Covid-19 vaccination programme
West Sussex update
23 September 2021

23 September 2021

Issued by the Communications Team—publicrelations@chichester.gov.uk

www.chichester.gov.uk

www.twitter.com/ChichesterDC

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Welcome to the September edition of our email newsletter. These updates are issued every month with the latest news and events in our area, details of schemes and projects that will benefit our residents and businesses, as well as national and local coronavirus updates.

In this roundup

Local updates

· The Chichester vaccination service is relocating

· Supporting Afghan refugees

· Help with council tax payments

· Business Enabling Grants reopen for applications

· Great Big Green Week

· Interested in solar panels? Solar Together scheme open until 28 September

· Funding to help faith groups support communities

· Packed programme of autumn events at The Novium Museum

· October half term space-themed sleepover

· Stonepillow’s Big Sleep Out

· Chichester Wellbeing returns to face-to-face appointments

· Accessing Chichester District Council services

· EU Transition updates

· Other local news

Coronavirus news

· Autumn and winter Covid-19 plan

· Update on plans for autumn boosters

· Vaccinations in schools for 12-15 year olds

· JCVI advice on third vaccine dose

· Shielding programme ends for most vulnerable

· Updates to Covid-19 guidance

· Weekly reports, R value and growth rate

· Share this with a friend

· Follow us

Local updates

The Chichester vaccination service is relocating
The vaccination service at Westgate Leisure Centre is relocating to Northgate car park in Chichester this Saturday 25 September. Vaccinations will continue at the leisure centre until 3pm on 24 September. The new purpose built vaccination centre in the council-owned Northgate car park will then be open for appointments and walk ins for all adults, as well as 16 and 17 year olds, from 8.30am on Saturday. Anyone who has a second dose appointment booked at Westgate Leisure Centre on or after Saturday 25 September will be contacted by text message and email to inform them about the change of location for their vaccination.

We’re really pleased to be able to continue supporting the national vaccination effort and ensure that people in and around Chichester can access a centrally located service in the city. If you haven’t had your first or second vaccination, you can book online at:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/coronavirus-vaccination/book-coronavirus-vaccination/, call 119, or attend a walk in clinic. More information about the relocation can be found at:www.sussexcommunity.nhs.uk/news/Chichesters-COVID-19-vaccination-service-is-moving/494960

The Covid testing site will continue to be located in Northgate car park. People with Covid symptoms should book appointments at the test centre by going to:https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

Supporting Afghan refugees
As a council, we have pledged our support for the Government's programme to house Afghan refugees and are fully committed to doing everything we possibly can to help those most in need, including women, girls and those who have been helping British operations in Afghanistan.

In our area, West Sussex County Council will lead on managing the scheme and we will be supporting this effort by providing annual funding and by helping to identify suitable housing. We have created a dedicated web page with information about the scheme and our role within this, which you can find here: https://www.chichester.gov.uk/supportingafghanrefugees, and further information from the Government can be found at:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/afghan-citizens-resettlement-scheme.

If you’re interested in offering support, the Government has set up a special portal for people to offer housing, fostering or donations:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/afghanistan-housing-portal-offers-of-supportand locally, we have Sanctuary in Chichester, which is already supporting refugee families:https://sanctuaryinchichester.org/

Help with council tax payments

We’re keen to remind residents that there is a range of support available to help financially vulnerable people in the district to pay their council tax. We’d urge anyone on a low income to first apply for Council Tax Reduction at:https://www.chichester.gov.uk/counciltaxreduction. It’s important to point out that people receiving Universal Credit are not automatically signed up for this. If you apply for this benefit and are still worried about paying your bill, or if you are already receiving this support, you can apply for extra support through the Discretionary Council Tax Reduction scheme by visiting:https://www.chichester.gov.uk/benefitforms#dhp.

