them and let them know they are not forgotten.

Charity starts at home and the current needs of the NHS are presently very close to everyone’s heart, however I am aware that you also have a place for the children of Belarus in your big hearts. These people have to cope with very limited resources available to them.

Please visit our just giving page at: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ccll-mid-suffolk

Anything you can give will mean so much to so many. Thank you.

Link Chair Elizabeth Parker01449 760343 / [email protected]

CHERNOBYL CHILDREN’S LIFELINE AND CHARITY SHOP

GREEN LIGHT FOR £2.2M EXTENSION AT MID SUFFOLK LEISURE CENTRE

Plans for a £2.2m development and refurbishment at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre in Stowmarket have been given the go ahead today, which include an extension to the existing building.

The works to improve leisure provision in the district will include:• An extension to the current building housing a newly refurbished fitness suite• Refurbishing the front of the existing building, including new signage• Essential repairs and decorating

This follows approval by cabinet in February this year, for the work to be funded by £2.2m from the council’s Growth and Efficiency Fund.

The development will provide modern facilities at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre, with Stradbroke Pool and Fitness also seeing an equipment refresh using the current 2019/20 budget.

In light of COVID-19, Mid Suffolk District Council’s chief planning officer has used emergency delegated powers to give the green light to plans which would allow works to get underway in coming months after lockdown restrictions are lifted.

The extension and refurb form part of the council’s re-procurement of Mid Suffolk’s leisure facility management contract.

Before works begin, a raft of environmentally-friendly options including solar panels and electric vehicle charging points are to be explored.

Cllr Julie Flatman, cabinet member for housing and communities at Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “This is an exciting step towards our wider vision for Stowmarket and developing our sports and leisure infrastructure, as well as improving fitness provision in Mid Suffolk so we can support our residents to remain active.

“The COVID-19 outbreak has demonstrated the importance of the health and wellbeing of our communities, and achieving the aims set out in our Leisure, Sport & Physical Activity Strategy will be of paramount importance during the recovery over the following months and years.”

Anselm Gurney, contract manager at Mid Suffolk Leisure Centre for Everyone Active, said: “While we face unprecedented and challenging times at the moment, we are excited our plans have been approved so we can look to deliver much-needed improvements for our customers’ fitness experience at our centres.

“We look forward to continuing to work closely in partnership with Mid Suffolk District Council, to benefit the local community by achieving our objective of getting everyone active.”

Cllr David Burn, cabinet member for planning at Mid Suffolk District Council, said: “The green light for these plans means we can be prepared and ready to carry out the necessary essential repairs and upgrades as soon as possible and our communities can enjoy modern facilities without unnecessary delay.”

Plans were put forward by Everyone Active, as part of a proposed arrangement currently under negotiation to manage Mid Suffolk’s leisure facilities for the next 15 years. Once finalised, the arrangement includes the introduction of a new outreach programme in Mid Suffolk coordinated by Everyone Active.

This programme aims to bring sport and activity to a wider community to achieve the outcomes in the council’s Leisure, Sport and Physical Activity Strategy.



WOOLPIT AND DISTRICT MUSEUM

We hope it won’t be too long before we can welcome visitors to the museum again but meanwhile hope you will enjoy learning a little bit more about Woolpit from photographs.

This one dates from the early 1900s and shows the building that is now the East of England Co-op. It was known as ‘Mason’s Stores’ and was run by several generations of the Mason family. The name first appears in a trade directory of 1865 and the sign above the window in the photograph reads ‘Mason & Co. Grocers, Drapers and General Stores’. Older residents of Woolpit remember that food was sold on the ground floor and non-food items were available upstairs.

To the right is a sign that reads ‘Gilbey’s Wines and Spirits’. We know from later trade directories that Mason’s acted as agents for Gilbey’s and it is possible that this was happening when the photograph was taken as there is no obvious separate entrance to Gilbey’s. Today the Co-op window extends across this part of the building but the roof line is still the same and it is easy to see that it was once a separate shop or dwelling. Mason’s also acted as agents for the Norwich Union Insurance Company from 1880 until 1981.

The family played a prominent part in village life. Frank Mason served as a parish councillor for many years before and after the First World War and his brother Benjamin chaired the annual parish meeting for a similar period of time. It is likely that some of the people in the photograph are members of the family and it possibly Frank or Benjamin in the carefully positioned car. Today the name is remembered in Masons Lane which runs along the side of the Co-op and then behind the church.

FROM THE LIONS’ DENWe may all be in lockdown but Stowmarket Lions are still very much here and providing help to those who need it in and around Stowmarket.

In the extraordinary times of the past weeks, Stowmarket Lions have so far helped more than 50 people who have been unable to get to a pharmacy to collect their medication. With the agreement of pharmacies at Boots in the town, at StowHealth on Violet Hill and at Combs Ford, in cases of need we have been able to collect medication on their behalf and deliver it to their homes. Having someone to talk to, even if only for a short time, is an added bonus for those who have had little or no daily contact during lockdown and is a great morale booster, both for them and the Lion making the delivery.

When the Combs Ford Surgery closed, Stowmarket Lions were also able to take some local residents to Violet Hill Surgery for essential tests or treatment when they would otherwise have been unable to get there.

Even in these difficult times, Stowmarket Lions are still out there helping and supporting those in need wherever possible within the government guidelines and hope to return to full engagement with the community as soon as possible.

#ControlTheVirus

12 In Touch online:

Babergh and Mid Suffolk District Councils are urging vigilance against rising numbers of coronavirus cons, with over 2,000 online scams identified in the last month alone.

Opportunistic traders and scammers have made almost £2 million by taking advantage of the Covid-19 crisis. The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is encouraging consumers to fight back, with the launch of its Cyber Aware campaign, which both councils are supporting.

This follows the government body successfully stopping over 2,000 incidents of cyber fraud last month. Included in this figure was 471 fake online shops found to be selling fraudulent coronavirus related items.

There have been numerous reports nationally about phony shop fronts selling highly sought-after items such as anti-bacterial hand sanitiser and face masks. To protect themselves consumers should only make purchases directly from reputable stores and websites.

This isn’t the only retail scam that victims can fall prey to, as the sale of ‘miracle’ health products is another tactic employed by scammers. Fraudsters are creating convincing personal testimonials to support their claims, but these are easy to fabricate and are not a substitute for scientific evidence or government guidance.

Phishing, another ploy used by cons to convince victims to give away sensitive information or click on links within a scam email or text message, is also on the rise, with the NCSC shutting down over 200 phishing sites in March. Not revealing personal or financial data on an unsecure website or in an e-mail, or responding to requests for this information, is the best way to combat this crime.

Some of the common phishing emails include messages fraudulently claiming to be from HM Revenue & Customs offering tax rebates as a result of the crisis. Other emails report to have news about the disease and prompt readers to download malicious software or visit malware distribution sites, set up to cause significant damage to visitors. 555 such sites have recently been removed by the NCSC.

Installing the most up to date software and apps will protect devices from the latest cyber threats. A strong password, which is made up of three random words and differs to others, should be used for personal email accounts, as this is a gateway for other online accounts.

Any suspicious emails should be forwarded to [email protected], as the NCSC’s automated scanning system will check for email scams and immediately remove criminal sites.

“If you are asked for payment or bank details this could be a scam and should be reported to Trading Standards on 0808 223 1133.”

CYBER CONS CAPITALISING ON CORONAVIRUS CRISIS

Muntons is proud to be the first maltster to commit to the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap coordinated in the UK by WRAP, a not for profit organisation and IGD research and training charity.

Muntons, the malt and malted ingredient manufacturer based in Stowmarket, Suffolk, have long been recognised as the leader in sustainability within the malting industry and with this initiative are expanding their leadership further by also helping to champion sustainability in the food industry.

Muntons food waste is minimal at 0.51% but the ethos of looking for any waste reduction opportunity and sharing our actions through case studies is consistent with their company values. An increasing number of businesses, now representing over 60% of the UK food and drink sector by turnover, are adopting the approach designed to ‘Target, Measure, Act’ on food waste; critical to the UK achieving national targets of a 50% food waste reduction by 2030 across the whole food chain.

To meet these national and global targets, a collaborative and concerted effort to reduce food waste is required. This will focus on the prevention of food surplus and waste being generated in the first place, redistributing surplus food that does arise and diverting surplus food which cannot be used to feed people into animal feed and high value biomaterial processing.

Muntons Director of Technical and Sustainability Dr Nigel Davies says: “Muntons is pleased to promote the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap as a proactive focus with measurable outcomes. We are proud to continue to take the lead in the malting supply chain in adopting a practical sustainability ethos described here as ‘Target, Measure, Act’.”

He continued: “The agricultural supply chain uses valuable natural resources to create highly nutritive food yet globally at least 30% of that food is wasted before it gets to the consumer and then after it is taken home. Muntons is a strong supporter of the UN SDG’s and pleased to join the growing number of supply chain partners who think positively about a sustainable future that starts right now.”

Peter Maddox, WRAP Director, said: “The link between food waste and climate change is something we can no longer ignore. Globally, around a third of all food is wasted and the IPCC estimated that food waste contributed nearly 10% of all man-made greenhouse gas emissions, between 2010 and 2016. Having the support of companies like Muntons is crucial in helping to mitigate against this problem through their own actions, and by engaging with their customer base. We are delighted that Muntons is supporting the UK Food Waste Reduction Roadmap in this way and will work with its clients to influence change. We would encourage others to follow its lead.”

Anne Bordier, Charity Programmes Director at IGD, said: “I am delighted that Muntons has become the latest business to support the Food Waste Reduction Roadmap, joining us on this incredibly important journey to reduce food waste. IGD and WRAP continue to work very closely with all the companies signed up to the Roadmap, giving them the tools to understand how they can measure and reduce food waste.Our industry has made great strides on this important issue, but we are not complacent – we recognise there is more we can, and will, be doing in the future.”

MUNTONS LEADS THE WAY IN SUSTAINABILITY




Like all other similar organisations, our meetings have been cancelled until we are informed by government that it is safe to resume.

However, in the meantime, we had a message from our HQ, the National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies (NAFAS), suggesting something that we flower lovers could do to show our support of the NHS:

This week on my daily walks I noticed a variety of rainbow pictures, some homemade by children, some printed, but I noticed them all.

In folklore the rainbow has always been, amongst other things, a symbol of hope; the calm after the storm. This got me to thinking about how as an association we could, short term, use our homes and skills to send out messages. I do believe in the

dripping tap theory; so many simple little words and actions collectively make a difference.

There is a limit to how we can help in this situation but we can be seen to support. I am hoping as many people as possible make or find a ring and add a green ribbon to it and put it up for the duration on front doors or prominent windows.

The ring symbolises unending and everlasting love, the cycle of life and hope. Green is for renewal, balance and progress.

Katherine Kear, Area Chairman, Three Counties and Wales

Anyone interested in doing this can find a helpful video on YouTube entitled How to make a door ring in appreciation of the NHS, Care Workers and all Key Workers. Even if you’re not a flower arranger, why not have a go?

Carla Firman

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT FLOWER CLUB

After careful consideration, Stowmarket Town Council has taken the difficult decision to postpone our StowFiesta Family Music Festival planned for 20 & 21 June 2020 until 19 & 20 June 2021.

The decision to reschedule the event takes account a number of factors, not least of course the scale of the current public health emergency and likely continuing restrictions to prevent the transmission of Covid-19.

We can’t wait to welcome you back in 2021, but in the meantime…

On 21 June 2020, we’re be holding a mini virtual StowFiesta, streamed on our FaceBook page!

Bands and performers who want to be involved need to send us their music performance videos, up to three songs lasting no more than 15 minutes in total.

Bands can’t get together at the moment, so anything recorded before the lockdown would be perfect, sound quality is paramount, so no shaky phone footage please.

Just email it to [email protected] before 31 May and we’ll show as many as we can.

We look forward to seeing you and sharing some brilliant local music on our Facebook page from 7pm on Sunday 21 June.

VIRTUAL STOWFIESTA 2020: OPEN INVITATION TO BANDS & PERFORMERS

14 In Touch online:

www.keepmovingsu�olk.com

We all know physical activity is essential for both our physical and mental wellbeing and never has this been more important than during these di�cult times of social distancing and isolation.

Here at In Touch, we are delighted to have joined forces with Public Health Su�olk and the Most Active County Partnership as a partner for the recently launched, Keep Moving Su�olk campaign.

Over the coming weeks and months there will be information, advice and useful links on the Keep Moving Su�olk website www.keepmovingsu�olk.comto help you, your family and local community to get active and stay

active during these challenging times. The website, has a range of resources, tips, tutorials and

information to support you to exercise outside and inside the home, as well as resources specifically for older people and for children. It also includes information on taking care of mental health and where to get advice if people have long-term health conditions.

We would love to hear how you’re keeping active so why not film and post a 10-15 second clip of you and/or your family being active with the message – “Keep Moving Su�olk” on social media and use the hashtags #keepmovingsu�olk and #StayInWorkOut.

@keepmovingsu�olk @keepmovingsu�olk @Most_Active

Dr Craig Sheridan, a practising doctor and sport and exercise medicine specialist working on the frontline at Ipswich Hospital in the fight against the pandemic, has been involved in helping to get the Keep Moving Su�olk resource o� the ground:

“During this di�cult time it is important for us all to stay mentally and physically healthy.

“Exercise is an important way to improve mental wellbeing and is recognised to be positive in managing depression in older adults as well as improving sleep, feelings of fatigue and quality of life. Improvements in our cardiorespiratory health can happen within a few weeks of commencing regular, moderate intensity exercise and regular physical activity reduces the risks and complications of many diseases and infection.”

Dr Sheridan added: “for those who are currently free from Covid-19 symptoms, there are clear benefits to starting or continuing to exercise whilst in social isolation.

