As we find ourselves in another phase of strict lockdown we would like to remind residents of how we can help each other and what help is available.
During the first strict lockdown in Spring 2020 the needs of residents in ENCC ward were met firstly by family, friends and neighbours. Indeed this informal support resulted in no calls being made from ENCC ward for help to the support offered through the hotline at Midlothian Council’s Communities division, and none of you who volunteered to provide help were called out. We hope that the community will be as supportive this time, and we ask you to be aware of neighbours who might be experiencing difficulty and, again, offer help.
Our next tier of help is the neighbourhood groups that were established, mostly on Facebook, which are listed here (link). Others have been established using WhatsApp. Please use these to direct each other to neighbours who might need help or to ask for help, informally.
The foundation core of help in Midlothian is again available via the Council’s hotline, details of which can be found in our recent post at “support-for-all-during-covid-19” where a wide range of support is available. This is where our volunteers will be called out from, if required. We are also asked to bring to your attention the Midlothian Food and Key Essentials Fund which can provide help to those who need it. The prolonged lockdown may have resulted in alteration of some people’s circumstances where such help would be welcome and needed so we would ask you to bring such resources to people’s attention, especially the elderly.
Finally, when you become eligible for the Covid-19 vaccine you will be contacted and given your appointment details. You do not need to phone your Medical Practice to make an appointment (unlike the ‘flu vaccine). We urge you to take the vaccine, shown and approved to be safe and effective by the independent UK Medicines regulators. Please ignore the various cranks who try to spread false information about this (and other) vaccines, especially on social media. Until then, please abide by the advice and rules governing behaviour to minimise the spread of the virus. This too has its share of cranks trying to argue against various rules – ignore them, use your common sense.
Please get in touch with us through the usual channel (email: mailbox@eskbanknewbattlecc.org or the contact form on this website) if you have anything to raise or require information, and we will try to source answers and respond.