If you are unsure of what to do or what you are eligible for, please contact our team by email:benefits@chichester.gov.uk. You can also call us on 01243 534509, although please be aware that when lines are busy you may have to wait longer than usual. We’d urge anyone who is worried about their finances to contact us so that we can explain all of the different ways that we can help. We also have a web page dedicated to highlighting a range of financial support on offer:http://www.chichester.gov.uk/helpwithfinances

Business Enabling Grants reopen for applications
The second round of our Enabling Grant funding opened this week, meaning that small businesses across the district can now apply for a grant to help them grow and develop. Businesses can apply for a grant towards either a capital project or towards website and social media projects. There is a separate grant for start-up businesses. Businesses are encouraged to read the guidance notes on the scheme before applying at: http://www.chichester.gov.uk/enablinggrantscheme.Applications will close on Wednesday 13 October.

Great Big Green Week
This week, communities across the country are joining together for the Great Big Green Week. As part of this, we have been sharing lots of tips and information about how we can all make simple changes in our everyday lives to help reduce our carbon footprint. We’ve also been updating you on all the work that we’re doing as a council to help tackle climate change in our area, including investing in electric refuse collection vehicles; improving the energyefficiency within council buildings; safeguarding a series of wildlife corridors across the district; increasing tree planting within the district; and encouraging an increase in cycling and walking. You can find out more on this at:https://www.chichester.gov.uk/article/35848/Leading-councillors-are-updated-on-climate-change-actions-for-Chichester-District

You may also want to check out the Milland Green Fair this Sunday 26 September. Cllr Penny Plant, Cabinet Member for the Environment, and our Climate Change Officer will be there and are looking forward to meeting you! Find out more about the event at: https://greatbiggreenweek.com/events/milland-green-fair/

Interested in solar panels? Solar Together scheme open until 28 September
Working alongside West Sussex County Council and iChoosr, we are helping district homeowners and both small to medium-sized businesses to access affordable solar panels through the Solar Together scheme. Anyone who is interested in joining the scheme can register their interest by visitinghttps://www.solartogether.co.uk/chichester/home before next Tuesday 28 September. It’s free to register and there is no obligation to proceed with an installation. You can find out more about how the scheme works here:https://www.chichester.gov.uk/article/35734/Solar-panel-scheme-relaunches-in-the-Chichester-District

Funding to help faith groups support communities
The Government has announced a new £1 million fund to help faith groups support communities. Faith groups will be able to apply for a share of the £1 million Faith New Deal Pilot Fund for projects providing innovative solutions to issues such as food poverty and poor mental health. Projects combating loneliness and isolation, providing debt advice and helping those who were unemployed during the Covid-19 outbreak get back to work, are set to benefit from the new pilot.If you are a member or leader of a faith group and you are running similar projects, please do find out more about this fund at:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-1-million-fund-to-help-faith-groups-support-communities

Packed programme of autumn events at The Novium Museum
The Novium Museum in Tower Street, Chichester, is running a range of exciting events and activities for all the family this autumn. Make sure you don’t miss out — you can keep your diary up-to-date by visiting the museum’s What’s On calendar at:https://www.thenovium.org/whatson. From art for wellbeing craft sessions to workshops to evening talks, there’s something for everyone.

This Saturday (25 September, 10.30-14.30), pop along to the Farming Fun Day, which celebrates harvest and explores where our food comes from, with kids activities and craft sessions. Admission and craft activities are free, but flowerpot decorating must be booked in advance:https://www.thenovium.org/article/35369/Farming-Fun-Day-.

If you are looking for events and activities across the district, then head to our council’s What’s On pages at:http://www.chichester.gov.uk/whatson to find out what’s happening in the area.

October half term space-themed sleepover
The Novium Museum and Chichester Cathedral invite you to a unique space sleepover this October half term, complete with a torch-lit treasure hunt, hands-on activities, and games. The ‘Sleepanova’ begins with a special trip across to the Chichester Cathedral, where you’ll see the 'Museum of the Moon' by Luke Jerram — a 1:500,000 scale model of the moon measuring 7 metres in diameter — and take part in space-inspired crafts, before heading back to sleep amongst the museum’s Roman baths. The sleepover takes place at 7pm on Friday 29 October and is suitable for children aged 7 to11 years old, accompanied by a paying adult. For ticket costs and more details, visit:https://www.thenovium.org/article/35822/Sleepanova-at-The-Novium-Museum-&-Chichester-Cathedral!

