BKV’s Litter Patrol

On Monday 8^th February, Wombourne’s Best Kept Village team launched an exciting new initiative. The ‘Litter Patrol’ was devised as a means of encouraging children aged 3-14 to stay active and get walking, taking pride in their community and leading the way in the fight against litter.

The scheme comes at a time when children have been suffering especially due to Covid-19, being isolated from friends and family, and losing that regular interaction at school, with all the complications that has at home.

It is therefore unsurprising that the launch of this new initiative became a runaway success over night. Within that first week, 65 of our youngest residents signed up and were presented with their very own litter pickers and hi-vis jackets. They really look the part! This has been an utterly amazing response, and is due to the dedication of the BKV team who are not just keen to do their bit, but also to help educate and empower the next generation.

Chairman of the Parish Council, Cllr Dan Kinsey – himself a BKV volunteer – said, ‘This is absolutely inspirational. BKV has a strong relationship with the Council, and we wholeheartedly support their amazing work to help keep our village looking its best. To see the excitement on the children’s faces is absolutely wonderful, and we are all very proud of them.’

This initiative is not merely about our youngsters doing their bit though. The scheme comes with a set of ‘golden rules’ to ensure our young volunteers stay safe, and also comes with a log-book to record their activity and certificates are awarded to those who accomplish particular milestones of 5, 10, 20, 30 and even 50 picks. You might think 50 is a very ambitious target, but some of our ‘Litter Patrol’ superstars are already well on their way!

This is also so much wider than BKV itself, with local businesses joining in to support our Litter Patrol. Our very own ‘GM Home Discounts’ very kindly donated 60 litter pickers to help start the scheme, and the Estate Agents ‘Berriman Eaton’ offered to help print log-books and certificates for the children taking part. Another local business is currently sourcing further hi-vis jackets to donate too. It really is an amazing community effort.

Alison, Donna and Simon are the BKV co-ordinators for the scheme, and we send a big thank you to them and the wider team for all their hard work.

Speaking of the impact their young Litter Patrol volunteers are having, Alison said, ‘We are honoured to have them all in our team and we truly believe Wombourne’s future is in very safe hands.’

Please take the time to visit the BKV Facebook page for regular updates on Litter Patrol and everything BKV: https://www.facebook.com/wombourneBKV/

Help tackle bad behaviour on our roads today!

We’re looking for volunteers to grow our Community Speedwatch.

Speeding and related issues can be a real problem, but together we can help to make #saferoadsforall in Wombourne.

To express an interest, or to get involved, contact us on 01902 896300.

Christmas Newsletter

By now you will have received the latest newsletter to come from the Wombourne Community Assistance Group setting out how you can enjoy the Christmas period whilst remaining safe and abiding by the rules in place.

More information will follow in the days to come, so please keep checking back to our website and Facebook and Twitter accounts.

We hope that you shall enjoy a happy and peaceful Christmas.

If you have any queries, please do not hesitate to contact the Parish Council office on 01902 896300.

Halloween pumpkin fun

Due to lockdown restrictions, 3rd Wombourne Girl Guides are holding their weekly meetings on Zoom.

Last week, to celebrate Halloween, the girls and leaders carved pumpkins!

It’s lovely to see the creativity of the girls as well as their commitment to Girl Guides while not being able to meet in person at the moment!

Keep up the great work 3rd Wombourne Girl Guides.

South Staffs Work Club and Welfare Support webinar – Friday 11 September at 10.30am – Midday.

As promised, here’s the link to the upcoming South Staffs Work Club and Welfare Support webinar which takes place on Friday 11 September at 10.30am – Midday.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/south-staffs-work-clubs-and-welfare-support-tickets-117957910285

This event is an online employment support session to help individuals discover what help is available to get them back into work, including guest speakers from South Staffs Work Club, our Welfare Team and Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce.

Sign up today so you don’t miss out on this free session!

Date for your diary!

If you are looking for assistance in finding work or with welfare support, put this date in your diary – Friday 11th September 2020.

There’s a free webinar available for all residents.

More details on how to join will be published soon.

Re-opening our play facilities

We would like to thank residents for their patience whilst they have been working towards re-opening our parks and play areas.

We’re pleased to announce that Bratch Park, Brickbridge Playing Fields MUGA and Poolhouse Play Area will re-open from Monday 20th July 2020.

It is imperative that residents follow some simple guidelines which are published below and will also be displayed at our parks and play areas to ensure that they remain a safe place for all.

