I would firstly like to say a huge thank you to all the groups that have been supporting our residents, as well as our wonderful NHS and all other key workers that are working so hard in such difficult circumstances.
Our community has really come together to support each other and we are seeing neighbours supporting each other in addition to residents volunteering with the Littleport Mutual Aid Help and Support Group, the Council led Community Hub and the NHS Volunteers Scheme.
Local authorities have had to restructure to gear up for the fight against Covid-19 at an unbelievable speed and as a Parish Council it was important that we could continue to support our community within the government guidelines. We, therefore, set up remote working for our Clerks so that the business of the Parish could continue and we could still coordinate the support effort, look at the impact on the village and put plans and procedures in place to minimise that impact.
The Littleport Covid-19 Mutual Aid Help and Support Group was set up at a very early stage by five residents who have continued to co-ordinate the group which has been extremely effective and our thanks goes out to you all. The response to the request for volunteers was amazing and the Parish Council wanted to fully support this effort. Via video conferencing we hold regular meetings with representatives of the Support Group, District & County Council Officers, St Georges Medical Centre and Sanctuary Housing, to name just a few, to ensure that we can discuss any queries or questions, react quickly to any changes in guidance, share best practice and escalate issues to the appropriate organisations quickly. I would also like to take this opportunity to say a big thank to our Independent Food Bank who work tirelessly to support our most vulnerable residents and also to our community who continue to donate food items to help those in need.
I am pleased that we have been successful in securing a grant from the CCF Covid-19 Community Grant Fund, which we applied for as soon as the details were released and this funding will be used in a variety of ways to support residents during this period of lockdown. Prior to the grant being agreed we had already provided funding to Joanne Coe, ThePort Youth Group Leader, to enable her to continue her great work with our children and parents who are having to adjust to lockdown and home schooling.
Please do feel free to contact the Parish Council if you are in need of support. We have also received a joint public sector partnership response to Covid-19 for East Cambridgeshire, which includes lots of useful information and contacts and is available to view on the Parish Website and Facebook Page.
Finally, I would like to say thank you to you all for continuing to follow the current guidance. It is essential that you all stay at home when you can to protect both your families and the NHS. The community spirit in Littleport has been heart-warming and I am proud to both live in Littleport and be part of the Parish Council. I truly believe that our community will be stronger and more resilient when we finally find ourselves returning to a normal way of life, whenever that may be.