Newsletter ¦ 28th May

Greetings From the Jubilee

I hope you and your loved ones are well. It has been great to open the shutters of the Jubilee and see our friends once again.

This week, the newsletter includes an update on the situation in Bury, news about two job vacancies with us, and I get to reveal this month’s winners in our 100 Club.

Part One: Coronavirus in Bury

In Bury, on Thursday 27^th May, 66 people per 100,000 were tested positive for coronavirus – that is an increase of 52% from the previous week’s figure. On the same day, the England average was 24.1 people testing positive per 100,000 – an increase of 18% from the previous week’s figure.

Our neighbours in Bolton dominated the headlines this week, as their figure stands at 433 per 100,000, representing an increase of 26%. One area of Bolton reported an eye-watering figure of 1,900 per 100,000. Last Friday, Bolton was effectively put into a new lockdown but bizarrely nobody told the residents about it! This “accidental lockdown” has since been lifted but the advice is that people should “minimise travel in and out” of Bolton for the moment.

Should the figures from Bolton worry Bury residents? At the moment, the message is “Don’t Panic”. In the last week, there were 1,245 positive Covid-19 tests in Bolton compared to 126 positive tests in Bury. Those ending up in hospital are generally people who have not been vaccinated and so there is a big drive to get the jab into every adult’s arm.

Everyone in Bury can do their bit by getting the vaccination, urging their family and friends over 30 to get the vaccination, testing yourself for the virus and living by the mantra of “hands, face, space and fresh air”. Let’s do it for Bury!

The official Bury Update on Coronavirus is available in this link

Vaccination News

As of 23 May 2021, a total of 108,376 first doses and 71,875 second doses of the vaccine have been delivered from Bury's four community vaccination centres, hospital hubs and regional vaccination centres.

You can now book a coronavirus vaccination if you are aged 30 and over. Click here to book: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/

The Bury Council website has a page about the vaccine at https://www.bury.gov.uk/coronavirus-vaccine

Testing yourself

Anyone without coronavirus symptoms can now access free rapid coronavirus testing twice a week as part of a national universal testing offer. For more details go to https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16065

The rules on what you can and can not do

For all the details, please go to https://www.gov.uk/guidance/covid-19-coronavirus-restrictions-what-you-can-and-cannot-do

Part two: Our support to you

The Jubilee Centre Cafe

Our café is open next week from 10 to 2.30, Tuesday to Friday (we are closed on Bank Holiday Monday)

Social distancing rules on inside hospitality will be in place so it’s six people or 2 households per table. As a temporary measure, the cafe will extend into the main hall, allowing more people to see others safely - even if it’s just waving to each other from their table.

Please note that covid marshals are spot-checking venues serving food and drink inside. We have no option to enforce the rules or else we get closed down.

Activities

We are still hoping that from Monday 21st June, we will be able to start most of our activities. However it is now possible that the spread of the B.1.617.2 variant (which was first reported in India) could scupper all our plans. We will not know for sure until Monday 14th June. We will do a special newsletter as soon as we know what is what! .

Our special day

If government restrictions are lifted, we are planning a “Let’s Celebrate with Age UK Bury” event on Saturday 26th June to promote the centre and our activities. On that day, there will be a mix of stalls, music and hopefully entertainers outside. Inside the hall, we will offer taster sessions of our activities.

Our fundraisers group is busy working on plans to make it a special day but we need the help of you lovely readers.

Can you donate gifts for our tombola and raffle stalls?
Can you run a stall or activity to raise funds for our charity?
Can you entertain others - we need singers, musicians, magicians and clowns?
Do you know a celebrity who would like to join us and sign autographs?

If you can help in any way to make the day spectacular, drop me an email at news@ageukbury.org.uk

Donations for the tombola and raffle may be left at our cafe.

Saturday 11th September

Keep the date free in your diary - we are looking at doing something quite special at the Jubilee. More details soon!

Our Charity Shops

Our Ramsbottom charity shop is now open from 10 am to 4 pm, Wednesday to Sunday and we will open the Bury shop early in June.

Our services

We will be answering the Age UK Bury office telephone – 0161 763 9030 - from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm from Tuesday to Friday - we are taking Bank Holiday Monday off.

During the Coronavirus pandemic, we are keeping essential support services open. These include:

Nordic Walking – a real life activity!

Diana is leading the Nordic Walking session on Wednesday afternoons from 2.00 pm till 3.00 pm. The classes are £5, payable by cash or cheque, on the day. We will supply the poles and Diana will give full instructions. You can just turn up on the day.

Job Vacancies

We are seeking a Telephone Befriending Officer to support our Befriending Co-ordinator to support isolated people living in the borough of Bury.

We are also seeking a Shop Assistant for our Bury shop.

For more details, please:go to https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bury/about-us/work-for-us/

Part three: and in other news...

Walk with me

Bury – Walk with Me was created through Bury Sport & Physical Activity Service to provide a variety of led walking opportunities throughout the Townships of Bury. * walks a week are now available Click on this link to find out more : https://www.walkingforhealth.org.uk/walkfinder/bury-walk-me

Discover the villages of Bury

Village Link is a website to help you discover the beautiful countryside on the edge of Bury. The Village Link guides you round six beautiful little villages and offers easy walks for all ages. Click onto: http://village-link.com/index.html

An audience with Linda Green

The bestselling author Linda Green will be talking to Bury Libraries about her “The Last Thing She Told Me!” which was recommended by Richard And Judy. Join the conversation live on the Bury Libraries Facebook page on Tuesday 1 June at 7pm: http://facebook.com/burylibraries

Music to support people experiencing dementia

A reader has sent me a list of resources to support people experiencing dementia with the gift of music. It is still in draft form and if you can add helpful links, please them to news@ageukbury.org.uk and I will pass them on. Click on this link for the list.

Bury’s Happy Festival

Bury’s Happy Festival is gearing up a notch and a programme of events are now being planned. For a full list go to https://happyfestival.org/

Calling all budding songwriters!

New Faces is Bury Happy’s talent discovery programme. They are looking for songwriters at any stage of their career to be mentored by David Firman – Victoria Wood’s Musical Director – and Joe Nelson from Manchester band Models and ALFA Education.

For more details go to https://happyfestival.org/happy_event/306/

Our 100 Club winners

Today, we can announce the fifth group of winners in our new 100 Club.

For the May draw, we had 46 members. The winners this month are:

1st prize – 31 – David Abell
2nd prize – 7 – Jack Ives
3rd prize – 8 - Anonymous

The numbers were chosen using a computerised random number generator and independently verified. The cheques will be in the post today and should be with you soon.

There are plenty of numbers to purchase and if you would like to join for the June draw, please call us on 0161 763 9030 and we will send you a brochure. Alternatively, click on this link: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/bury/get-involved/100club/

Quiz-time

The answers to last week’s General Knowledge Quiz are in the link.

This week’s Quiz brings you another 40 questions to test your knowledge. This quiz is just for you and your friends to enjoy and I definitely won’t be marking your answers or giving out prizes. The answers will be sent out with next week’s newsletter.

Keep safe and keep hopeful

Andy and all at Age UK Bury