Important Guidance

1. Do not use the equipment if you or any member of your household has Covid-19 coronavirus symptoms or are self-isolating.
2. The equipment in this park is checked regularly for damage and wear and tear but is not cleaned, sanitised or disinfected.
3. This is shared equipment, used at your own risk.
4. Make sure you have hand sanitiser with you before entering this play area.
5. Encourage everyone in your family to use hand sanitiser regularly and as a minimum before and after using the equipment.
6. Where there are clear touch points on equipment, for example, handles, it is advisable that users clean the equipment before use.
7. You MUST maintain social distancing from others unless they are from the same household – current advice is to maintain at least 1 metre (with risk mitigations) if 2 metres is not viable.
8. Each piece of equipment should be used by only one family/ bubble at a time while social distancing. Please ensure your family waits at a safe distance if the equipment is in use or return later to use the equipment.
9. Please do not touch your face, especially after using the equipment. Should you cough or sneeze, please do so into a tissue or your arm if you do not have a tissue with you. Put used tissues in the bin immediately.
10. The Government guidance states under 3’s should not wear face coverings. Parents should follow caution if older children are wearing face coverings, especially on play equipment, as this could pose an additional safety risk. If your family do wear disposable PPE, please use the bins provided or take it home with you if the bin is full. PLEASE DO NOT LITTER.
11. To mitigate the risk of transmission of Covid-19 coronavirus, the consumption of food or drink in this area is currently banned.
12. Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly when you get home.

Wombourne Parish Council will not accept any responsibility for individuals using the equipment, as users do so at their own risk.

We hope you enjoy using this play area and thank you for helping to keep everyone safe. Should you have any queries, please call the Parish Council Office on 01902 896300.

In order to observe social distancing, some pieces of equipment may be marked as out of use. Please observe this and do not try to use this equipment.

We do reserve the right to close the play areas if we feel that the guidance is not being adhered to or the parks and play areas are being misused. Your safety is paramount and we want to ensure that our recreational areas are a safe space for everyone.

As always, if you have any queries, please feel free to contact us on 01902 896300.

Wombourne comes together (but stayed apart) to celebrate VE Day

Along with the rest of the country, on the 23^rd March 2020, Wombourne went into lockdown. We did this to protect ourselves, our loved ones and the most vulnerable in our community from the disease known as Covid-19. On Friday 8^th May however, Wombourne burst into life once more to join in a national celebration; the 75^th anniversary of VE Day.

This significant anniversary came at a time when our appreciation of life 75 years ago is likely clearer and more meaningful than ever. In the midst of another national, and even international struggle for survival, undertaken for a lengthy period of time, and against all odds, this country similarly erupted into life and song to mark the defeat of Fascism and a new age of peace across Europe. Today, we appreciate sacrifice, the importance of close friends, family and community all the more. We also cherish our freedoms that were so hard-won in 1945 more so for having to relinquish them, even if momentarily.

Even prior to the Prime Minister’s announcement of lockdown measures, we had already got moving in Wombourne with the establishment of the Wombourne Community Assistance Group. Due to our newsletters and social media presence, you probably know plenty about this group already – and perhaps you have benefitted from a phone call, some shopping, or even a Positivity Parcel from one of our fantastic team of volunteers.

In fact, it was this desire to emphasise ‘positivity’ at this time that led the Parish Council and WCAG to promote VE Day celebrations across the community. Having been in lockdown for six weeks already, it was a perfect opportunity for residents to share in some fun and good humour, as well as develop further all of those wonderful friendships we seem to be developing with neighbours we may not have known before.

The message went far and wide, with leaflets to every home in the village; posts on Wombourne Online, Wombourne Best Kept Village and the Parish Council website and Facebook pages; requests to residents with memories of the original VE Day to share their recollections with us, which they did in substantial numbers, and many of you may have seen examples shared online; a number of local businesses were encouraged to offer cream teas or picnic lunches to help mark the celebrations, and I’m pleased to say they all sold out.

What happened next is a credit to all of you who make up our wonderful village. You heard the call to join in the celebration, and you did so in style. You hung out the bunting, raised your flags and got out in your gardens to share the day with your neighbours – all whilst social distancing, of course!

Music rang out from some quarters, and quizzes entertained whole streets in others. Children coloured in posters, pictures and even the pavements in many places, and many of us joined in singing Dame Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’ which feels ever so apt for our own time.

Thank you for making this 75^th anniversary of peace in Europe so special, and thank you for not letting the lockdown get you down. We hope that WCAG will be able to continue supporting your community as long as is necessary, and we thank you for your very kind support. As part of our VE Day memories, members of the team took many photos and videos of the day around the village, and along with the collected memories, these will be retained for future generations to see that when it came our time to do our bit, support each other and battle through difficult times, Wombourne did so in style!

Thank you for rallying round us for VE Day, and standing tall against Covid-19.

Dan Kinsey
Chairman
Wombourne Parish Council

 LET’S CELEBRATE WOMBOURNE!

From the organisers of the Christmas Tree Festival at the United Reformed Church…

If you can knit, crochet or sew and would like to celebrate the kind and generous people of this village, why not spend some time making flowers, leaves, butterflies, bees or similar to decorate your houses, gardens and trees when all this is over?

 A burst of colour is what we all need!

If you are interested please email

 wombournectfestival@gmail.com