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Newsletter ¦ 5th January

Happy New Year from the Jubilee Centre

This is a quick email regarding the new national lockdown and an update about our support to you through this difficult time.

On Monday 4th January, 334 people per 100,000 in Bury were testing positive for Coronavirus – a rise of 33% over the week. In comparison, the figure for England was 537 people per 100,000 testing positive – a rise of 30%.

Yesterday, 26,626 Covid-19 patients were being treated in English hospitals. That is the highest figure recorded to date and 40% higher than the first-wave peak.

It is patently clear that the Tiers system was not robust enough to prevent transmission of the coronavirus, so the national lockdown has been implemented. The good news is that lockdowns do succeed in reducing transmission of the virus, and this lockdown will save lives.

Lockdown Rules

Leaving home

You must not leave or be outside of your home except when it is necessary.

You may leave the home to:

  • shop for basic necessities, for you or a vulnerable person
  • go to work, or provide voluntary or charitable services, if you cannot reasonably do so from home
  • exercise with your household (or support bubble) or one other person, this should be limited to once per day, and you should not travel outside your local area.
  • meet your support bubble or childcare bubble where necessary, but only if you are legally permitted to form one
  • seek medical assistance or avoid injury, illness or risk of harm (including domestic abuse)
  • attend education or childcare - for those eligible

If you do leave home for a permitted reason, you should always stay local in the village, town, or part of the city where you live. You may leave your local area for a legally permitted reason, such as for work.

If you are clinically extremely vulnerable you should only go out for medical appointments, exercise or if it is essential. You should not attend work

Meeting others

You cannot leave your home to meet socially with anyone you do not live with or are not in a support bubble with (if you are legally permitted to form one).

You may exercise on your own, with one other person, or with your household or support bubble.

You should not meet other people you do not live with, or have formed a support bubble with, unless for a permitted reason.

Stay 2 metres apart from anyone not in your household.

More information

For detailed guidance on the national lockdown, go to National lockdown: Stay at Home - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Go to the Bury Council Website for more information about the new rules: https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15594

For help with shopping and collecting prescriptions, help from the Bury Community Hubs is available: https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15300

To find out about how to get a test for coronavirus, please go to the Bury Council website: https://www.bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=15451

For all those questions about Coronavirus, and how it affects your life, please check out the Age UK FAQ website: https://www.ageuk.org.uk/information-advice/coronavirus/

Our support to you

Telephone helpline and online support 

We will be answering the Age UK Bury office telephone – 0161 763 9030 - from 10.00 am to 2.00 pm every weekday throughout the lock down. If we can not help, we are sure to find someone who can! If you get the answerphone, please leave a message and we will get back to you as soon as possible. 

We will update people with latest news on

Our weekly newsletter comes out on Friday. Urge your friends to sign up at our subscription page.

Information and Advice

Our information and advice service supports people with benefit checks and filling in application forms for Attendance Allowance.

Please send an email to info@ageukbury.org.uk or call Louise on 07872 067662 (Monday to Thursday) or Ruth on 07547 400142 (Tuesday to Friday).

Keeping In Touch

Our Keeping in Touch telephone service offers older people in Bury a regular friendly phone call from one of our volunteers.

For more information, call 0161 763 9030 (Monday to Friday 10.00 am to 2.00 pm) or email jane@ageukbury.org.uk to sign up.

Online Activities

Sue holds a Tai Chi class online on Fridays at 11.00 am on the Zoom video app.  Send an email to taichi.college@yahoo.co.uk or message Sue via Facebook at m.me/taichiandwildgooseqigongbury for an access code.

Diana will be live on our Facebook page on Mondays and Wednesdays.

  • Monday: 11.00 to 11.30 am: Gentle Exercise
  • Monday: 11.40 to 12.10 Chair Based Exercises
  • Wednesday: 11.00 to 12.00 am: Pilates 

If you can’t make these times, Facebook will let you watch at a later time. Join us at https://www.facebook.com/ageukbury/

Handyperson Service  

Our service helps with small DIY and repair jobs such as fitting handrails and security locks, assembling flat pack furniture; minor plumbing, and changing light bulbs. All work will be carried out adhering to Covid-19 regulations to protect you and Andrew, who is our Handy Person Manager.   

Written quotes will be given for all work. Prices are dependent on the scale and length of work being done. If you have a couple of small jobs which could be completed in an hour, it would cost £30 plus materials.  

We are also working with trusted traders to help people with specialist work (e.g. replacement of boilers, roofing etc).

Contact Sue on 0161 796 6949 (Office hours 08:30 am – 4:00 pm, Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday) or email hp@ageukbury.org.uk

Closures

Due to government restrictions, our Jubilee Centre café, charity shops and activities, including Diana’s Nordic Walking group, have closed. 

Help from our National Partner, Age UK

  • The Age UK Advice Line is 0800 678 1602 from 8 am to 7 pm, every day of the year.
  • If you would just like to have a friendly natter with another person, please call The Silver Line 24 hours a day on 0800 470 80 90.

Our next newsletter is out on Friday. Please send any news to news@ageukbury.org.uk.

Keep strong and stay alive!

With all our best wishes

Andy and all at Age UK Bury