Parish Clerk

I wanted to update you on the distribution of grants to small businesses that were announced by the Chancellor to help with the economic impact of Coronavirus. 
It is essential for our local economy that this money reaches Mid Sussex businesses as quickly as possible. We have today launched the process for local businesses to register for these grants if they are eligible, having received the funding and final guidance from Government in the last couple of days.
There are two separate grants available for qualifying businesses:

• Small Business Grant – businesses will receive a £10,000 grant if they were in receipt of small business rate relief or rural rate relief on 11th March.
• Retail, Leisure & Hospitality Grant – businesses in these sectors will receive a £10,000 grant (if they have a rateable value of under £15,000) or a £25,000 grant (if they have a rateable value between (£15,000 and £51,000). 

Letters are being sent to businesses we believe qualify asking them to register online and we are working with our local business associations to ensure the information reaches businesses.

We intend to make the first batch of grant payments next week.
Full information and a link to the website where businesses can register can be found at: www.midsussex.gov.uk/revsandbens/business-rates/new-grants-for-business-rates/

Kind regards,Jonathan
Cllr Jonathan Ash-EdwardsLeader of Mid Sussex District Council

RED or GREEN
pieces of paper/card taped to front windows of homes.

RED
Alerts you that the occupants here need help.

GREEN
Alerts you that the occupants here are OK at present.

Please keep an eye out for your neighbours windows.

The Bolney Volunteers in partnership with
Bolney Parish Council
Emergency Telephone Number
07752 274952

The Eight Bells pub in Bolney is doing “cook at home” meals and has a small shop.
https://www.theeightbellsatbolney.co.uk/
Call 01444 881396

The Cowfold Cottage Tandoori in Cowfold does curry deliveries to Bolney.
https://cottagetandooricowfold.co.uk/
Call 01403 865865

The Bolney Wine Estate is doing fresh produce boxes
https://bolneywineestate.com/products/fresh-produce-boxes
Call 01444 881575

Truffles Bakery
http://www.trufflesbakery.co.uk/
Call 01273 492687

The Crabtree in Lower Beeding is doing food deliveries and has a small shop. Call 01403 892666

Jeremy’s Corner Petrol Station and shop serving hot food.
Bolney Cross Service Station and shop.

Bolney Nursery Call 01444 881784 for stock and information.

The Spar shop Handcross. Call 01444 400201

Newsagents in Handcross. Call 01444 400342

Lloyds Pharmacy in Cuckfield
Call 01444 413132

Mental health.
https://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/every-mind-matters/

Mid Sussex Befriended Service. Call for a friendly chat and advice. 0300 772 7703

Sussex Mental Healthline: Telephone support and information. Call 0300 5000 101

As the COVID-19 situation continues to develop at a rapid pace, we are working hard to protect our residents and staff as best we can.

Community Hub

We have now launched our new online community hub, and any residents who either need help, or wish to volunteer in supporting others, can now do so via this platform. Your help in promoting the hub will be most appreciated.

West Sussex County Council buildings

We are currently operating restricted access to our main buildings, with the majority of our staff working away from the offices.

Residents are being advised to use our online and phone services when contacting us, as we continue to provide key services, just in a different way.

Resources

Website

On our website, we have a dedicated page specifically for coronavirus information. Here you will find regular updates on the status of our services, information from central Government and advice for residents: www.westsussex.gov.uk/coronavirus. 

Press releases

In order to ensure that communities are kept informed on our latest actions, we are regularly updating our website with press releases, giving extra detail on our services, in light of COVID-19. 

Bolney Parish Church supports Family Support Work, a charity helping families in Sussex struggling with issues such as poverty & ill health.  

Food deliveries are still being made to families in need at the moment. FSW will also be making emergency deliveries in the future weeks. 

During this crisis they have been running out of food donations. 

A basket to collect food has been transferred from the Church to The Eight Bells Pub. Please donate any non -perishable food items after making a pre-arranged slot 10am – 4pm when shopping at the pub. 01444 881396 

Many thanks.