“It is important to note that strenuous exercise is not advisable for those with symptoms of infection, particularly with a fever.”

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1ST MID SUFFOLK BOYS BRIGADE AND GIRLS ASSOCIATION

Since Lockdown, 1st Mid Suffolk Boys Brigade and Girls Association have been busy staying in contact via post, email, Facebook, Zoom meetings and our online system. The children have been having fun with weekly experiences and activities set by a BB at Home programme which has been created for this time. Even the leaders are joining in.

The children have grown rainbows, took part in a scavenger hunt, said thanks to the bin men, walked tightropes, climbed Big Ben, made VE Day bunting and prayer bubbles, and built leaning towers of pillows.

The activities are based on Get Active, Get Creative, Get Involved, Get Learning, Get into the Bible and Get Adventurous to create a varied programme. We are sharing photos of the activities being completed, earning points per activity towards medals, which we are hoping to present to the children at a big party when we can. The children will receive certificates through the post once they have achieved each medal. We shall be creating a book of the photos and the children’s memories of lockdown 2020. Please take a look at our public Facebook page to take part in the activities and see the fun we are having.

Usually, 1st Mid Suffolk Boys Brigade and Girls Association meet on Wednesday evenings at the Boys Brigade Hall in Combs Ford (Anchors, age 5-8 from 6.15-7.15pm; Juniors, 8-11, 6.15-7.30pm and Company and Seniors, 11-18, 7-9pm). Spaces are available when we return.

STOWMARKET BRIDGE CLUBSince lockdown, bridge has moved online. Stowmarket members are playing regularly on the various platforms that are available. Every Sunday, Suffolk County Bridge holds a pairs tournament, Stowmarket having two teams in Division 3. Stowmarket will also be liaising with Abbeygate and Bury bridge clubs for a regular Wednesday club duplicate bridge session.

We have closed this season’s competitions. Congratulations go to George Moody, Tony Aldous, Ron Ion, Eric Wright, David Willson, Kevin Fletcher, Andy Billinge, Sekhar Pillai, Sam Wilson, Paul Dixon, Christine Bruce and Eric Smith.

We are always keen to welcome new members; please see our website, contact Andy Billinge at [email protected] / 01449 736895, or call Arthur Winchester on 01449 612105.

www.bridgewebs.com/stowmarket

STOWMARKET & DISTRICT CAMERA CLUB

In accordance with the latest government guidance and instructions, and also for the health and safety of our members, speakers and

judges, there will be no meetings until further notice. We send our very best wishes to all our members, their family and friends.

For more information please visit: www.stowmarketanddistrictcameraclub.onesuffolk.net

SUSTAINABILTY V SELF SUFFICIENCYBeing in lockdown has changed much for many people. From our outlook on the world we live in, to the way we actually live our lives, and in spite of the negative impact of Covid-19, there are many positives for us to focus our energy on.

What we at Orchard Barn are really enjoying is the move from ingrained consumerism to a mindset of self sustainability. Many people, us included, are finding joy in growing their own food and spending far more time than ever connecting with nature, whether it’s a walk in the countryside or just relaxing in our gardens, being aware of the beauty that surrounds us is a massive positive of lockdown.

With the shops being largely closed, and having more time than ever to focus on our passions, we are also becoming far more creative, it’s been amazing to see everybody’s wonderful creations on social media, from the use of nettles and dandelions in food, to beautiful art, home ware and gifts created from natural materials such as wood and willow. Here at Orchard barn, this is giving us inspiration for future courses and open days for when we are once again allowed to join together as a community.

We are looking forward to being able to see our old volunteers, and welcome new ones too. In the meantime, we’re sharing our lockdown activities on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram, and we’d love to hear from you and see what you’ve been creating.


COMMUNITY CHOIR GOES ONLINECommunity singing is more important than ever in these troubling times when many people are feeling anxious and isolated. On 27 April, Graeme Hopson started online ‘virtual choirs’ so that anyone who loves singing can take part from the comfort and safety of their homes.

There are three choirs to choose from – Mondays 7-8pm, Tuesdays 7-8pm and Wednesdays 2-3pm. They’ll be singing a selection of feel-good pop, rock, easy listening and show tunes from across the decades. All welcome with no need to read music.

Graeme has been running VivaVoices community choirs in Bury St Edmunds, Newmarket, Stowmarket and Wymondham for more than 10 years, which have raised over £36,000 for charity.

For more details, please call 01284 700286 or visit: www.vivavoices.com

16 In Touch online:

We hope and trust that you are all well. The committee members fully understand that these are worrying times and we will do all we can to assist where we can. To begin with, the club itself is closed and all meetings (club, branch and associations) have been cancelled until further notice. In addition to this, all activities are cancelled until further notice. We will keep you informed of updates as and when we receive them via our website and on our Facebook page: www.branches.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/stowmarket

Stowmarket Town Council are also providing coordinated support via their website: www.stowmarkettowncouncil.gov.uk

Some updates from county:

Welfare: All BCS Hospital and housebound visits have stopped.

If you find yourself in need of support and are eligible for Legion help, please call the contact centre on 0808 802 8080.

National Conference has been cancelled in its current form.

Member HQ has created an email address where members can contact the department if they have any queries about COVID-19 in relation to membership activity (although all the staff are now working remotely from home): [email protected]

Additionally, membership cards are now being printed once a week, and cheques being banked every two weeks. So please be patient.

Haig House and area offices have now been closed with staff working from home where possible. No post will be collected while the offices remain closed. This may result in a delay in reply to enquiries sent to Head Office and Regional staff.

If you are self-isolating there are a number of RBL members who are willing and able to assist as follows:

If you are self-isolating, or just need a hand with something due to COVID-19, we may be able to assist with things including picking up shopping, posting mail, a friendly phone call, urgent supplies or other tasks. Please contact the Branch Secretary, Steve Runciman at [email protected] or 07860 120695 and he will direct you to one of the volunteers who will do everything they can to assist you.

Please protect yourself against fraudsters. Never give out personal details. The members who are able and willing to assist will be more than happy to identify themselves if you request assistance by presenting their RBL membership card along with another document containing a photo (driving licence for example) and

we would expect you to ask for this, at least when first meeting us (from a distance of course).

ROYAL BRITISH LEGION WOMEN’S SECTION (STOWMARKET)Despite having no meetings we are keeping in touch with members by telephone. Alas none of the events that had been planned for VE Day were able to take place, but we celebrated in our own homes and gardens. Sue keeps us informed by newsletter and she also includes a quiz for us to do. A monthly draw also takes place and the winning member receives a small prize.

We look forward to being able to continue with our meetings once the lockdown restrictions are lifted. Until then stay safe and well. Sue is always available should members need help: 07709 287816

It has certainly been an interesting time over the past month for shipmates of Stowmarket RNA, with many treating it as if they were away at sea on a long-deployment. Though admittedly, without a run ashore in a foreign port. It could be argued that a visit into the garden to help with more than simply cutting the grass has been like visiting a new foreign port. Certainly a new experience!

Everyone has been keeping in touch with one another on a regular basis, either by email, phone or virtual get-togethers every Wednesday evening. And our monthly newsletter, which was only two-pages before the lockdown, has morphed into a minimum of six-pages each month, with a mix of advice, news (navy type), recipes and, of course, lots of jokes to keep our spirits up.

Keeping in contact hasn’t just been a local thing either, with shipmates from around the country also coming together via Zoom and Facebook. And, on the 75th anniversary of VE Day, the General Secretary, Captain Bill Oliphant hosted a 7pm toast to the Queen, the NHS and other front-line workers, to the memory of those sailors who gave their lives during the Second World War and absent friends. We were also joined by the National President, Vice Admiral John McAnally, proving that in times of hardship and a national call to arms, all ranks and rates of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy are one ship’s company, wherever they may be.

By the time you read this, we, like you, hope that there will be more news about where we will be in the coming weeks and months. In the meantime, every shipmate wishes you and your families fair winds and safe seas. Once Navy, Always Navy.

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION, STOWMARKET AND DISTRICT

STOWMARKET BELLS UPDATEWe are delighted to report that the three new bells have been cast. The work was carried out at Royal Eisjbouts

in Asten, Netherlands and the bells are ready to be transported.

We await a suitable time when the original bells can be taken down and moved to Bridport, Dorset where the bellhanger will carry out maintenance and tuning to create our new ring of ten bells

Please check out progress at any time on our website or Facebook page: www.stowmarketbells.org.uk / F: Stowmarket Bells

Many thanks to everyone for their continued interest and support for this project.



First and foremost, we hope you are all well and safe. During this continued difficult time, it is ever-more important to reach out and support each other. We are here for you so please do contact your child’s teacher or me if you require any assistance.

It has been uplifting to see the nation come together and, during these unprecedented times, show their support for all key workers, most notably the NHS staff who continue to inspire us through their aspiration to treat, care, and support. I have to say, this must not omit everyone who is working together to fight this pandemic. You and your children at home have been incredible in adapting to a very difficult home-learning situation and for that, you must feel incredibly proud.

I must also thank all of our teachers and staff who have been amazing in continuing to work long hours, while also attempting to home-school their own children. As a staff, we have been planning every single day, continuing our own training, and having ‘virtual’ whole staff meetings every week.

It has been amazing to see so many of you engaging with the communications and learning we have been sharing with the children. The teachers are working extremely hard ensuring that your needs and

interests are catered for. Google Classroom is proving to be the most effective approach to supporting your child(ren). While I appreciate there have been some teething and access issues, I am delighted to see more and more of you engage with this approach. I am also pleased that the delivery of Chrome books to many of you has significantly supported your home-learning provision.

We are due to receive a new stock of Chrome books so please do contact your child’s teacher or the office if this is something that would help you.

So, until the next important update, remember ‘inspiration follows aspiration’. Keep up the amazing caring for your children and continue to aspire to provide them with happy, fun, productive, rich-filled learning experiences.

‘There is no education like adversity.’Executive Headteacher Mr Francksen

HT Reading Video: https://youtu.be/dboisdsA0U4 HTStaff ‘Got Talent?’: https://youtu.be/zcIvaQLVepQCollective Worship, Rev Brin Singleton: https://youtu.be/Uwe33OdwdNc Governor Reading Video: https://youtu.be/dhgoH9OM0no

Eloise practising phonicsJess’ science experiment Elsie’s portrait of her brother

Jake’s Minecraft creation Jess & Liliy-mae’s NHS design


18 In Touch online:

STOWMARKET CRICKET CLUBAlthough we are still waiting to see if and when cricket will be played in 2020, Stowmarket Cricket Club is geared up for whenever we are given the go ahead, for both adults and juniors.

A major focus, as always, is on junior members like Henry Chapman who is pictured here. Our intention is to be prepared to extend our coaching sessions beyond July, and to provide indoor coaching from September.

Meanwhile, we are currently encouraging juniors to participate in the England

and Wales Cricket Board’s Weekly Challenge, which focuses on improving cricketing skills, and we are monitoring progress.

In terms of adult cricket, we will have to wait and see what format the season will follow; if there is time, it is hoped that competitive league cricket can take place.

Also, we would like to extend our thanks to UK Power Networks for their generous £250 Team Sport Award donation to help with training facilities for adults and juniors. We hope to make use of these soon.

We are still looking to recruit new members, male or female, junior or adult, of all abilities. For further information, please see our website or Facebook page, or contact Clive Witherly: 01359 240019 / 07769 731958 / [email protected]

www.stowmarket.play-cricket.com / Facebook

STOWMARKET TENNIS CLUBAs many of you are aware, we closed the club on Monday 23 March in compliance with government instructions. We’re on top of all the latest news, guidance and advice and will re-open as soon as it’s deemed safe to do so and with revised procedures in place. Some of these new elements were already provided before the lockdown so hopefully we’ll be able to bounce-back fairly rapidly.

Like many of you, we’ve been missing our regular exercise but there’s been a huge amount of content online to keep everyone in shape. We’ve had daily tennis videos posted onto our Facebook page, ranging from indoor tennis workouts all the way up to shadow stroking and outdoor fitness circuits, depending on the weather. Most sports have been catering for their players like this and it’s been fun to pick and choose ideas from other disciplines.

We’ve also been working very hard on the new club year, which started on 1st April. We’ve got plans to develop the club in many ways, from further enhancing the clubhouse, developing an outreach scheme, to more mundane but essential maintenance to the courts. The time spent away has given us a little more space to get this work planned. Some members have even been working on their own ‘tennis trainer’ devices which have proved very successful. An old ball, a long length of elastic and possibly a pair of tights have been used to get people hitting safely at home.

One thing that we’ve all been trying to do is maintain some level of fitness. The main options have been walking, running and cycling so hopefully when we return we won’t be too slow around the court. Some more inventive members have had a go at cobbling together a home gym from ropes, bars, heavy toolboxes and anything else that can be lifted a couple of times.

I hope you’re all staying safe and well during these challenging times and, maybe before too long, we’ll all be able to get back to whichever sports we love.

See you on court.

Senior Club Coach Chris Cunningham

SHHH…. ALL’S QUIET AT COMBS FORD PRIMARY SCHOOL…. OR IS IT?The playground is quiet, there are no excited shouts of friends meeting or games being played.

The lunch hall is quiet, there’s no hum of children’s voices waiting patiently for their lunch and desires for chocolate crunch.

The classrooms are quiet, there are no coats languishing on pegs, the scraping sound of chairs is forgotten and the pencils sit in the tubs waiting to for the opportunity to bring to life the children’s imaginations.

All is quiet at Combs Ford Primary School, but the school community certainly is not. The teachers are still working hard to create new ways to teach children. The pupils are still working hard to show the teachers what they can do and parents are working hard to make it all happen. It is true to say that at this unprecedented time the school community have come together and are stronger than ever.

