A year has gone by since Odiham Parish Councillors were elected to serve and represent Odiham and North Warnborough residents.

We are pleased to invite you to the (virtual) 2020 Annual Council Meeting on 19th May at 7.30pm where the Council Chair, Vice Chair and Committee Chairs will be appointed.

OPC made the decision to hold this meeting even though new legislation resulting from the Coronavirus Act 2020 removed the requirement for Annual Council Meetings to be held this year to relieve pressure on smaller councils.  OPC has taken full advantage of new powers within the same Act which allows virtual council meetings enabling OPC to continue holding meetings without interruption to its meeting schedule.

The meeting will be held via Zoom.  An agenda and full details on how to join the meeting can be found at http://www.odiham.org.uk/meetings/agendas-minutes/

All Saints Church has recognised there are likely to be an increasing number of people in Odiham and N Warnborough and around and about, who may currently or in the future struggle with putting food on the table especially as a result of the crisis surrounding COVID-19.

Last Monday 4th May, the new Odiham Foodbank started full operation. Initiated by All Saints Church Odiham, in partnership with Hart Foodbank, it provides emergency food and support for anybody and everybody who might be in crisis, across our community. The Foodbank is open on Mondays and Thursdays, 1.30-3pm, and is based just behind Lloyds Pharmacy in Odiham High Street (at the Church Office, Ostlers Place, Deer Park View, Odiham RG29 1JY).

As the lockdown continues there is a growing need for volunteers to shop for the elderly and vulnerable. Thank you to all those who have already signed up or taken the initiative themselves. The national level systems are taking a while to kick in and the County and District level are being passed back to Parish Councils. The HartisPrepared website will still not accept volunteers. So if you are willing and able to help please email cllrmcfarlane@odiham.org.uk We are trying to match one volunteer to one person needing help. That minimises the risk to both – you just do extra shopping when you shop for yourself. Also we are trying to match neighbours. If you are already helping someone PLEASE DO NOT STOP. It would be handy to let us know so we don’t duplicate. Please stay safe and look at the guidelines for doing so published here www.hartvolaction.org.uk/coronavirus/local-updates/

From today, a new helpline is up and running for frail or vulnerable residents who do not have the support of families, friends or their local communities and who urgently need assistance with essential food or household supplies, collection of medication, or who are at risk of loneliness.

‘Extremely vulnerable’ are those who are socially shielded and should have a letter from the NHS and those who are vulnerable for other reasons (e.g. over 70, frail or have other health issues) – where people do not have their own support networks.

In accordance with government guidance, the Parish Office is now closed to the public and staff are working from home wherever possible.  We will do our best to help with your enquiry but it may not always be possible to prioritise your enquiry during this challenging period.

Government guidance also prevents face-to-face meetings which will affect the way in which OPC makes its decisions.

The Coronavirus Act passed this week includes powers to the Secretary of State to allow virtual Council meetings.  Whilst these powers are not yet in place, OPC will be following sector advice by holding virtual meetings (where a meeting is considered essential) and the Clerk has been given temporary delegated authority to make essential decisions on behalf of OPC in consultation with the Chair or relevant Committee Chair – such decisions are those which are necessary to run the Council or where OPC risks breaking a contract or agreement.  All decisions will be reported to the next available convened meeting.

Responses to Planning Applications will be agreed in consultation with Planning & Development Committee members via email or virtual meeting.  All decisions will be recorded in the minutes in the normal way.  Residents within the parish are welcome to submit their comments on a specific application by emailing clerk@odiham.org.uk and/or cllrverdon@odiham.org.uk.

We will consider livestreaming virtual meetings as soon as we receive notification that the virtual meeting power is in place.

Please refer to each meeting agenda for further details.

The playgrounds at the Recreation Ground, Bufton Field, Chamberlain Gardens and Chapel Pond Drive are now CLOSED.
By order of HM Government as part of the UK Coronavirus (Covid-19) Response.
This closure is effective from midnight 23rd March for a minimum period of 21 days.
No equipment safety checks will be carried out whilst the play area is closed.

Following an extraordinary Council meeting held on 23rd March and following government advice:

–  Open space areas will stay open.
–  The public toilets in King Street will stay open unless the government advises otherwise and as long as regular cleaning can be maintained.
–  Allotments will stay open but users are encouraged to follow social distancing guidance.

The government has issued stay at home guidance for households with possible Coronavirus (Covid-19) infection.

To protect the safety of Council staff and Councillors, the PARISH OFFICE IS TEMPORARILY CLOSED TO THE PUBLIC.

Staff and Councillors are working together to maintain an administrative service where possible.

Please phone or email the Parish Office with your enquiry or following Odiham Parish Council news online.

To find the latest information we are all encouraged to go online first wherever possible and this is the main website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public

Dear Residents
We have just produced our SPRING NEWSLETTER which will be distributed to all households in the next few weeks.
We wanted to share this with you now as it includes some details on local support throughout the Coronavirus pandemic.
Please share this with your neighbours who may not be online and in need of a little extra help.

The OPC are following national guidance which is evolving as the situation develops.  We are particularly concerned for those who may need help but are not on social media or cannot get online.  If you know someone in that situation please share as much information with them as you can.  There is also information below for those who want to help.

If you feel unwell or are vulnerable it is important you follow the current advice – the 111 telephone help line is there for those who cannot get on line – this is likely to include many in the most vulnerable groups.

One piece of advice is to arrange for family or friends to bring deliveries of essentials if you cannot get out because you are self-isolating or unwell.  It’s a good idea to set this up before you need help.  Remember DO NOT meet face to face – deliveries should be left at the door.

Many community minded residents are keen to help their neighbours.  Covid-19 Mutual Aid (a volunteer run organisation) recommends setting up a local group. It says ‘the smaller the better – a group that brings together those people who live on your street alone could be more effective and manageable than a district-wide support group.’ The Covid-19 Mutual Aid website provides advice on how to set up a local group, including important guidance on safety and security. You can also register your group so others can find it. https://covidmutualaid.org

Some residents, and local groups such as All Saints Church, Love Your Neighbour – Odiham on Facebook and local-community groups, are already using the attached form to contact their neighbours:  Corona help postcard

We suggest the best thing for volunteers to do is to print out the form above and deliver it around their neighbourhood, especially to those houses where they know elderly people may live.  Then those who are self isolating, who need help, will have somebody close to them to contact.

The find the latest information we are all encouraged to go online first wherever possible and this is the main website:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-information-for-the-public