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Cambridgeshire County Council update 28th April 2020

Council road markings thank the NHS

Cambridgeshire and Peterborough highways team and its contractor have painted an extra special message on the roads.

All Cambridgeshire and Peterborough health key workers battling the spread of the coronavirus will see a colourful ‘Thank you NHS’ on the roads approaching each of the county’s four hospitals.

Yesterday (Monday), roads near Addenbrooke’s, Papworth, Hinchingbrooke and Peterborough City Hospitals were painted by our contractor, Skanska.

The blue and white NHS logo has also been drawn onto a colourful rainbow – the symbol of hope and gratitude adopted by many throughout the COVID-19 crisis.

Crews across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough continue to carry out safety critical work and essential highways maintenance, any on-going work is being carried out in accordance with government health and safety measures, with workforces practising social distancing. Since the coronavirus outbreak, more than 8,000 potholes have been repaired in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough crews have been called out more than 460 times.

Both councils are assessing the situation and given the current low volumes of traffic, will review and work with our contractors to see if any projects can start again whilst adhering to the government guidelines.


Dr Liz Robin’s vlog about ‘Now We’re Talking’ campaign

Dr Liz Robin, Director of Public Health for Cambridgeshire County Council and Peterborough City Council, talks about the new mental health campaign called ‘Now We’re Talking’ with the NHS, local charities and community organisations and the importance of following the government instructions to stay at home.

Click here to watch today’s video blog.


Cambridgeshire Day Centre proves lockdown is no barrier to supporting those in need

While the government lockdown is undoubtedly a challenging time for all us of, it can prove to be particularly difficult for those with learning disabilities and complex needs.

Unable to attend services they rely on day-to-day, and with no indication as to when the lockdown will end, this period could become a time of increased isolation and anxiety.

Thankfully, care providers across the region have been thinking on their feet, and making sure the people who use their services remain central to their plans.

Not wanting to let social distancing get in the way of having meaningful interactions, Victoria Lodge in Wisbech, a Cambridgeshire County Council run day service for older people and adults with learning disabilities, have turned to Facebook to run daily activities, helping them keep in touch with the people they would usually see face to face each day.

Their eight week plan of activities, which includes things like fitness, baking, singing and crafts, has been designed by the users of the service, with each activity taking place online so no-one misses out.

Regular visitors to the centre recently received sunflower seeds in the post, to give them a head start on their gardening activities.

Find out more about what they are doing here, or visit their Facebook page to learn more about the service, and their tadpoles!


Cambridgeshire School encourages our region’s children to share their ‘Lockdown View’

Just how does your lockdown look? As we now enter our fifth week of social restrictions, most of us are becoming all too familiar with the view outside our windows. Keen to capture the scene from his own bedroom, Year 11 student Sam from Abbey College in Ramsey, used his iPad to create a digital interpretation as part of his home learning school work, capturing the subtle differences between morning and evening.

Andy Christoforou, Headteacher at Abbey College, said: “It’s good to see our students continuing to produce such great work at home. I was really struck by the images Sam has created, and think they really encapsulate the mood as we shift from day into night. Luckily we had some great weather last week, and I think he has done a great job of capturing the warm evening sky. Sam’s work got me thinking – each of us has our own unique ‘lockdown view’ at the minute, and I’d love to see our children across the region sharing theirs by taking photos or drawing a picture, and sharing it using the hashtag #MyLockdownView.


Spotlight on our communities

John and Maureen both live in Somersham and they are in their 80’s. John has Huntington’s Disease and is on the At Risk Register. Maureen cannot leave him on his own to go out shopping, she also suffers from osteoarthristis. Both their daughters live over 40 miles away so it is not practical for them to come to help with shopping.

The Somersham and Pidley Timebank have been helping John and Maureen with a weekly shop delivered to them and also collection of prescriptions. John says:

“We have friendly volunteers who have kept us supplied weekly with our day to day shopping. They always have a chat at a distance.

“I was scammed a few years ago and do not buy online, so paying for shopping to start with by cash, and now by cheque is very much appreciated. We are so fortunate to live in Somersham and have the help from the Timebank.

The Timebank is a very valuable part of the village. In normal times Maureen and I attend the weekly exercise classes held in the village and organised by the Timebank under the Changing Lives project.”