The staff put together a video with Basil Brush and toilet rolls which caused great excitement; it even made it as far as Australia. Since then there have been several reply videos from the children that have been great fun.

Why not look at our website to see some of the great stuff that has been happening over the last five weeks? PE with Joe Wicks, painting rainbows, cooking creations, dancing, tunes, math and geography lessons, sunshine walks and garden fun to name just a few of the activities pupils and staff have shared.

On 1st April the school became part of a Multi Academy Trust, the Children’s Endeavour Trust, with two schools in Ipswich. We were joined in May by four other schools in Stowmarket. Together we will work together to explore the different ways in which we can work collaboratively to improve the education of our collective pupils.

We look forward to being back together and meeting friends old and new, very soon. Until then we will keep safe and keep in touch.

The school can still be contacted by email at: [email protected]

Combs Ford Primary School, Glemsford Road, Stowmarket IP14 2PN Tel: 01449 613112

www.combsfordprimary.co.uk



Vaccinations protect you, your family and the community. Don’t miss them.It is important that you and your family still have routine vaccinations. They protect against serious and potentially deadly illnesses and stop outbreaks in the community.

Contact your GP practice for more information.

According to the English Housing Survey, over the last 20 years, the proportion of people renting properties has doubled, and one fifth of the UK population are now living in privately rented accommodation.

More accidents happen in the home than anywhere else, with 6000 deaths and more than two million children under the age of 15 experiencing accidents in and around the home each year. Therefore it is important that homeowners and those occupying property (including both landlords and tenants) do all they can to spot, and then where appropriate, repair any defect that could be a potential hazard, and could lead to injury and loss.

So what are the most common types of accident that take place in the home?• Slips trips or falls as a result of uneven, defective or inadequate flooring• Injuries as a result of falling objects• Illnesses caused by a leak inside the property• Faulty equipment inside the property leading to injury or illness• Illness caused by disrepair / poor maintenance of the property• Injury as a result of poorly undertaken works to the property

So as a tenant of a rented property, what are the landlord’s obligations to ensure that the rented property is free from such potential hazards / defects?

The short answer is that there is a general duty on homeowners (including landlords) to take reasonable care to ensure the safety of visitors, including the tenants.

Landlords should therefore have the following in place:• Procedures to assess their premises at appropriate intervals – inspections

of the property and a record of those inspections having taken place; and• A good system of repair and maintenance; and• Following reports of a defect or hazard on the property being raised, by either a tenant or visitor to the property, a quick response to rectify any potential issue.

So as a tenant or visitor to a property, what should I do if I notice a hazard or defect?

Notify the property owner immediately or certainly as soon as reasonably practicable. That property owner could include the following:• Landlords• Homeowners• Public Authorities• Estate / Managing agents of that property• Public or private property owners

Cases against landlords and homeowners are notoriously complex; it is often difficult for the injured person to prove that a landlord / homeowner knew of but did nothing to fix a defect or hazard which then resulted in an accident, injury and loss.

At Prettys, we have experience of dealing with claims as a result of defective premises, including claims against landlords and property owners for their failure to keep a property in a state of good repair, which could result in personal injury to you either as a tenant or visitor to that property.

If you therefore have suffered injury or illness as a result of being a tenant / visiting a property, please contact us on 01473 232121 or email Louise Plant at: [email protected]

ACCIDENTS IN THE HOME WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE LIVING IN DEFECTIVE PREMISES

Call us on 01473 232121 or email at [email protected]

Elm House, 25 Elm Street, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2AD

@Prettys_Law Prettys www.prettys.co.uk@PrettysSolicitors

Our experienced personal injury lawyers handle accident claims arising out of incidents at work, home, on the roads, on holiday or in a public place in the UK or abroad.

We provide personal, dedicated and professional support from the moment that you contact us through to the conclusion of your case.

We deal with claims on a No Win No Fee basis. This means that whether or not your case is successful, you will not be responsible for our fees.

YOUR LOCAL PERSONAL INJURY SPECIALISTS


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Our seven churches, at Harleston, Shelland, Onehouse, Buxhall, the Finborough’s and Combs, have had special notices on their doors since Easter saying ‘He is not here, He is risen and He is with you always’.

The challenges presented by the enforced closure of our buildings has not made us give up our faith or our common care of our world and community. We are all still very much ‘here’ in the sense that we are continuing our worship, Bible study and Messy Church by Zoom and YouTube. Join us if you can – get in touch for the log in details.

We are also using Royal Mail much more than before. When was the last time you received an Easter Card? There were quite a few this year. But worship is just part of it. We are actively supporting Stowmarket Foodbank and using our telephones to give much support to those we know to be lonely and in need of comfort, let alone the bereaved and those in particularly stressful employment. Nearly 1,000 bands have been knitted for the care homes. Each of our parishes has a weekly informal Zoom chat session and you will be welcome to join in. It’s an old saying but truer now than ever that ‘the church is the people’ and we are still here for you.

The children at Gt Finborough Church School have celebrated Good Shepherd Sunday with some craft work (pictured). That Sunday’s theme was particularly apt for those feeling lost.

Our diocesan website – www.cofesuffolk.org – contains much material and help of a spiritual and emotional nature including daily thoughts and telephone worship. We are hoping to run an online quiz for Christian Aid.

At Whitsun the church celebrates the coming of the Spirit, which can lead to a time of change. Clearly Covid-19 has caused us all to stop, think and wonder what we are all doing to ourselves and our world by carrying on as we have.

Whether we pray of not, I am sure most people will hope for many things to be better, not least of which will be that those who care for us at our time of need should be properly resourced and that out of this national trauma much good will come. It will be up to us to ensure that it does.

Details of our services and activities are available at:www.achurchnearyou.com

www.standrewsgtfinborough.co.ukFacebook

Rev Chris Childs and Rev Canon Pauline Higham [email protected] / [email protected]

COMBS & FINBOROUGH CHURCH OF ENGLAND GROUP THE SALVATION ARMY

Violet Hill Road, Stowmarket IP14 1NE

Although the building is currently closed for all weekday and weekend activities, and we are really missing everyone, the Salvation Army is still here for you.

If you need any kind of help or support, please contact us on 01449 614133.

You are welcome to our online Sunday Morning Service at 11am; find Stowmarket Salvation Army on YouTube.

From Major James Lloyd:The Salvation Army has partnered with Community Action Suffolk. We have provided food for 152 contacts, given out 45 hot meals, maintained contact with 26 families, and provided support when needed.

When life gets overwhelming, we tend to forget the blessings in our life. With multiple extracurricular activities, marriage or relationship problems, and juggling our finances it can be difficult to avoid stress. The last thing on our minds is feeling blessed when we have five minutes to get to our next meeting.

However, when we let this stress rule over our lives, we forget to appreciate the small things. We might forget to say thank you to a co-worker who went above and beyond, or drop the ball on communication in our relationship with God. Over time, we lose the gratitude and appreciation we have for the blessings in our life.

The smallest things in our life are usually the most important. When we don’t waste our time complaining and being stressed over trivial things, we are able to better connect with God and see His many blessings. There is no reason to stress out, because the blessings the Lord has given you triumph over them.

We at The Salvation Army love to remind others that we are all truly blessed. May you and your household be blessed too.

THE UNITED REFORMED CHURCHMembers and friends of our congregation continue to keep our fellowship alive by phoning and using Facebook, Instagram and other social media such as Zoom. It seems strange not to worship in our church premises but continue to do so by joining in with a number of on line and radio and TV services.

During this month our new minister, his family and their dog are expected to move into their new Stowmarket home with Robert due to commence his ministry in July. He has been supplying a number of thoughts each week to help us through this worrying time one of which is:

Prayer of Concern for our current situation

Lord of all we come before you at this difficult time, a time of crisis in our country and in the world.

We pray for those who we love, who we are far from at this time, we cannot see you because of our self-isolations we pray for all that we love.

We pray for our doctors, nurses and all health care professionals, that they will have the strength to continue in their work to look after those who are ill in hospital with the Coronavirus and other illnesses, we pray for all who are at this time struggling with cancer, those who do not know when or if the next treatment is coming, or whether they will get any treatment at all. We pray that you are with them and will give them strength and hope for the future.

We pray for our scientists that they will soon find a vaccine for the coronavirus that they will have the strength to do this work. We pray that we will all have strength to carry on through this difficult time, this we pray in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen

On behalf of all at Stowmarket URC, stay safe.


“There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down

and lifting people up.”

John Holmes


We are looking forward to the time when we can again welcome you through our doors but, until then, stay safe and positive.

Unprecedented – we have heard that word quite a lot lately.

Whit Sunday this year is 31 May. We don’t call it that now but we still have a bank holiday. Whitsun commemorated Pentecost, which is described in the Bible in Acts Chapter 2, and tells how tongues of fire came down to the disciples and gave them the Holy Spirit.

That was definitely unprecedented.

I looked up ‘unprecedented’ in the dictionary to find it’s full meaning and it said: ‘having no precedent, unique’. So I looked up ‘precedent’ and it said: ‘previous case taken as example for subsequent cases’.

Well, Pentecost definitely was unprecedented and, for those who witnessed it, it must have been confusing and awesome and frightening all at the same time. People would have told different stories about it depending on how they saw it; some people believed that great things had happened but other people said that the disciples were speaking in different languages because they were drunk.

If people today were describing how the unprecedented coronavirus affected them they would be telling many different stories. There would be the brave and anxious stories of the many workers on the ‘front line’. There would be the stories from the lonely and vulnerable people. Those who were worried about their jobs and mortgage payments would tell a different story.

Some could tell stories of confined conditions and abuse. Others might tell amusing or frustrating stories about home schooling. There are those, with no financial worries, who could say that they enjoyed gardening and catching up on things they had been meaning to do for a long time.

However, there is one story we could all agree on and that is that we have learnt to appreciate and thank all the people who work so hard to keep society surviving in these unprecedented times. Perhaps we are not all in the same boat but we are all experiencing the same storm.

As we look after each other through this pandemic, we must remember that all storms calm down. When this one does, let’s retain all the good things that have grown up out of it.

SN


A litigant in person is the term used for somebody who represents themselves in court, without the assistance of a solicitor or barrister. Given the well-known restrictions on legal aid, and how it can be expensive to fund lengthy litigation, it is becoming more common for this to be the case.

In guidance from the highest court in the country, the Supreme Court, it has been said that somebody

acting for themselves as a litigant in person should not be unduly favoured to the disadvantage of the other.

In a recent case – heard this time in the Court of Appeal – it was said, however, that courts must assist litigants in person if they are pursuing the wrong case. In this particular matter, which was an employment case, it was clear that the party who was not represented by a solicitor or a barrister was proceeding with the wrong type of claim. The claim was being pursued as an unfair dismissal claim – but on the facts the claimant should have pursued a constructive dismissal claim, which is a different thing.

The Court of Appeal considered whether judges should step into help a litigant in person, and decided that it was good practice for an Employment Tribunal, at the start of the hearing, where one or other of the parties is not represented, to consider the list of issues brought up – to make sure it properly reflects the issues in dispute between the parties.In this particular case, the court considered it was necessary in the interests of justice that this list of issues should be amended – so that both types of dismissal claim could be considered. The Court of Appeal did say that the judges in the Employment Tribunal must be careful not to favour one party over the other.

LITIGANTS IN PERSON

Buttermarket, Stowmarket, Suffolk IP14 1EDTelephone: 01449 613101 • Fax: 01449 615087

Email: [email protected]

CHRISTCHURCH, NEEDHAM MARKET £4,000 DONATION TO EACH FROM THE ROTARY CLUB OF STOWMARKET

GIPPING VALLEYThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused tremendous pain throughout the UK and world economies. Especially hard hit has been the UK charity sector. Charities such as the East Anglian Children’s Hospice have made appeals for more funds so that they continue their essential services.

The charity has three hospices in Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk, and is losing thousands of pounds a week after closing all of its 43 shops. Voluntary donations provide the vast majority of the care provider's funding.

EACH supports many families of children and young people with life-threatening conditions, including around 100 bereaved families at any one time. The group of hospices has had to suspend the short breaks, wellbeing therapies and face-to-face counselling it would normally offer.

Tony Pickering, treasurer of the Rotary Club of Stowmarket Gipping Valley, suggested to the members that most of the balance of the trust (charity) account was better used by EACH as it was doing nothing in the club’s coffers. The members unanimously agreed and just under £4,000 was donated by the club to the East Anglian Children’s Hospice.

In thanking the Rotary Club for the donation, Tracy Rennie, the acting CEO of EACH, mentioned that there are currently more than 2,000 children and young people in Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex who are living with a life-threatening condition.

22 In Touch online:

Answers on page 41

Activity Page

Entertainment Quiz - Circle the answer1. What year did the Ipswich Regent first open?

1919 / 1921 / 1923 / 1925

2. Lowestoft based rockers The Darkness had a Christmas hit with which song? Christmas Kiss / Christmas Wishes / Christmas Time / Christmas Dinner

3. Where would you find the Fisher Theatre? Bury St Edmunds / Beccles / Blakeney / Bungay

4. What was Ed Sheeran’s first album called? Divide / Multiply / Plus / Subtract

5. Born in Ipswich, with what would you associate Gary Avis with? Opera / Ballet / Ballroom / Musical Theatre

6. In what year did John Peel begin broadcasting as a Radio 1 DJ? 1967 / 1969 / 1977 / 1979

7. “Sound of the Underground” was the first No. 1 for which group? The Saturdays / Girls Aloud / The Sugababes / Little Mix

8. What did the Spa Pavilion, Felixstowe originally open as in 1909? The New Floral Hall / Jacuzzi Pavilion / The Stage / The New Wave

9. What year did the first Latitude Festival take place? 2002 / 2006 / 2008 / 2010

10. Where is Lee Mead originally from? Southwold / Southfields / Southend / Southwick

11. In which town is The Royal Shakespeare Company based? Stratford-upon-Avon / Glasgow / London / Cardiff

12. Who studied Music at Great Yarmouth College? Myleene Class / Amy Winehouse / Lily Allen / Pixie Lott

13. What year was Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell’ album released? 1968 / 1978 / 1988 / 1998

14. What is the longest running West End play? The Mousetrap / The Phantom of the Opera / The Woman in Black / The Play Goes Wrong

15. Partly filmed in Suffolk, who directed the film Yesterday (2019)? Tim Burton / Danny Boyle / Martin Scorsese / James Cameron


LET’S GET CULTURAL AND CREATIVEA new online resource has been launched to make it easy for people to find quality online arts and culture experiences during the current lockdown.