The Rawson Hall Management Committee has made the decision to close the Rawson Hall to most users. 
Under 5’s will continue to use the space for the children of the priority groups. 
They did offer the office for the Post Office service but Mr Haque has decided to delay the opening whilst the difficulties continue. 
The Cafe obviously had to close. 
If the facilities are needed to form a community hub they will be very happy to accommodate that.  

Many are concerned about the ongoing Coronavirus public health issue and the way it has affected nearly every industry across the world.

We want to reassure you that, as the company responsible for distributing power to over 8.3 million properties across London, the South East and East of England, we know how important it is to keep electricity flowing to your home or business, especially during these uncertain times.

Our engineers are out as normal continuing their core role in maintaining your electricity network, and fixing any electrical faults that occur.

We have put into place a number of well-rehearsed contingency plans and precautions to ensure we maintain a good level of service, with high numbers of engineers and call centre staff available to support the ongoing situation.

With many of our customers now working from home and to support the wider UK economy through this very challenging period, from tomorrow evening (Friday 20^th March), we will be cancelling most of our lower priority planned maintenance work. This is in order to avoid prolonged planned power cuts for people who are currently working from home.

If you or your constituents need information on a power cut, you can, as always, visit our Power Cut Map for live updates, tweet us at @UKPowerNetworks or telephone our customer service team, 24 hours a day, on 105 or 0800 3163 105. Calls are free from a landline or mobile phone.

Here are some of the practical steps we are taking:

·         To ensure continued resilience in months to come, we have split key teams across different locations, and hundreds of call agents are equipped to answer customer queries while working from home

·         All essential work will continue as normal, including fixing power cuts on the rare occasions they happen

·         We’re postponing lower priority work on electricity cables and substations, as we recognise many people are working from home and we want to minimise disruption to their lives

·         We are working with other network operators and trade associations to ensure we share best practice and focus on activities that safeguards power supplies

·         We have engaged with our supply chain to ensure access to the equipment and supplies we need to keep the electricity flowing

What it means for you or your residents:

·         If our engineers might need to enter your home to restore your power, we’ll ask you on the phone first if you are self-isolating so we can make the relevant arrangements

·         National guidance has been given to our engineers, who will wear protective equipment, stay in a different room from people who are infected or self-isolating, and avoid touching surfaces

·         If you live in London, the East or South East of England, then being on our Priority Services Register will ensure you will receive extra support if you experience a power cut.

·         We understand that the coronavirus outbreak is a worrying time for many, and we want to make sure you have access to local services, should you need assistance during this unprecedented time.

·         We are here for you 24/7 and there are over 20 ways to get in touch including our website, on Twitter @ukpowernetworks, or ring 105

We will continue to support those who need help the most during a power cut

·         We continue to offer free additional tailored support and guidance to customers on our Priority Services Register if they experience a power cut, reliant on electronic medical equipment or with young children.

·         For more information on our Priority Services Register, please visit www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk/priority to register, or call us on 0800 169 9970.

Thank you for your support

This is a fast-changing situation, and we will continue to adapt so that the way we work ensures you, our customers, continue to receive the highest level of service.

We will keep you updated and will review the information on our website continuously to ensure you have the most up to date information.

Thank you for your patience and understanding during this very uncertain period.

Yours faithfully,

Michael Horwood

Public Affairs Manager

The Hurstpierpoint post master has notified that there has to be a delay to him opening the Post Office at the Rawson Hall. The Post Office have equipment issues but hopefully their engineer will fix things soon. We have to await a revised opening date. We will update as soon as we have more news.

Just to let everyone know that the Bolney Volunteers are working with Bolney Parish Council in coordinating efforts to help residents during this difficult period.

In the coming weeks, it is likely that the over 70 year olds be asked to stay at home. In a rural Parish such as Bolney, going for local country walks should be fine as long as sensible distances to others are observed.

If checking on neighbours, a step back from the doorstep by 2 metres is advised. Cash should not be taken if groceries are procured and the Parish is looking for funds to setup an IOU system.

At this stage we are asking everyone to keep in touch with neighbours especially since any self isolation can be very tough mentally. We particularly do not want anyone to be missed. Cabin fever must be particularly hard for residents who do not have access to video calling and the internet.

We now an emergency number 07752 274952 and a flyer will be delivered to Bolney homes. We know the community will come together and look out for all our neighbours.”