Local independent charity, Age UK Somerset, has a new telephone support service and dedicated website available for older residents, to help them through this difficult time.

Their support line number is 01823 345610. If you are at all lonely or isolated and feel a chat would help, you can call, leave a message with your name and number and someone in the team will call you back. You can also email: info@ageuksomerset.org.uk

If you would like to be put through to the information and advice team, then call the same number and choose option 1. The charity offers free and confidential information and advice for older people, their families and carers. You can also email: infoandadvice@ageuksomerset.org.uk

The new website https://ageuksomersetcoronavirus.org.uk/ has been put together to focus on bringing the latest information and guidance on the Coronavirus, but also brings together useful links and resources for those in self-isolation. It includes information on where to get help in your area, including details of what the charity itself offers, how to stay mentally and physically fit and suggestions of activities to keep people feeling more positive.  If anyone needs printed copies of anything on the website, please contact them and they will arrange for this to be sent out to you by post.

Garden Park, our local garden centre at 100 Clevedon Rd, Tickenham, BS21 6RE can do home deliveries – call 01275 856675. You may have to leave a message but they will ring you back.

Alternatively, they will take your order and payment and leave outside in a trolley for collection by you.

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Dear Volunteer

Thought it was about time, I sent you an update on the Tickenham COVID-19 Voluntary Assistance scheme, so here it is:
1. We have 31 volunteers who came forward to help those who require assistance.
2. We have assisted 14 residents of Tickenham, mainly obtaining prescriptions.
Many thanks again for volunteering.

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Whilst writing, can I ask you consider downloading an app onto your smartphone to help slow the spread of #COVID19 and identify at risk cases sooner by self-reporting your symptoms daily, even if you feel well 🙏🏼. Download the app https://covid.joinzoe.com/

See message from Professor Tim Spector, below:

Hello,  My name is Professor Tim Spector and I’m one of the lead scientists at King’s College London behind the COVID Symptom Tracker app.  First, thank you for downloading the app: over 2 million people have contributed how they feel. This has already given us valuable data to help us track the disease’s progress, identify new symptoms and risk factors, and most importantly slow its spread. Through Health Data Research UK (the national institute for health data science) we are making the data available to local government and the NHS so they can support your community. The Welsh and Scottish governments have just announced an urgent appeal for the public to download the app and share how they feel. COVID near you Furthermore, teams of data scientists at ZOE and King’s College London have built a model to predict which areas of the country have the most symptomatic COVID.  If you’re curious to see our map, click here to find out how COVID has affected your area. Please help us to include people aged 70+ in these maps by encouraging older friends and family to download the app. Is lockdown working? We think so. The team and I have done our own analysis on isolation – you can read it here. It is more important than ever to stay at home, so we can beat this virus together. How long will this last? Finally, register to join our upcoming webinar this Wednesday at 5pm BST/12pm EST to discuss how long we may need to remain in lockdown.  Stay well,  Tim Spector & the COVID Symptom Tracker team