The new Let’s Get Cultural and Creative web directory is being hosted by Suffolk Libraries with the content coordinated by Suffolk County Council and local arts partner organisations.

The idea came from the ‘We are Ipswich’ cultural network of arts organisations to bring together the very best of what’s on offer online. The directory includes a wide choice of links to local and national activities to enjoy including dance exercises from Dance East, Time Out’s virtual gallery tours, free National Theatre pieces and Red Rose Chain’s short films about real life Suffolk experiences.

Several local organisations have been working together to develop the project including Suffolk Libraries, Suffolk County Council, the Association for Suffolk Museums and the We are Ipswich partnership which includes DanceEast, Eastern Angles, Gecko, New Wolsey Theatre, Pacitti Company (SPILL Festival), Red Rose Chain, Ipswich Museums and Ipswich Borough Council theatres (Ipswich Regent Theatre and Corn Exchange).

Melissa Matthews, Creative Programmes Manager at Suffolk Libraries, said:“There are so many wonderful online experiences which are being created across the country at the moment. It’s a really tough time for everyone but many organisations are working hard to focus their work online and provide new and accessible experiences for people to enjoy. We hope this resource will offer another layer to Suffolk Libraries’ digital offers. Libraries have a really important role to play in helping people to find what they need and we hope the ‘Let’s get Cultural and Creative’ resource will help to point them in the direction of some excellent content.”

Councillor Paul West, Suffolk County Council Cabinet member for Communities, said: “Arts and culture play a large role in our life and many of us are enjoying what they bring in these challenging times. Being able to deliver a range of activities and content for people of all ages across Suffolk to enjoy, despite being behind closed doors, is a fantastic initiative. Our arts and cultural organisations are incredibly talented and we hope that the Let’s Get Cultural and Creative web directory will allow people to come together digitally to discuss and enjoy part of what makes Suffolk great.”

Ivan Cutting from the We are Ipswich partnership, said: “We’ve had to get creative, but that’s in our blood. The launch of this what’s on guide demonstrates the breadth of theatres, museums and arts organisations, who can still look after people and bring them joy even when we’re all stuck at home. It is also important that people continue to support us so we are able to open our doors again in the future.”

The new page can be found at: www.suffolklibraries.co.uk/letsgetcreative

Suffolk Libraries is also offering a wide range of online activities being run remotely by library staff including podcasts and artists workshops.

These can all be found at: suffolklibraries.co.uk

FUN FOR FAMILIES WITH SUFFOLK LIBRARIES

A new video has been launched to remind parents that Suffolk Libraries is still running engaging and interactive online activities for them to enjoy with their children.

Although the latest government guidance requires library buildings to remain closed for now, staff members are still running regular activities via library Facebook pages and YouTube. These include live story times, singing sessions, craft activities and Lego challenges.

The video features one of the stars of these videos, Tom Veasey who works at Great Cornard Library and has been entertaining families online with his acoustic guitar and Wordplay sessions. Tom is one of many staff members from across Suffolk who have been replicating their usual library-based activities from home.

Thousands of families are enjoying the sessions every week with library staff giving shout-outs to children and performing songs on request.

Some comments from parents on Facebook:

“Brilliant – it’s great that you are doing this. I am really missing my trips to the library.”

“We did these crafts today… really simple and so effective… thanks for the idea.”

“Thanks for doing this. You were brilliant and the children loved it.”

“Thank you, my daughter and I have just binge-watched all your videos and she’s loved it.”

Bruce Leeke, Chief Executive of Suffolk Libraries, said: “These are extraordinary times for everyone but we’re passionate about helping families to enjoy their time together at home. As always, our staff have risen to the challenge and adapted to keep children across Suffolk entertained.

Research shows these sessions help young children develop their literacy skills as well as offer them something fun to do. Our new approach is clearly gaining in popularity and we want everyone to know about what we’re offering online.”

Full details of all the online services and activities on offer can be found on our events pages. We’ve also compiled a list of useful online resources which parents may find useful.

Suffolk Libraries is an independent and charitable organisation which has a contract to run the county's library service. In today's challenging financial climate we appreciate any support people can give for our services and activities, which enrich the lives of people of all ages across the county.

You can donate £1, £5 or £10 by text:Text 1LIBRARY to 70085 to donate £1. This costs £1 plus 2 x your standard message rate.Text 5LIBRARY to 70085 to donate £5. This costs £5 plus 2 x your standard message rate.Text 10LIBRARY to 70085 to donate £10. This costs £10 plus 2 x your standard message rate.


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New research by disability equality charity Scope has uncovered the stark reality of supermarket shopping for many disabled people. The charity submitted its findings to a government inquiry into food supply during the Coronavirus pandemic.

From risking their health because they can’t get delivery slots, to enduring the humiliating experience of being judged or challenged by other shoppers and staff, buying food and essentials continues to be a source of enormous worry for many disabled people, research by Scope suggests.

Many disabled shoppers could be facing a ‘triple whammy’ of a higher infection risk, the strain of inaccessible measures like having to stand in long queues, as well as other people’s negative attitudes.

A survey of 585 disabled adults carried out over 10 days by Savanta ComRes on behalf of Scope found that of those who have been to a supermarket since the outbreak:• A quarter (26%) said they have faced negative attitudes from other shoppers• More than one in three (36%) disabled shoppers reported that long queues were aggravating their conditions or impairments• A quarter (26%) feel “scared” about catching coronavirus while shopping because of their condition or impairment• One in six (16%) reported issued accessing supermarkets during special opening hours• One in seven (13%) reported facing negative attitudes from supermarket staff• One in 10 reported (9%) issues bringing carers into shops with them• Half (46%) said they had issues getting essential items

In addition, two in five (38%) of all who had needed or tried to book delivery slots in the previous three weeks weren’t able to.

The new findings show that getting hold of food and essentials is still creating major issues for many of the UK’s 14 million disabled people.

Despite efforts from the government and supermarkets to tackle this issue, too many disabled people are still falling through the gaps and being forgotten about. Access to food and essentials remains the number one Covid-19 related concern among callers to Scope’s helpline.

The Research Institute for Disabled Consumers has also found that 89 per cent of disabled people are concerned about the availability of food.

Charles Bloch, 26, from Coventry, has asthma, and is registered blind.

“I should ideally be isolating on my own for 12 weeks because of having bad asthma, but living on my own and having a lively guide dog, it’s not an easy thing to do. And with no shopping delivery slots available, I’ve had no choice but to go to the local shop.

“I applied online for vulnerable status and was given it. I got an email from one supermarket to get priority access for delivery, but now the website doesn’t load. I’m having to go to the local shops every two to three days. Shops are still busy, and people aren’t moving out of the way for me and my guide dog. I’m worried about running out of food. I should be self-isolating. I have asthma which means I’m vulnerable, and right now I’m having to risk my life to get food.”

Over the past few weeks, huge numbers of disabled people have contacted Scope directly to share their experiences. Many have told us that despite being in a vulnerable situation as a result of lockdown, they’ve had no choice but to risk their health by going out to supermarkets in person.

Disabled people have also told Scope about other issues, such as struggling to get particular foods they need because of their conditions, such as gluten-free alternatives and milk substitutes.

Many told Scope they were having to completely depend on family members or neighbours visiting supermarkets for them. Those who are most isolated are becoming increasingly worried about being unable to access any food at all.

Disabled people are also anxious about lack of support and advice for carers or family members of disabled people in the “extremely vulnerable” category. Many are still having to visit supermarkets but are concerned about bringing the virus back into their homes afterwards.

What needs to changeScope is urging shoppers to be supportive, understanding and tolerant of each other and to be mindful of invisible impairments.

The disability charity wants the government to work with supermarkets to make sure all disabled people can access supermarkets and food. Scope’s recommendations include:• Ability to skip long queues• Consistent access to Click and Collect• Expanded provision of telephone ordering and payment• Continued training/support to ensure staff are aware of invisible impairmentsScope is also calling on the government to make sure disabled people who need them can get delivery slots. The charity is recommending that the government works with charities who can refer individuals in need of additional support. Scope is also calling for a system which will allow people to self-identify if they are in a vulnerable situation regarding access to food.

James Taylor, Scope’s Executive Director of strategy, impact and social change, said: “Shopping is already a difficult task for many disabled people, and now many are telling us they feel judged and compelled to explain their condition just to be able to shop safely.

“It’s crucial that new rules to protect people, such as asking people to queue outside supermarkets, don’t make it harder or impossible for disabled people to shop.Disabled people also have the right to reasonable adjustments, and these rights shouldn’t be thrown aside or forgotten about.

“The government and supermarkets need to listen to disabled people and develop a consistent and co-ordinated approach and urgently act to expand its ‘vulnerable’ list, to make sure all disabled people can safely get the food and essentials they need.”

To find out what Scope is doing to support you and keep you safe during the coronavirus outbreak visit:

www.scope.org.uk/advice-and-support/coronavirus

FREE DISABILITY HELPLINE Open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm. Saturday to Sunday 10am to 6pm

Phone: 0808 800 3333 / Email: [email protected]

SCOPE URGENTLY NEEDS YOUR HELP During this difficult time, disabled people are finding themselves

isolated more than ever. Scope needs your help to continue providing vital support for disabled people and their families right now.

Please donate today; £9 could pay for a call to our helpline, giving people vital support and information.

Donate at: www.scope.org.uk/donate/?frequency=card&amount=9

DISABLED PEOPLE FORCED TO RISK HEALTH AND ENDURE HUMILIATING EXPERIENCES JUST TO BUY FOOD




Community Action Suffolk (CAS) exists to ensure the sector, and its volunteers, is supported, safe and sustainable and that our communities are active and resilient. We provide (or signpost) whatever is needed behind the scenes to enable this, so the sector can concentrate on doing what it does best – making Suffolk an incredible place in which to live and work.

The VCSE sector in Suffolk has never been more needed than in the current climate of national crisis and as a result, CAS has seen an exponential rise in need for support from the organisations and community groups within it. We are working across the Suffolk system with partners such as Suffolk Community Foundation to ensure we provide as much support as we possibly can and are adapting our working processes across the board to ensure that support is accessible to everyone that needs it.

As our staff experience for themselves the practicalities of working from home and delivering services remotely, we are putting that experience to best use developing a continuous stream of digital tools, resources and information in response to requests and need derived from various recent surveys. In total, we have had 823 responses to three ‘quick’ surveys of community groups and VCSE organisations in the last few weeks. As a result, the following resources and sources of information have been developed, and the list keeps growing.

• Various resources and toolkits to support Community Response Groups and Good Neighbour Schemes covering topics such as volunteering safely; how to set up a CRG; volunteer recruitment, support and management; shopping and handling money

• Additional resources and tools to support VCSE organisations during the pandemic including up to date lists of funding sources, safeguarding, business continuity and many more

• Online ‘Talk Volunteering’ network meetings

• Regular one-to-one funding surgeries in partnership with Suffolk County Council.

• Online one-to-one and peer group Safeguarding support

• Professional webinars and online videos with experts from ProHelp members

• Weekly Facebook LIVE Q&A sessions (every Tuesday at 11am)

• Peer support group on Facebook for Covid-19 group leaders

• Additional support tools for VCSE organisations for volunteer management and volunteering offer adaptation

We are also sharing information about all of these, and information from key partners through our weekly Covid-19 newsletter, social media accounts, and our brand new website with dedicated Covid-19 pages.

#SuffolkCommunityHero

Last, but by no means least, we have also launched the #SuffolkCommunityHero campaign in recent weeks to recognise those unsung heroes in our communities who are making an incredible difference to our communities.

“We are hearing stories every day of organisations going above and beyond at the moment. We are trying hard to share as many of these stories as we can, but it is also so important to us to provide a platform for those who want to thank individuals. From those delivering urgent food and medication, to those ‘unseen faces’ on the end of a phone helping someone feel less isolated and alone, many people just want to highlight someone who has helped them. No one person can do everything, but everyone can do something and however big or small, the difference it is making deserves to be recognised.

“We know they aren’t doing it for the thanks, but we couldn’t do it without them and a small ‘thank you’ goes a long way, especially where people are behind closed doors and not able to say it personally, so please do keep those nominations coming!” Hannah Reid, CAS

For more information on any of the topics above or to book on to a session, please visit www.communityactionsuffolk.org.uk and go the relevant section for you. We look forward to supporting you in the months ahead and would also take this opportunity once more to say thank you – the response to this pandemic has been incredible in Suffolk and we really do applaud you all.

ADAPTING TO INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY DURING COVID-19

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The Suffolk Medal is the highest honour that Suffolk can bestow on one of its own and the latest recipient had his Investiture broadcast live on BBC Radio Suffolk.

The Suffolk Medal was presented to Grenville Clarke (pictured here with his wife Elizabeth) for his environmental work in Suffolk in support of organisations including Green Light Trust and Suffolk Wildlife Trust.

Despite a serious decline in his health, Grenville, who lives in a village near to Bury St Edmunds, continued to mentor new woodland groups, linking them to primary schools and enabling children to connect with nature in their local communities.