Stonepillow’s Big Sleep Out
This October sees the return of Stonepillow’s Big Sleep Out to helpraise funds to support homeless and vulnerable people throughout Arun and Chichester. This year, there are two ways you can take part — join Stonepillow for a Sleep Out at Chichester Cathedral on Saturday 16 October, or you can ‘Sleep Out at Home’ by building your own cardboard shelter and sleeping in it for the night. To find out more and to get involved, visit:https://stonepillow.org.uk/the-stonepillow-big-sleep-out-2021/

Chichester Wellbeing returns to face-to-face appointments
Our Wellbeing team are pleased to announce their return to seeing clients face-to-face for wellbeing appointments. To coincide with the easing of restrictions, Chichester Wellbeing have two new consultation rooms at 3 Market Road (directly across from the Cattle Market Car Park entrance) and are now able to book appointments for in-person Wellbeing Checks Ins. This is a great opportunity to have a general chat about your wellbeing or to access services such as: weight management, exercise, stopping smoking, reducing alcohol consumption, emotional wellbeing, menopause and more. At present, we are only able to offer pre-booked appointments — please call: 01243 521041 or email:info@chichesterwellbeing.org.uk to book.

Accessing Chichester District Council services

Using our website continues to be the safest, quickest and most convenient way of accessing our services, including settling council tax or business rates bills, applying for parking permits, and signing up to services such as bulky waste collections or the Garden Recycling scheme. You can access all of these services and many more at: http://www.chichester.gov.uk. If you can’t find what you’re looking for online, our friendly customer services team can help, and you can call them on:01243 785166. If you need to visit our Customer Services Centre at East Pallant House, please continue to wear a face covering, unless exempt.

EU Transition updates
The Department for Transport has published new guidance on steps individuals need to take when travelling to Europe for work as the UK has now left the EU. You can find details of these extra steps here:https://www.gov.uk/visit-eu-switzerland-norway-iceland-liechtenstein/business-travel-extra-requirements

The Government has also set out a new timetable for introducing full import controls for goods being imported from the EU to the UK. Full customs declarations and controls will be introduced on 1 January 2022, although safety and security declarations will now not be required until 1 July 2022:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/government-sets-out-pragmatic-new-timetable-for-introducing-border-controls

The Government continues to offer businesses a range of webinars and videos about trading with the EU:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/organisations-that-trade-with-the-eu-webinars-calendar. Businesses can also use the Brexit Checker tool, which provides a personalised list of the most up to date actions that businesses need to take:https://www.gov.uk/transition

Other local news

Keep up-to-date on all the latest council news by visiting our Latest News page:https://www.chichester.gov.uk/latestnews. Here, you can find the latest media releases, including:

· news that work has started to install an outdoor power supply in Chichester’s Priory Park, which is hoped will help support the delivery of future events in the park;

· information about how our Community Wardens have partnered with a local charity to support vulnerable people in our district; and

· and the announcement that our next wave of pop up shops are opening this week in Chichester’s Crane Street.

On this page, you’ll also find this week’s District Dispatch column, and previous issues of our newsletter that you may have missed.

Coronavirus news

It’s important that we all continue to take simple steps to protect ourselves and each other, such as remembering good hygiene practices, wearing a face covering in crowded places, giving each other space, enjoying the fresh air, and getting double vaccinated against the virus.

As we’ve mentioned in our ‘local updates’ section above, the vaccination service at Westgate Leisure Centre is relocating to Northgate car park in Chichester this Saturday 25 September. Vaccinations will continue at the leisure centre until 3pm on 24 September and the new purpose built vaccination centre in Northgate car park will then open for appointments and walk ins from 8.30am on Saturday. Please see above for more information.

