It has been a tough week as lockdown restrictions are being tightened and the freedoms we were beginning to enjoy are restricted. We have been in this pandemic for a long time now, so we must ensure we are keeping up to date with the new guidance here and also ensure we are reminding our young people to continue to be diligent with their handwashing and social distancing and do all we can to prevent a second spike.
We are working with our partners at local universities, the police, Landlords and our neighbouring councils to ensure we are sharing a consistent message to students moving into our district during September. There is so much for them to learn and understand about their new environment and we need the new Government guidance to be right up there on their agenda, so they fully understand the responsibilities they have not only to protect themselves but also their friends and families.
Many local charities and organisations have worked tirelessly during this pandemic to support the most vulnerable people in our community at a time when they’ve needed it most. Voluntary organisations, charities, foodbanks and town and parish councils have all played a vital role in delivering essential services to those impacted by the virus. This vital work might have affected the organisations themselves; suffering financial hardship, ceasing operations or needing to adapt to the needs of their community.
In recognition of this, the Council has continued to make its Community Economic Recovery Fund available to those organisations. They can apply for funding to support their work, or for equipment and costs incurred, for example, in delivering their service. For more information or to apply for the grant, please take a look on the website here.
The Heritage Open Days Festival gets underway this weekend through to 20 September. Venues across the district will be opening their doors to you for free! Why not check the website and plan your trip around our local history and heritage? For more information visit, www.warwickdc.gov.uk/heritageopendays.
Paint the Yard street art festival in Leamington’s Old Town is also running from this weekend. Creative Leamington and local artists have painted a number of murals on the buildings in Spencer’s Yard. If you get the chance, you really must take a look – there is some absolutely stunning work there, showcasing our emerging vibrant and exciting arts sector. For more information visit, https://www.creativeleamington.co.uk/pty.
Finally, the figures for coronavirus in the district have remained stable, so let’s try to remain positive and continue to work together on this. We hope you will continue to visit our town centre businesses. Shops, cafes and restaurants and our weekly markets have all invested so much attention to detail in the covid-safe measures they have installed to support your confidence in getting out and about. We are hopeful that if we all follow the latest Government guidance, there is no reason why you can’t continue to do so.