Last year the first ever Suffolk Medals were presented at a prestigious ceremony at the Museum of East Anglia Life in Stowmarket.

This year, because of coronavirus restrictions and Grenville’s health, the Suffolk Medal was presented virtually by the Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk in a live broadcast of the investiture ceremony on BBC Radio Suffolk’s Lesley Dolphin show at 3pm on April 30.

“Since 1963 Grenville has devoted the majority of his life to initiating and volunteering for environmental projects. He later helped hundreds of disadvantaged adults and children benefit from the restorative and educational power of nature and inspired thousands of people to connect with their natural environment,” reads Grenville’s Suffolk Medal Citation.

“In Frithy Wood, Lawshall, Grenville worked with Green Light Trust (GTL) to obtain funding to purchase the woodland, working with marginalised and disadvantaged individuals to restore it. He then documented the project’s impact, coordinating multiple surveys and finally compiling them into a book to inspire similar projects. Grenville was instrumental in establishing 62 community woodlands across Suffolk and Norfolk, now owned by the communities which surround them.

“GLT now supports thousands of adults and children each year through woodland wellbeing and educational programmes.“

Grenville has also been involved with the Suffolk Wildlife Trust for 22 years.

“Grenville played pivotal roles in several key developments such as the establishment of Lackford Lakes. Volunteering as a vital member of

a small group, he helped establish one of the most important nature reserves in the county. Grenville was involved at a critical stage in SWT’s development, chairing a working group in building the current visitor and education centre. As a trustee from 1997 to 2005, he initiated a review of the Trust’s governance, enabling the trust to become the strong organisation it is today.

”All who come into contact with Grenville still talk about him years later, and speak warmly of his calm, generous support, delivered in an entirely selfless and understated manner. Grenville has personally motivated 1000s of people during his lifetime of contribution to this region.” Clare Countess of Euston, Lord Lieutenant of Suffolk.

The Suffolk Medal, designed by renowned Suffolk artist Maggi Hambling, was launched in March 2019. Nominations come from the general public in Suffolk and are decided upon by a panel of the county’s leaders, comprising The Lord Lieutenant (chair), Suffolk’s High Sheriff and Police and Crime Commissioner, CEOs from Suffolk County Council and Chamber of Commerce, the CEOs of Suffolk Community Foundation and Community Action Suffolk, a Lieutenancy representative and founder of the medal, former High Sheriff George Vestey.

Last year the Suffolk Medal was awarded to Sally Fogden MBE who founded the Rural Coffee Caravan, Terry Hunt, past editor of the East Anglian Daily Times, and Richard Martineau, philanthropist from Walsham le Willows.

Its purpose is to recognise, reward and champion the exceptional contributions of Suffolk people that have made a fundamental, measurable and lasting difference to the lives of people in our county.

A clear demonstration of outstanding volunteering, either as a single feat, an accumulation of personal impact over a period of time or, indeed, a lifetime of selfless service are key elements for consideration.

The Suffolk Medal was the idea of George Vestey from Haverhill who was the High Sheriff of Suffolk in 2018-19. It is administered by Suffolk Community Foundation and funded by private individual contributions to the fund they manage on behalf of The High Sheriff of Suffolk.

The judging panel meets at least once a year and nominations for future medals can be made directly online by any Suffolk resident via: www.thesuffolkmedal.org.uk

LIVE RADIO BROADCAST OF INVESTITURE OF THE SUFFOLK MEDAL



Molly Richardson

Molly mainly works on Grapevine magazine and website but also on the In Touch website and has been coming up with lots of social media content while working from home.

I’ve been baking more! I always loved it when I was younger, but rarely found time when always busy in the evenings and at weekends. I’ve done banana cake, cookies and these jammy dodgers - better yet, they were all vegan. It’s great fun with positive results!

While working from home but with some spare time to fill, I asked my colleagues to tell me what they have been doing. It’s a random mix with reflects our diverse ages and tastes but I hope you enjoy it.

Mark Chamberlain

Mark works in the office supplies section of our group, Boswell Office SuppliesI have already washed the cars a few times, weeded our car parking spaces, cut the grass and replaced the Perspex in the 16 summerhouse windows, so this will be my fun activity. I have ordered and received the 1053 piece Oxford USS Missouri Battleship to build (Lego). I have looked at this so many times on visiting the toy store with my boy and always said I would never have the time to do it, well now I have the time. This is a little bit special as I have stepped on the deck of this Battleship 18 years ago in 2002 on a visit to Pearl Harbour Hawaii. The experience was amazing and couldn’t believe the size and scale of the battleship and now I can’t wait to get started on the replica ship.

Carol Lingley

Carol is a member of our sales team so very well known by many. We like to call her Lady Lingley.

I have been working very hard during lockdown but when I have some time with my husband, who is going stir crazy and finding it somewhat annoying having me at home all the time, we love to play Scrabble on a very ancient Play Station. We were without it for four days as we had to get a new connection for it and it was awful! How sad are we? Then we relented and signed up to Netflix and have been binge watching The Crown, which incidentally is very good. We’ve got through series one and just started on series two, and we’re loving it.

Ellie Cook

Ellie works in the design studio and has led on all aspects of design, print and digital, since we’ve had to work from home.

As we have been lucky with the weather I’ve been eating lunch outside, followed by a game of boules most days. As you can see I’m also wearing my slippers a key feature in my working at home outfit.

Sue Stone

Sue is a company director and editor of Grapevine magazine, amongst a range of other responsibilities.

The lockdown has meant a change in our birthday plans. I was 50 and my daughter Kyra was 21 on the same day. So t-shirts produced, friends dropping presents at the door, afternoon tea delivered, BBQ in the evening, videos from friends and family across the world and Zoom chats with uni friends. The sun was shining and we had a lovely day, not quite the big party we planned but we’re now going to celebrate for a year...

28 In Touch online:

Shape the World is the theme for International Women in Engineering Day 2020 (INWED20). The annual event, now in its seventh year, is an awareness campaign which raises the profile of women in engineering across the globe focusing attention on the amazing career opportunities available to girls in this exciting industry.

INWED brings together engineers and their supporters from across the world; joining to raise awareness of the opportunities and achievements of women engineers. For the past four years INWED has been celebrated in many countries including Panama, Canada, Rwanda, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Pakistan.

A regular event in the INWED UK celebrations is the Top 50 Women in Engineering (WE50) Awards. Also coordinated by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES), the awards recognise the top 50 women in a specific category. The 2020 awards celebrate the Top 50 Women in Sustainability. Nominations opened in March with the winners to be published in a Guardian newspaper supplement on 23 June.

INWED was originally established as a national celebration in Great Britain by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES) in 2015. Within a short time, the day grew in popularity and its appeal spread across the globe, and in 2016 INWED was awarded UNESCO patronage for the first time. INWED is celebrated by a diverse range of people including schools, organisations, STEM campaigners, universities and politicians. Events are collated and published on the INWED website and for 2020 INWED has already secured a number of high-profile sponsors for the day including

Boeing, Dialog Semiconductor, ECITB, GCHQ, Institute of Refrigeration, Mercedes-AMG Petronas Formula One Team, OPITO, Royal Air Force and Wiley.

Speaking of the importance of INWED, Elizabeth Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer of the Women’s Engineering Society said: “INWED20 is an amazing campaign that recognises the careers available to women in engineering. The 2020 theme ties in with the challenges facing us in an uncertain future and invites engineers to share how they are tackling such topics as the climate emergency. We are also delighted to be celebrating the Top 50 Women in Sustainability for engineering and allied disciplines, as an inspiration to those who want to #ShapeTheWorld.”

Sally Sudworth, Chair of Judges for the Top 50 Women in Engineering 2020 added: “Engineers have a key role to play in providing sustainable solutions in addressing the climate emergency and net zero carbon challenge. That’s why we are celebrating the top WE50 women engineers working in this field in 2020.”

INWED can only continue to be successful through the participation of the countless people who celebrate the day and the generous organisations that sponsor it. To find out how you or your organisation can take part in INWED20 or support it through sponsorship, and for more ideas and inspiration visit the INWED website. Social media hashtags for the 2020 campaign are #INWED20 and #ShapeTheWorld.

www.inwed.org.uk

ENGINEERS ENCOURAGED TO ‘SHAPE THE WORLD’ FOR #INWED20

In partnership with the Women’s Engineering Society, Arklu, creators of the Lottie doll, are excited to announce a worldwide STEAM Competition (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts & Maths) giving kids the chance to design their very own Lottie Doll Soapbox Race Car.

The winning design will be made into a real toy Soapbox Race Car, available all over the world.

There are two age groups for the competition as below:

Under 6 CompetitionThis is a colouring /design competition. Download, print off, colour in and,

of course, feel free to add your own elements or design to the car!

6+ CompetitionCreate your own Soap Box Derby car using materials you might find around your home. Cardboard makes for a sturdy side wall, big buttons could create the wheels you need!

To find our more, including how to enter, go to: www.inwed.org.uk/competitions.html

SOAPBOX DERBY RACE CAR DESIGN COMPETITION



1. Who was Henry VIII’s sixth wife?

2. How many balls are on the table of a Snooker Game?

3. Which artist painted The Last Supper?

4. Who is Harry Webb better known as?

5. What is the longest river in the UK?

6. In which century did Joan of Arc live?

7. What is the common name for a Crane Fly?

8. Which sport involves tucks and spikes?

9. Where in the body would you find the anvil?

10. What is gram flour made from?

11. What is the capital of Portugal?

12. In Law Practice what does JP stand stand for?

13. What was the name of the first moon landing?

14. In which country did tea originate?

15. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the first full-length Disney feature film, but what year was it released?

Activity Page

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CORNEXCHANGEFRAMLINGHAMCASTLE

IPSWICHMUSEUMJIMMYSFARM

NEWWOLSEYTHEATREORFORDNESS

REGENTTHEATRERIVERORWELLSUTTONHOOWATERFRONT

Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator

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Word Search

S V X S N M Z U Z L L R P P J T M Z S NL L B Z K Y N F D G S F G H O W A A E EG F L Q F U U R E G E N T T H E A T R EH V E P G L B C O R N E X C H A N G E OM C H R I S T C H U R C H P A R K B X EX P R H P D I R Y M T Q A V D A F Z H CS M K P A U D W A R I V E R O R W E L LI G B I H I N U U Q Z S I I H M C D H QP F R A M L I N G H A M C A S T L E O LS W Z B N E W W O L S E Y T H E A T R EW A E J I M M Y S F A R M W M E Q V F II T Y A T G P S I R Y X L Y Y N S W O SC E R O S P G A E A V G L W H X E H R UH R O I N Q Y K K P Z H B I L X R Y D TM F G A F R I C A A L I V E U H T J N TU R V H B O Z V G K H C Z U I H P K E OS O O H D H Q T B A X S M G M C E C S NE N Q X D L Y O E P D E M O U Z R C S HU T V F S G Q V A Y W K W C U T E O S OM D L X P P B L F F S C N U Z W F V N O

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GENERAL KNOWLEDGE QUIZ

WORDSEARCH

Answers on page 41

30 In Touch online:

Activity Page

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ROFROD ESNS

WNE LOSYEW ETAEHRET

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Can you unscramble these places in suffolk?

Answers on page 41

How quickly can you solve the sudoku?



Suffolk Mind releases helpful resources to support the mental health of young people across the county

The independent mental health charity, Suffolk Mind have released a number of resources offering help and advice to

parents, carers and children to encourage mental wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Staff in the EARLY (Emotional Awareness and Resilience Learnt Young) Minds team have created videos, blogs and activities to help children to stay well by meeting their emotional needs whilst at home.

Due to school closures, the Suffolk Mind EARLY Minds programme is currently unable to run. This programme is for primary schools and teaches children, teachers and parents about emotional needs and how to improve wellbeing. Our team wants to continue offering this help through a number of resources on our website.

The Children and Young People’s Facilitator at Suffolk Mind, Louise Harris

said: “As a former primary school teacher and mum myself, I understand the pressures that parents are currently feeling whilst trying to manage finances, run a home, work and be a teacher for your children. That is why at Suffolk Mind, we thought it was important to create useful resources to help the whole family to stay mentally well by meeting emotional needs. This keeps stress levels low and allows our immune system to fight back and work to promote recovery from illness.

“In my blog, I have suggested a number of ways you can do this: allow time and space for each other so you can each have your privacy; with your child’s help, create a day-to-day structure for them so they have a sense of control and security; take regular breaks from work to give your child attention throughout the day and take part in an activity of their choice; set up video calls with family members and friends to help your children feel part of a community.”

You can access this blog and further resource at: https://www.suffolkmind.org.uk/additional-help/resources-for-children/

www.suffolkmind.org.uk

The impact of the corona-virus and the lock down will affect many local charities who will find it harder to reach the usual amounts fund raised in this period.

You can help us, have some fun and challenge yourself at the same time!

The 2.6 Challenge launched on Sunday 26 April. This should have been the date of the London Marathon, but like many other fundraising events it has been postponed to later in the year due to coronavirus. In response, a nationwide campaign has launched to encourage people to take part in the 2.6 Challenge on that date instead and support UK charities.

All you need to do is think of a sponsored activity based around the numbers 26 or 2.6. Anyone of any age and ability can take on the 2.6 Challenge, with a host of activities – from walking, running, or cycling 2.6 miles, to juggling for 2.6 minutes, or holding online workouts with 26 friends. The ideas and options are endless!

It is a simple, fun way for anyone to help support Suffolk Mind and the invaluable work and services we provide to your local community and we would absolutely love to hear about what you challenge yourselves to do!