People are also reminded to take regular coronavirus tests, which can be ordered for free athttps://www.westsussex.gov.uk/communitytesting or https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests. If you test positive, or have symptoms, you should self-isolate and get a PCR test. If you haven’t taken a lateral flow test before, or you’d rather not do it yourself, you can have one at a local pharmacy, where trained staff will be able to help you — to find a list of participating pharmacies, visit:https://maps.test-and-trace.nhs.uk/findatestcenter.html

Autumn and winter Covid-19 plan
The Prime Minister has set out the Government’s ‘Covid-19 Response – Autumn and Winter Plan 2021’ for managing the pandemic in England. This outlines ‘Plan A’ – a comprehensive approach designed to steer the country through autumn and winter 2021/22, and ‘Plan B’ — which would only be enacted if the data suggests further measures are necessary to protect the NHS. Further information can he found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prime-minister-sets-out-autumn-and-winter-covid-plan

Update on plans for autumn boosters
This month, the Government has approved plans for Covid-19 boosters to be given to eligible groups in order to maintain a high level of protection through the winter. Over the coming weeks, our NHS colleagues will start offering booster jabs to eligible people as the vaccination programme moves to the next stage. Care home residents; health and social care workers; people aged over 50; those aged 16 to 49 years with underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe Covid-19; adult carers; and adult household contacts of immunosuppressed individuals, will be offered a booster. Vaccines will be delivered through existing vaccination sites, including pharmacies, hospital hubs, GP practices and vaccine centres.

People do not need to contact the NHS to arrange their booster vaccine as they will be contacted when they become eligible — either by call or text from their local GP-led site or through an invite from the National Booking Service. Read more at:https://www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/keepsussexsafe/sussex-covid-19-vaccination-programme/phase-3/

Vaccinations in schools for 12-15 year olds

Following the Government’s announcement this week, it has been confirmed that all children aged 12-15 years old will be offered one dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at their school. This will be offered and given by trained NHS staff in the same way vaccines for flu are administered at school. The Government accepted advice from the four UK Chief Medical Officers in expanding the vaccine programme for healthy 12–15 year olds. Previously this age group could only be vaccinated if they were especially vulnerable to infection or live with someone who is. Parental, guardian or carer consent will be sought by vaccination healthcare staff prior to vaccination, and the NHS is due to provide further information for families shortly.

More information can be found here:https://www.sussexhealthandcare.uk/keepsussexsafe/sussex-covid-19-vaccination-programme/how-do-i-get-my-jab/vaccinations-for-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-17/. A range of frequently asked question can also be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-vaccination-resources-for-children-and-young-people/covid-19-vaccination-a-guide-for-eligible-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-17

JCVI advice on third vaccine dose

The Health Secretary has accepted the recommendations from the independent Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation to offer a third vaccine dose to people aged 12 and over with severely weakened immune systems following data from trials of those who are immunosuppressed:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/health-secretary-and-dcmo-statements-on-jcvi-advice-on-third-jabs. He also confirmed that the NHS will contact people as soon as possible to discuss their needs and arrange an appointment for a third dose where clinically appropriate.

Shielding programme ends for most vulnerable
The Government has ended the shielding guidance for people previously considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable. People previously considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable will not be advised to shield again, following expert clinical advice. The closure of the shielding programme follows a pause to shielding guidance in place since 1 April 2021. Since 19 July, the guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people has been to follow the same advice as the rest of the population, with the suggestion of additional precautions people may wish to take. More information can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/shielding-programme-ends-for-most-vulnerable

Updates to Covid-19 guidance
This week, the Government updated the guidance for protecting people defined on medical grounds as extremely vulnerable to Covid-19:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-on-shielding-and-protecting-extremely-vulnerable-persons-from-covid-19. The updates bring this in line with its autumn and winter plan for managing the pandemic

The working safely guidance for several sectors has also been updated to include changes to sections on face coverings and working from home, in line with the autumn and winter plan:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/working-safely-during-covid-19/updates.

Weekly reports, R value and growth rate

The Government continues to publish weekly national influenza and coronavirus reports, the latest of which can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/weekly-national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-published. Updates on the number of cases of variants of concern are also published weekly and can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/news/confirmed-cases-of-covid-19-variants-identified-in-uk. The latest R value and growth rate can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/guidance/the-r-value-and-growth-rate

You can see the latest Covid-19 figures for West Sussex here:https://wsx-c19-mobile.netlify.app/

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