Lockdown means you will need to do this at home – or during your hour’s daily exercise, providing you can do so safely and within government guidelines. We have compiled 26 ideas, (below), for you to adopt or get you thinking, or you can check out the 2.6 Challenge website for more inspiration and to see what others are doing:

Call 26 of your friends for 2.6 minutes eachRun for 26 minutes for 26 daysWalk 2.6 miles every day for 26 daysMake 26 cup cakes today!Camp in your garden for 26 hoursSing non-stop for 26 minutesDo 26 star jumps every day for 26 daysCycle 26 miles over 2.6 daysMake 26 cards and post them to 26 loved ones and friendsGet 26 friends together for an online workout (or a cuppa and a chat)Make a 2.6-minute video every day for 26 daysDonate 26 items to your local food bankScore 26 in a row in your garden ‘goal’ or hoopRun the length of your garden 26 timesTake 26 photos of 26 different thingsWear 26 different outfits in one day

Do 26 burpees in a rowWrite a poem that only has 26 wordsRead 26 booksDo 26 cartwheels

Invite your friends and family to sponsor your activity and donate to Suffolk Mind through your giving page on our website (click the yellow box to set it up), or through Just Giving or Virgin Money Giving.

Complete your challenge and tell everyone about it by posting a video or photo of you and tag #SuffolkMind #TwoPointSixChallenge

How your challenge will help:The money you raise will go towards supporting and developing our existing and new services that we provide across Suffolk at a time when mental health has never been more important and the demand to help more people is increasing. Help us by taking part in the 2.6 Challenge and fundraising for Suffolk Mind.

If you have any questions about the 2.6 Challenge for Suffolk Mind or would like any other information about how you can help to support us, please contact the Suffolk Mind fundraising team: [email protected]

BE A HOME HERO!TAKE ON THE 2.6 CHALLENGE AND SUPPORT SUFFOLK MIND

32 In Touch online:

As with many other festivals, Stowmarket’s StowFiesta has gone digital. This virtual version will take place online over the weekend of June 21-22. Since lockdown began and social distancing became the new norm, the internet is awash with livestreams, virtual gigs and improv. Admit it, before March you had never heard of Zoom – now we’re all using it for meetings, quiz nights or just to pretend that we are in the presence of others.

As Grapevine’s ‘roving reporter’ I spend most evenings zipping all over the region seeing what’s out there, covering the miles across Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, Essex and Suffolk at the click of a mouse. It’s been great to see so many musicians performing. Some I know well, some are new to me, but all are in the same boat – trying to keep themselves sane and keep us entertained.

What has struck me is the variety in quality, platform and presentation. Smartphone and tablets all have the ability to record and transmit audio and video, but it’s not broadcast quality and consequently I didn’t stay long at some of the virtual gigs I discovered.

It’s great to see into artists’ living rooms, but in all these broadcasts there is a giant elephant in the room. Is a virtual entertainment industry sustainable? And sitting beside that elephant is another one: Is live entertainment sustainable alongside social distancing?

Many in the theatre world do not expect that they will become functional again until the spring of 2021. At least one regional theatre went into administration in May and I’ve given up counting the number of festivals that aren’t happening.

Overall though, live entertainment in our theatres, arts centres and small venues will survive. It will be different from what we know now. Perhaps not all our favourite haunts will survive but the artistic community are a resilient and imaginative lot when all is said and done. A large part of me hopes that having almost lost live performances, we will cherish them more than ever when the crisis is over. That having spent too much time watching virtual gigs, we will flock to our local venue and embrace live entertainment again.

Tony Bell


VIRTUAL GIGS PROVE POPULAR BUT WE’RE LONGING FOR THE LIVE ENTERTAINMENT SCENE TO RETURN


FINANCIAL PLANNING IN A PANDEMIC

Really, this is a ‘what happens next?’ issue. Hopefully you will all have been organised enough to be on a sensible financial plan to

(a) make sure that you are well insured against perils like ill health and death and are

(b) looking to your longer term future and making the ‘deferring consumption’ choice by putting money away so that you can eventually exit wage slavery with comfort and dignity.

This, of course, all assumes that you can earn a living.

But we now have a hiccough in that planning if you are in the private sector of the economy. State sector employees will likely be largely sheltered from the effect of the lockdown.

You may be furloughed. In which case, are your furloughed wages adequate to cover your basic needs, your necessary insurances and pension?

If not, what do you cancel or suspend first?

If you cancel a life insurance policy, will you be able to be reinsured later? At what price?

If you cancel your pension saving, what effect will that have on your final pension or retirement date?

If you need to use capital to keep body and soul together, what investments should you sell first?

And is that a good idea at all as, arguably, asset prices are depressed?

Looking further out, will your employer survive this lockdown?

Maybe they will only be able to offer reduced hours and/or a lower wage?

Are you ready for that?

If you would like to discuss any of this with a friendly and dispassionate ear, please contact us. A quick chat may be valuable. Or we can organise a longer discussion (technology will let us do that remotely) for more detailed questions.

And in the spirit of the time, we are offering our time for this without charge. You may then be better prepared for what happens next.

Live long and prosper.


BIKE WEEK GOES DIGITAL TO BEAT THE LOCKDOWN

Cycling UK’s annual celebration of cycling will be online – but no less fun!

• Digital events throughout the week to promote cycling• Highlighting the contribution of key workers, and how cycling to work can keep them safe• Everyone can get involved on social media #BikeWeek #7daysofcycling

Bike Week (June 6 – 14 2020) is the annual celebration of everything that’s wonderful about cycling. It’s a time to remind ourselves of all the positives that riding a bike can bring, including our own health and wellbeing, which is the theme of this year’s event. Of course, we’ve had to look at doing things a little differently this year in the light of the global pandemic and the restrictions on movement. So, there will be no group rides this year, but as we’re seeing many more people out on their bikes, from families making use of their daily exercise allowance to key workers avoiding public transport, we want to capitalise on that renewed interest.

We want to remind people that cycling can fix many of society’s biggest problems, including air pollution, obesity, poor mental health and ill health from inactivity. Above all, we want to make sure people don’t return to their cars when the crisis is over. So let’s get the nation cycling and make bikes part of the “new normal” once the pandemic is over.

• Cycling to work can mean you have a 45% lower risk of developing cancer, and a 46% lower risk of cardiovascular disease• If you cycle regularly in adulthood, you will enjoy a level of fitness equivalent to someone 10 years younger• If all cycle journeys increased from the current level of 2% to 25% by 2050, the collective benefit to the nation would be £248bn

During Bike Week, we’ll be promoting our digital campaign, #7daysofcycling, where over seven days we look at ways you can experience cycling, encouraging people to make at least one cycle trip – but seven in a row if you can:

Sunday 7 June: Be vocal – shout about your love for cyclingMonday 8 June: Be healthy – cycling can transform your wellbeingTuesday 9 June: Be unique – take on a new challengeWednesday 10 June: Be inspired – try something different Thursday 11 June: Be a hero – say thanks to NHS workersFriday 12 June: Go green – cycling reduces emissionsSaturday 13 June: Go BIG – take on your biggest cycle adventure yet…

There will be prizes on offer for people who share their rides and bike-related photos and videos on social media.

As a thank you to NHS and social care workers, Cycling UK is offering them three months’ free membership, which entitles them to a number of benefits including discounts and free insurance. See https://shop.cyclinguk.org/membership/health-and-social-care-workers-membership for more details.

Find out the latest on Bike Week at: www.cyclinguk.org/bikeweek

Bike Week logo

34 In Touch online:

At a time when the near future is increasingly unpredictable, you can be certain of one thing. Make Music Day will happen across the world on Sunday 21 June this year.

Already established as the UK’s biggest free single-day music event, Make Music Day is an annual, global, grassroots festival that sees a huge range of musical performances happening all the way around the world, in 125 countries.

What has made Make Music Day unique since it began in France as Fête de la Musique in 1980 is that anyone can take part. Whether you’re a seasoned musician, an enthusiastic novice, or someone who simply enjoys dabbling with a tune, it’s an open invitation to all to make and share music on one day.

Traditionally the event is about bringing music into public spaces for the community to enjoy. This year, with the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and social gatherings, organisers and musicians are encouraged to take their performances online and to use the abundance of technology freely available to share the joy of music with the online community.

Bringing a new meaning to the term House Music, there are a number of ways for everyone to get involved with this year’s Make Music Day, from online music lessons, as either a teacher or a pupil, virtual choirs that we can all join, and the Live from Home Challenge in which participants

play a song and tag friends to respond with their own performances, to the Musique concrète and found sounds improvisations of the Street Studios, and our initiative to create a myriad of fantastic cover versions of Make Music Day UK’s official song Bring Me Sunshine.

There are comprehensive toolkits and a wealth of advice on the Make Music Day website to help you get started and ensure you can easily join the day’s celebration of music. And for music fans who just want to enjoy all of the music being made by others there will be both global and UK-centric live streams to tune in to.

We are already seeing music’s exceptional ability to engender a sense of unity in these unprecedented times and hope that this year’s Make Music Day can help to stir a real sense of community and connection throughout the country on 21 June.

We continue to monitor government advice regarding social distancing and remain hopeful that by the summer solstice it will be possible to take Make Music Day into the public spaces, where it has always thrived, for some much-needed communal entertainment with uplifting live performances. But should the current situation remain we will still bring you the sights and most especially the sounds of Make Music Day as a digital celebration.

For more information head to www.makemusicday.co.uk or follow @MakeMusicDayUK on social media.

CELEBRATE MUSIC’S UNIQUE ABILITY TO CREATE A SENSE OF CONNECTION AND COMMUNITY / #MAKEMUSICDAYUK



In the last edition of In Touch we discussed the need for Prostate Cancer (PCa) Screening. As Coronavirus will make it harder to obtain PSA tests for the foreseeable future, this article explains PCa screening in detail and provides information on how CHAPS can provide PSA screening tests.

Who Needs Screening? All men should know about their prostate gland because it causes so many problems, one of which is cancer. International specialist urological panels recommend all men should start prostate cancer (PCa) screening from age 40, especially men at high risk. These are:

• Men in their 40s with an initial PSA > 1.00ng/ml or 50s with a PSA > 2.00ng/ml• Black men or mixed race men of African or Caribbean descent • Men with a family history of PCa or breast cancer on the mother’s sideMen below age 40 do not need screening. There is no evidence to support screening for elderly men with less than 10 years’ life expectancy.

Why Screen?Prostate Cancer is the commonest major cancer in UK men and the second commonest cancer killer now causing 48,000 new cases and 12,000 deaths each year. That is equivalent to a death every 45 minutes! The UK has one of the worst death rates in Europe, even though trials running up to 20 years now clearly demonstrate that PCa screening with the simple blood test PSA could halve this death rate!

What is the Prostate?The prostate is a small gland lying under the bladder and encircling the urethra, the tube that carries urine into the penis. It produces fluid (semen) to nourish sperm in a man’s ejaculate. Benign enlargement of the prostate affects most men over 65 and causes urinary symptoms such as a slow flow and frequent, urgent peeing, especially at night. It is easy to treat with drugs when caught early.

Prostate cancer usually grows slowly and causes no symptoms till it has spread. That is why screening needs to be done before symptoms arise whilst the cancer is still inside the prostate and curable.

How We ScreenScreening is done simply by a blood test called Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), a protein produced only by the prostate. PSA is thus specific to the prostate but to no specific condition. The NHS Prostate Cancer Risk Management

Programme entitles all UK men over 50 to have an NHS PSA test (after counselling) which can be arranged by their GP. About one in three men with a persistently raised PSA will have PCa and require specialist investigation. The first specialist test should be an MRI scan of the prostate, though other urine or blood tests may be done before deciding upon an MRI. If an MRI scan is normal, the risk of an aggressive PCa is very low.

If the scan shows an abnormality, the next step is a biopsy to obtain prostate tissue samples. If no cancer is detected, the urologist will probably keep an eye on you for a year or two. If PCa is detected, more scans may be performed to ensure the cancer has not spread. Once all this data has been collected, treatment options will be recommended for you to make an informed choice on the option that suits you best. Not all PCa needs active treatment but screen detected PCa confined to the prostate requiring treatment is nearly always curable and will not curtail your natural lifespan.

ConclusionThe best results are achieved by regular PSA tests starting no later than 50 and continued in a screening programme with regular tests till at least age 70. The frequency of testing should be determined by risk: 1-2 yearly for men at high risk but less often if the risk is low.

If you cannot obtain regular PSA tests from your GP, come to a CHAPS event as advertised on our website when Coronavirus restrictions permit. Alternatively, study the video on this home-testing option https://tdlpathology.com/test-information/test-service-updates/tdl-tinies and if you would like to go ahead, we will arrange this for you.

THE WHO, WHY, WHAT & HOW OF PROSTATE CANCER SCREENINGA SIMPLE GUIDE TO A BIG HEALTH PROBLEM

If you would like more information, contact us at: 07873 541505 / [email protected] / www.chaps.uk.com

Raised PSA

MRI Scan

Normal: SurveillanceAbnormal

BiopsyNormal or Non-Aggressive PCa:

Surveillance

Aggressive PCa

Further Scans

Treatment Options

PSA levels : ng/ml*Age < 2.0 2.0-3.0 3.0-4.0 4.0-5.0 5.0-6.0 > 6.0

Under 50

50-59

60-69

70+

Normal: Slightly raised: Abnormal: reassure review investigate

*These levels are slightly higher than Dept of Health and slightly lower than the British Association of Urological Surgeons recommendations:

DoH: www.cancerscreening.nhs.uk/prostate/prostate-booklet-text.pdf BAUS: www.baus.org.uk/_userfiles/pages/files/Publications/MDT%20 Prostate%20Cancer%20Guidance.pdf


36 In Touch online:

At the time of writing last month’s article we were facing a significant loss in income, with all 43 of our shops closed plus the vast majority of our supporters’ fundraising activities and our own events cancelled or postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We were hopeful of funding support from the government and the announcement about help for all hospices in England that followed was very welcome news. This recognises the key role charitable care providers like EACH play in delivering specialist nursing care and wellbeing support to so many hundreds of children and their families.

This alone will not be enough, though. We need to be able to start offering our full range of services to all families as soon as it is safe to do so and it is only with continued public support this will happen.

Our dedicated supporters rising to the challenge so far include brother and sister Kate (9) and Tom (6) Nicolson from Grundisburgh, who together ran a marathon in their garden over a period of days, raising over £1,500.

We have also seen people engaging with creative ideas thought up by our fundraising team. A virtual pub quiz, run in partnership with Quiztaztic, saw 114 teams of friends and families get together by video call and raise £4,319. Our next virtual event is a seven-day balloon race to start on Coronation Day, Tuesday 2 June. Balloons cost £3 and can be customised by their owners, then tracked throughout the race. There are great prizes to be won, including £500 for the winner.

Ongoing EACH fundraising initiatives include our Dress-Up Friday campaign, encouraging you to get dressed up, instead of dressing down for the office, as you might normally on Fridays. We want as many people as possible to post a selfie on social media with the hashtag #eachdressupfriday and make a donation. We are also asking people to Eat for EACH in a whole host of different ways and a fundraising pack exists for this on our website.

Our staff have been doing their bit too, with many taking part in the national 2.6 Challenge for EACH. They have been running 26 laps of their block, holding the plank position for 2.06 minutes every day for 26 days and even dancing non-stop to 26 songs in a row!

While our fundraising efforts continue in a very different way to normal, so does the work of our hospices.

Our therapists and counsellors are now supporting families by phone, and exploring opportunities to deliver sessions via online platforms. They have gathered and developed many additional resources to support the emotional health and wellbeing needs of all family members, and these have been made accessible on our website. In addition to supporting families, our therapists and counsellors are available for other members of staff on a daily basis. Some have put themselves forward to contribute to the national psychological and emotional support helpline for frontline NHS workers. We are also working with our NHS and adult hospice partners to support the bereavement needs of those affected by COVID-19 in our local communities.

From all three hospices, our focus at the moment is on providing end-of-life care and bereavement support, and responding to urgent requests for care and support as best we can. We are also working closely with healthcare organisations across the region to help reduce pressure on the NHS. Our shared goals are to help provide capacity to care for the sickest children and create more space in hospitals in the event children’s wards have to be converted into adult wards or for patients with COVID-19.

Since our last update, we are delighted to have received a message of support from our Royal Patron, HRH The Duchess of Cambridge, empathising with our situation and thanking staff for their hard work.

Together, we can all make sure that vital care and support is still available for the children, young people and their families who need us, during and beyond this challenging and uncertain time.

HELP US CLOSE OUR INCOME GAPYou can support us now by donating at www.justgiving.com/campaign/each-covid19 or calling 01223 800800.

You could also organise a virtual event or complete a virtual challenge. Please visit www.each.org.uk/get-involved for further ideas. Our fundraising teams are working hard from home and would love to hear from you.

AN UPDATE FROM EAST ANGLIA’S CHILDREN’S HOSPICES Submitted on Tuesday 12 May



Home-Start in Suffolk is proud to announce that Miranda Raison, the Suffolk based actress of the stage and screen, will be supporting the organisation in the role of patron.

Miranda Raison, who has spent much of her life here in Suffolk and now lives here with her husband and young daughter, was introduced to Home-Start in Suffolk by her neighbour and friend Lady Clare Greenwell, a former volunteer and now ambassador for the charity.

Ms Raison, who is well known for her role as Jo Portman in the popular television series Spooks, will soon be back on our screens playing Nellie Davenport in the upcoming HBO series Warrior – a series set in the Tong Wars of San Francisco in the 1880s – airing on Sky One throughout the UK later this year.

Especially interested in highlighting the difficulties that young mothers in Suffolk face, particularly at this difficult and uncertain time, Ms Raison has been inspired to support the charity since experiencing motherhood herself.

“I am thrilled and honoured to be involved with Home-Start in Suffolk,” Ms Raison said. “Their work is more important now than it has ever been; bringing support, friendship and, most importantly, hope to families who may be struggling for one reason or another.

“I am incredibly fortunate, as the mother of a toddler, to have friends and family nearby in Suffolk as a source of constant support but there are many who don’t have such a network around them. Home-Start places non-judgemental and compassionate volunteers with families across the county who might need an extra pair of hands, some practical help or even just a friend to talk to.”

Tara Somers, CEO at Home-Start in Suffolk said: “We are delighted that Miranda has chosen to support our organisation. Being a young parent herself, she has first-hand experience of the challenges of parenthood.

She is highly motivated to support Suffolk families and is particularly keen to ensure that the community know the hard work that our staff team and amazing volunteers do to support families.”

Miranda has recently launched a special story telling YouTube channel where she reads classic stories written by authors such as Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne for children to listen to during lockdown and beyond. A link to her channel can be found on the Home-Start in Suffolk website within the ‘Activities for Children’ section the organisation created for families during the current COVID-19 crisis.

Home-Start in Suffolk has been supporting Suffolk families for over 20 years and is instrumental in early intervention to prevent families reaching crisis point. Helping families as they navigate through challenges such as bereavement, long term illness, domestic abuse, isolation, poor mental health, disabilities and so much more, Home-Start in Suffolk works alongside the statutory services and are highly respected amongst their partners and peers. The majority of their family referrals come through professional partners however families are able to self-refer too.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 Crisis, Home-Start in Suffolk has adapted their important volunteer support service to adhere to the physical distancing guidance, providing telephone and video call support for struggling families in place of the home-visiting service they are well known for. This is working well and there are plans afoot to add telephone support as an additional service once this crisis is over.

“The current Coronavirus outbreak has seen us having to adapt our services quickly and the positive feedback we have had as a result has been wonderful,” says Tara. “Our volunteers are at the heart of our organisation and have all been extremely flexible, adapting their support and offering even more support hours where they can. We are so fortunate to have such a fantastic team of volunteers.

“We believe that during this crisis and in-deed once this crisis is over the need for our services will continue to increase and we are therefore actively recruiting new volunteers, providing a new short-term online training course until things return to normal.”

If anyone is interested in joining the Home-Start in Suffolk volunteer team or to find out more about the services they offer please visit www.homestartinsuffolk.org or call 01473 621104

LOCAL FAMILY SUPPORT CHARITY HOME-START IN SUFFOLK WELCOMES NEW PATRON


38 In Touch online:

Queen of the kitchen Rosemary Shrager and Great British Bake Off contestant Michael Chakraverty share secrets to better bakes for Alzheimer’s Society’s Cupcake Day

Alzheimer’s Society supporter Rosemary Shrager, who has been baking on our screens for over a decade, and Michael Chakraverty, who is also an active Dementia Friends Champion, are joining forces to show it is still possible to bake mouth-watering cakes while households up and down the UK continue to cope with strict lockdown measures.

Due to the current restrictions, there is no specific day earmarked for this year’s Cupcake Day – Alzheimer’s Society is encouraging people to get involved whenever it suits them.

With 95% of people with dementia over 65 and many living with underlying conditions and reliant on social care, people with dementia are currently at significant risk from coronavirus, with thousands being cut-off from vital networks of support and from society.

In the last two months, Alzheimer’s Society has received many thousands of calls to its Dementia Connect support line and around 80% of these are about coronavirus issues, so it’s never been more important for baking rookies and seasoned pros to tie up their aprons, dust off their baking

bowls, whip out their whisks and take part in Cupcake Day.

Everyone can take part – you could host a virtual Cupcake Day and stay connected with workmates, friends or family by organising a video call. You could even hold a virtual bake off and see whose cupcake creation looks the best (or worst!).

If you’re at home with little ones, consider downloading the charity’s online resources to keep them entertained and teach them a new skill.

Alternatively, you can host your Cupcake Day later in the year when we can safely come back together – whenever and wherever you like.

Whether you decide to fundraise or simply donate, every bit of money you raise will help Alzheimer’s Society be there for people affected by dementia at this difficult time.

Money raised by Cupcake Day will help keep the Dementia Connect support line going and extend telephone and virtual support to those who need it most.

• Baking with limited ingredients can be tricky but there are ways around it. Look for vegan

recipes that use non-dairy (long-life) milks and

no eggs. Try cakes that are almond flour-based.

• The simplest bakes are often the best ones - there are plenty of cookie and biscuit recipes that use few ingredients and often don’t need things like flour, milk and eggs.

• Now is the time to get baking – it’s a great distractor, and you can drop anything you don’t eat yourself on the doorsteps of those who are self-isolating. If you’re a beginner, I’d say start simple with a shortbread, a Victoria sponge, or a basic bread, and then work your way up from there!

Two years ago, Michael joined more than 6,300 people involved in the largest ever social movement around dementia, Alzheimer’s Society’s

Dementia Friends, after a family member was diagnosed with dementia. A Dementia Friends Champion runs Dementia Friends’ information sessions, helping to tackle the stigma and lack of understanding about dementia that means many people with the condition experience loneliness and isolation.

There are currently over three million Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends who are turning understanding into small actions to ensure people living with dementia feel more involved and included in their local communities.

Michael said: “I am proud to be a part of the biggest social movement in dementia by helping to strip dementia of its negative connotations. For several years now, I have worked with people from all backgrounds to help change the way we think, act and talk about dementia. I’ve heard inspiring stories, shared personal experiences and felt a positive shift in each and every room. Alzheimer’s Society Dementia Friends are changing lives every day, one small step at a time.

“This is more important than ever. Thousands of people across the UK are facing uncertainty and isolation during the coronavirus pandemic. Whether you bake or buy cakes for Cupcake Day, you will be helping Alzheimer’s Society support those who need it most.”

Michael’s top tips for flawless bakes during lockdown:

Photo by Ness Ridley


To sign up and find out more information, visit: cupcakeday.alzheimers.org.ukTo support Alzheimer’s Society’s Emergency Appeal, please visit: alzheimers.org.uk/emergency

• Baking is all about patience – don’t rush. By taking your time you will get the best result.

Read your recipe a couple of times and have a good

understanding of what you need to do. Weigh out all the

ingredients and get all your equipment out before you start.

• If a recipe calls for separating eggs, don’t throw one half away. The whites and yolks can be used in a variety of recipes, from meringues to Hollandaise sauce. If you don’t want to use your egg whites straight away, they will keep in the fridge for up to one day, but they can also be frozen for up to two months. Egg yolks will also keep for a day in

the fridge but dry out easily, so I don’t recommend freezing them.

• Some people are struggling to get ingredients at the moment, but if you want to make bread, try soda bread as it is yeast free and you don’t need to use bread flour.

Rosemary added: “I’m delighted to be supporting Cupcake Day for Alzheimer’s Society. This is the perfect opportunity to have fun with your friends and family, even if you’re not together, and raise money for a great cause.

“In the average time it takes to bake a batch of cakes, six people will develop dementia in the UK. People with dementia need our support now more than ever. No one should be left feeling alone in a time like this and the vital funds raised by Cupcake Day will go to help Alzheimer’s Society reach even more people through its Dementia Connect Support Line, which is a lifeline to thousands of people affected by dementia.”

Rosemary’s top tips:

Cherry Bakewell CupcakesMakes 12

150g unsalted butter, softened150g caster sugar100g self-raising flour2 eggs, beaten60g ground almonds2 tbsp milk3-4 tbsp raspberry jam250g icing sugar, sifted3 tbsp lemon juice6 glace cherries, halved

Double Salted Caramel CupcakesRecipe by Joy Skipper

Makes 12

200g unsalted butter, softened200g golden caster sugar3 eggs, beaten200g self-raising flour1-2 tbsp milk35g salted caramel sauce

For the icing - 160g unsalted butter, softened300g icing sugar3 tbsp salted caramel sauce

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

• Place the butter and sugar into a bowl and creamy together until light and fluffy.

• Add the flour, eggs, ground almonds and milk and mix together until you have a smooth batter.

• Spoon into the paper cases and bake for 20-22 minutes, until springy to the touch. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

• Using a teaspoon, spoon a hole approx 1 cm deep in the centre of each cupcake. Spoon 1 tsp of the raspberry jam into each cupcake.

• Mix together the icing sugar and lemon juice then spoon over each cupcake.

• Top with a half of glace cherry in the middle and leave for approx 1 hour to set.

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

• Place the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat together until light and fluffy.

• Add the eggs and flour a little at a time, mixing after each addition. Add the milk, and mix well to give a smooth batter that drops easily off the spoon.

• Spoon half of the mixture into the paper cases then top each one with ½ tsp of salted caramel sauce. Cover with the remaining cake batter then bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden.

• Remove from the tin and leave to completely cool on a rack.

• Meanwhile, make the butter icing by beating together all of the ingredients, reserving 1 tbsp of the salted caramel sauce. Spoon into a piping bag and pipe over the cupcakes. Drizzle over the remaining caramel sauce.

40 In Touch online:

Lemon Meringue CupcakesRecipe by Joy Skipper

Makes 12

125g unsalted butter, softened250g caster sugargrated zest of 1 lemon2 eggs, beaten150g self-raising flour2 tbsp milk3-4 tbsp lemon curd2 egg whites

Vegan Chocolate Orange CupcakesRecipe by Joy Skipper

Makes 10

150g plain flour140g caster sugar50g cocoa powder¾ tsp bicarbonate of soda½ tsp baking powderGrated rind of 1 orange230ml non-dairy milk1 tsp white wine vinegar100ml sunflower oil20g vegan chocolate, meltedExtra cocoa for dusting

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, Gas mark4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases.

• Place the butter, 150g of the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl and cream together until light and fluffy.

• Add the eggs, flour and milk and mix to a smooth batter.

• Spoon the batter into the paper cases and bake for 20-22 minutes, until springy to the touch. Leave to cool on a cooling rack.

• Using a teaspoon, spoon out a hole about 1 cm deep in the middle of each cupcake. Spoon 1 tsp of the lemon curd into each hole.

• Whisk the egg whites until stiff then gradually whisk in the remaining sugar, a little at a time, until you have thick glossy meringue.

• Spoon the meringue onto the top of each cake, adding spikes with a fork or the back of the spoon.

• Cook the meringue either with a chef’s blowtorch, or under a hot grill – keep an eye as they can burn very quickly!

• Preheat the oven to 180°C, 160°C fan, gas mark 4. Line a 12-hole muffin tin with 10 paper cases.

• Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, bicarbonate and baking powder into a bowl. Stir in the orange rind.

• Whisk together the milk, vinegar and sunflower oil.

• Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix together well. Divide between the 10 paper cases. Bake for 20-15 minutes, until risen and springy to the touch.

• Remove from the tin and allow to cool on a rack.

• Decorate with swirls of melted chocolate, bits of orange rind and a sprinkling of cocoa.

“The flavours of chocolate and orange are always a winning combination and it’s never been easier to purchase ingredients and create cupcakes that are dairy-free and suitable for vegans. Using substitutes like flax seed, oil and dairy-free milk alternatives are all easy ways to create mouth-watering cupcakes that are sure to impress your family and friends. And what better time to give these a try than for

Cupcake Day, which is all for a great cause – to raise vital donations for Alzheimer’s Society to help beat dementia.”

Fearne Cotton

To sign up and find out more information, visit: cupcakeday.alzheimers.org.ukTo support Alzheimer’s Society’s Emergency Appeal, please visit: alzheimers.org.uk/emergency


Answer PageEntertainment Quiz1. 1921

2. Christmas Time (Don’t Let the Bells End)

3. Bungay

4. Plus

5. Ballet Dance

6. 1967

7. Girls Aloud

8. The New Floral Hall

9. 2006

10. Southend

11. Stratford-upon-Avon

12. Myleene Class

13. 1978

14. The Mousetrap

15. Danny Boyle

General Knowledge quiz1. Catherine Parr

2. 22

3. Leonardo Da Vinci

4. Cliff Richard

5. The Severn (Bristol)

6. 15th (1400s)

7. Daddy Long Legs

8. Diving

9. The ear

10. Chickpeas

11. Lisbon

12. Justice of the Peace

13. Apollo 11

14. China

15. 1937

unscramble answersJIMMYSFARM

ORFORDNESS

NEWWOLSEYTHEATRE

WATERFRONT

FRAMLINGHAMCASTLE

RIVERORWELL

AFRICAALIVE

CHRISTCHURCHPARK

CORNEXCHANGE

IPSWICHMUSEUM

REGENTTHEATRE

SUTTONHOO

Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator

© 2007 - 2020 Education.com

Word Search

S V X S N M Z U Z L L R P P J T M Z S NL L B Z K Y N F D G S F G H O W A A E EG F L Q F U U R E G E N T T H E A T R EH V E P G L B C O R N E X C H A N G E OM C H R I S T C H U R C H P A R K B X EX P R H P D I R Y M T Q A V D A F Z H CS M K P A U D W A R I V E R O R W E L LI G B I H I N U U Q Z S I I H M C D H QP F R A M L I N G H A M C A S T L E O LS W Z B N E W W O L S E Y T H E A T R EW A E J I M M Y S F A R M W M E Q V F II T Y A T G P S I R Y X L Y Y N S W O SC E R O S P G A E A V G L W H X E H R UH R O I N Q Y K K P Z H B I L X R Y D TM F G A F R I C A A L I V E U H T J N TU R V H B O Z V G K H C Z U I H P K E OS O O H D H Q T B A X S M G M C E C S NE N Q X D L Y O E P D E M O U Z R C S HU T V F S G Q V A Y W K W C U T E O S OM D L X P P B L F F S C N U Z W F V N O

FRAMLINGHAMCASTLECHRISTCHURCHPARKNEWWOLSEYTHEATREREGENTTHEATRECORNEXCHANGE AFRICAALIVE IPSWICHMUSEUM JIMMYSFARMRIVERORWELL ORFORDNESS WATERFRONT SUTTONHOO

®

Sudoku answers

Wordsearch answers

How did you do?

42 In Touch online:

Child Safety Week is an annual community education campaign run by the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT), the UK’s leading charity working to reduce the number of children and young people killed, disabled or seriously injured in accidents.

In response to COVID-19, we’re changing what we do this year to meet the changing needs of families and the frontline staff who support them:

We’ve adapted the Child Safety Week Parents’ Pack so it helps parents take on child safety and win, even when they’re feeling under pressure.

We’ve created new content that practitioners can use right now in their digital communications, however they’re reaching out to families.

We’re reworking the Child Safety Week Action Pack as a year-round resource so practitioners can use it in face-to-face work with families as lockdown eases.

During Child Safety Week itself, our emphasis will be on social media to reach as many families as possible.

We’ll be adding to our safety advice, so do stay in touch by liking or following our Facebook page. And, if you work with families, sign up to our email alerts.

All of the resources referred to above, and a lot more besides, can be downloaded from the website.

www.capt.org.uk / Twitter: @CAPTcharity Facebook: Child Accident Prevention Trust

It’s fun to be safe!

Walking is good for you. But roads can be dangerous. Look at the two pictures of a child crossing the road with a grown-up. In one of the pictures, they are crossing the road safely. In the other picture, they are doing dangerous things.

Spot the dangers

How many dangerous things can you spot? Circle all the dangers you can see. Then colour in the picture that shows the safe way to cross the road.

Don’t get in a muddle with safety. Unscramble the words below to find the best ways to keep yourself and your family and friends safe from harm.

Safety scramble!

1 If you’re talking on this when you cross the road, you won’t be able to hear cars coming

BONEMILEHOP

2 Playing with these can start a fire

CATMESH

3 Sitting on one of these helps your seat belt work better

RETASAC

4 This keeps your head safe when you’re playing on your bike

THEMILKBEE

5 This gives you time to escape if there’s a fire

KAMRAMSOLE

6 This tells you it’s not safe to swim at the seaside

DRAGFEL

Answers:Spot the dangers! • They are not crossing at a safe crossing place • They are not stopping, and looking and listening for cars, before stepping off the kerb • This means they have not seen that a car is coming • They are not holding hands • The child is chasing a ball into the road • The lady is not looking at what the child is doing, so she has not seen that the child is chasing the ball into the road

Safety Scramble: 1. Mobile Phone, 2. Matches, 3. Car Seat, 4. Bike Helmet, 5. Smoke Alarm, 6. Red Flag


HOME, BUT NOT ALONEA new Suffolk-focused community service has been set up to support people who need help during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Called Home, But Not Alone, the service has been launched to help connect people who want to volunteer in their communities with neighbours who are most in need.

The service will mean willing volunteers, charities, town and parish councils, community and religious groups can all log their details and offers of support on an app, while people who need help can phone to request support.

As the number of offers and requests grows, they will be matched so that the right help can be given where it’s most needed. This support could include delivering groceries, medication or essential household goods, in line with government social distancing guidelines.

Download the free app, called Tribe Volunteer, from Apple App Store and Google Play Store.

The telephone number for those in genuine need of help is Freephone 0800 876 6926 and will be staffed from 9am to 5pm, seven days a week.

The Home, But Not Alone service was created by partners from Suffolk’s councils, police, health bodies and charitable organisations which come together as the Collaborative Communities Board.

Chrissie Geeson, the board chair, said:

“In these challenging times, it has been incredibly heartening to have so many people volunteer to help others. In villages and towns across Suffolk, people have taken it upon themselves to mobilise a small army of volunteers to do what they can for people in need.

“The support service will encompass this work but will bring structure and routine to these offers of help. This is just the start of this new service, so we expect the number of offers and requests to grow. People who want to help, or need help, should let us know and we will do the rest.

“It is testament to the hard work of all Suffolk organisations and sectors that we are able to offer this invaluable help.”

The telephone line is not a general information line for COVID-19 queries, but those in need can seek information on support with care needs, loneliness and to connect with community support.

This is a new service and will adapte to demand over the coming weeks. People are still being urged to check www.gov.uk for the latest guidance on a wide range of issues and changes caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.


Searching for safety

The things listed are everyday products that can help make life easier or more enjoyable. But they each bring their own risk to young children. Can you find them and work out what the risk is?

hint: to find out more about the real risks to today’s children follow the Child Accident Prevention Trust on facebook (www.facebook.com/childaccidentpreventiontrust) or visit the website www.capt.org.uk

K M Z U H X S V P W J N Z W K P S M

P Q J Y I L B I Q D I A U N P R O O

B A T H S E A T L Y T M I X E J E B

B U T T O N B A T T E R Y N K C X I

D W T Q M K M B L T D T E Q I D Z L

R P A U N I F Z A T W T Q G Y Z Y E

O K U S M H E Z O T H K A M H D M P

C R C O H B Y H Y G I R P B R G P H

D Y U A S I U U I C E O N I T D H O

N L I W S Y N A F T Y N W C N F N N

I I R M C Y R G T T G O S P U Y P E

L U T J O T P E T R E P M U B T O C

B M F R S V O P T A F Z S N O J Q S

D N L R F J O Q A L B D F K N C X N

Q U I C K R N Q B N F L S Y U N P E

P A Z Z W L X E P D C R E B H I I H

H H N L E A K V H K M Z T T L F U U

H E J V Y Z B S R Z V J D M T G O E

BATHSEAT

BLINDCORD

BUTTONBATTERY

COTBUMPER

ECIGARETTE

HAIRSTRAIGHTENERS

HOTDRINK

MOBILEPHONE

NAPPYSACK

WASHINGTABLET

44 In Touch online:


TIME TO PRESS PLAY AFTER PAUSING FOR THE PANDEMIC

Since lockdown began, it’s been an extraordinary time for us at Colchester & Ipswich Hospitals Charity. With most planned fundraising activities and events cancelled or postponed, we focused entirely on how we could support our staff and patients during this most challenging time.

Initially, donations of all kinds snowballed in so we had to act fast to make sure they reached those areas that needed it most. It was incredible to experience the outpouring of support from all corners of our community. Armies of sewers made scrubs and uniform bags, schools made visors, kind knitters made hearts for COVID-19 patients, and ear savers were lovingly made for staff wearing masks on long shifts.

We launched our COVID-19 Staff Wellbeing Appeal and were delighted to receive over £80,000 in the first two weeks. We were also inundated with snacks, drinks and other useful supplies for staff following a very successful Amazon wish list campaign.

JustGiving pages appeared with an amazing array of ideas to support the appeal too. We had head shavers, garden runners, static bike rides and sponsored silences to name a few. Communities have rallied together in response to the pandemic and we would like to take this opportunity to extend a huge and heartfelt thank you to those people who’ve come forward to help.

Currently, we’re working hard on COVID-19 legacy projects. We have consulted with our remarkable staff on what they need most going forward to enhance their workspaces and welfare. We will be using the appeal fund to realise these goals, as well as some of the monies raised by the incredible Captain Tom Moore. His walk was in aid of NHS Charities Together (an umbrella organisation for NHS charities) of which we are long-term members.

We are now also able to return our attention to pre-existing appeals, including The Children’s Appeal at Ipswich Hospital to raise money to transform the Children’s Department. The current layout and space is no longer fit for purpose and is in desperate need of modernisation. The staff in the department are truly outstanding and so now is the time to give them and the children and their families the environment and facilities they all deserve.

You too can be part of the transformation and help make a difference by fundraising or donating: www.colchesteripswichcharity.org.uk/childrensappeal

Need to talk? We’d love to hear about your plans or if you would like help and support to get started, please get in touch.

0300 770 1369 / [email protected]

STAYING SAFE ONLINEThe UK Council for Internet Safety has compiled a list of resources to help parents and carers who have concerns about the safety and mental wellbeing of their children online.

BBC: The BBC’s Own It app helps children stop and think before they press the ‘send’ button.

Childnet: A tool kit to support parents and carers of any age child to start discussions about their online life, to set boundaries around online behaviour and technology use, and to find out where to get more help and support.

CTIRU: You can report terrorist content they find online through the public referral tool.

Every Mind Matters: Advice and simple tips on how to maintain your mental wellbeing if you need to stay at home during the coronavirus outbreak

Internet Matters: StaySafeStayHome online resources and advice to support families.

Let’s Talk About It: Support for parents and carers to keep children safe from online radicalisation.

LGfL: Support for parents and carers to keep their children safe online, including six top tips to keep primary aged children safe online.

Net-aware: Support for parents and carers from NSPCC, providing a guide to social networks, apps and games.

Parent Info: Provides support and guidance for parents from leading experts and organisations.

Rise Above: Public Health England’s Rise Above social marketing programme aims to help build resilience and support good mental health of young people aged 10-16.

Thinkuknow: Provides advice from the National Crime Agency (NCA) to stay safe online. To help families manage during this time, the NCA has launched #OnlineSafetyAtHome, a set of fun, engaging activities based on Thinkuknow cartoons, films, games, and advice articles.


46 In Touch online:

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Dip Allergy Therapy, Food StudiesCert.Ed, B.I.A.E.T.

Tel: 01531 670746

Are you in pain? Chiropractic may help with many problems including

lower back pain, neck pain and related headaches

as well as arm and leg pain.

STOWMARKET CHIROPRACTIC HEALTH CLINIC

Michael T E Bailey Doctor of Chiropractic

Registered with the General Chiropractic Council

7 Stowupland RdStowmarket IP14 5AG

Tel/Fax 01449 612620www.michaelbailey.net

d s mead in touch · vol. 19 • issue no. 2 • november 2013 free to stowmarket & stowupland...

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