Weddings arenât what they used to be, which is a relief for people who donât like sexism, crude humour, drunkenness, ill-fitting outfits, unimaginative food or seething family tensions.
None of which were even hinted at the wedding of my grandson Sam and my new relative Mrs Becky Cross, mainly, I think, because all the youngish people I know (especially Sam and Becky) are more sensible than I ever was, not to mention more thoughtful, intelligent, enterprising and â which, I realised at the wedding, is the most important social virtue â much kinder too.
So, in keeping with  the kindly mood established by the happy couple (âhappyâ being, so far as I could see, an accurate description rather than a wedding clichĂ©), everybody was nice to each other, enjoying the company of, in many cases, strangers and delighted by the just-in-time end of the Covid lockdown.
Which could sound dull but really isnât, particularly when you consider that the alternative might be a wedding in Walford, Emmerdale or Kabul during the massacre season.
This ceremony was in rolling green countryside near York in a set of old and very attractive agricultural buildings repurposed to look completely unlike the cramped and charmless register office where I was married in the 1970s and which, as I remember, mainly overlooked the councilâs rates department.
Since then, and excluding pandemics and climate change, much has changed for the better. English wedding-goers have started to understand the concepts of smart-casual clothing, ecologically-aware confetti-throwing and acceptable hair arrangements (as a reminder of how bad things were, you could look at wedding pictures from the 1970s and 80s, after first reading a trauma warning).
Other things didnât need to change; bridesmaids in uniforms  so glamorous that you could imagine them breaking into a West End dance routine, a bride wearing a lovely white dress with  a lacy train which was so definitively a wedding dress that it couldnât be repurposed into anything else and its future is secure.
There was even a wedding cake tiered, though not in the usual way, by Sam, who, unlike most men in the last century, knows how to bake very well.
But I think the most impressive improvement was in the quality of the wedding speeches. These have been, in my experience, minor ordeals to be got through with the aid of stiff drinks. Here, everybody, especially Sam and Becky, said what they had to say very wittily and intelligently and without recourse to boorishness, cheap cracks or showing-off.
Taking the long view, which, at my age, isnât quite as long as it used to be, I can see, based on the wedding speeches alone, a union of two families who, being blessed with rare intelligence and goodwill will continue to enrich each otherâs lives, just like the Montagues and Capulets didnât.
Planned care is also known as âroutineâ or âelectiveâ care. It is treatment that people decide to have to help manage a health problem, rather than emergency treatment.
As we cautiously progress with the move out of lockdown, planned care services that were temporarily stopped are gradually being brought back in the safest possible way for patients and staff. The Planned Care Alliance is finalising a strategy for how to work together as a healthcare system to address the increased waiting list.
As part of this West Yorkshire & Harrogate Health Care Partnership would like people who have been affected by delays to planned care to join a new Planned Care Citizen’s panel.  This virtual Panel will be in place for twelve weeks from 21 June to 10 September 2021. They are looking for panel members who are currently waiting for a planned care procedure, or who have a close connection with an adult or child affected by the delays to planned care services as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.e
The hope for the panel is that it will represent people from across West Yorkshire and Harrogate, of all age groups, ethnicities, genders and with experience of different health conditions.
More information and details of how to express interest in joining the panel can be found at https://www.wyhpartnership.co.uk/our-priorities/improving-planned-care/planned-care-citizens-panel. The deadline to apply is 13th June.
If youâd like to talk to someone about the citizensâ panel, you can call:Â 01924 317659Â during office hours (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm).
We are delighted to have the spotlight on our volunteers this week (although for us it is all year round), for volunteers week. And this includes those who usually volunteer but were not able to due to Coronavirus. From all at Caring Together we are sending a heartfelt thanks to you all for being a valued part of our organisation and the community. We salute you all and hope you enjoyed your chocolate treat with your thank you card :). We look forward to celebrating together again soon.
The spring clean has begun and a new socially distant helps joined Ben on the allotment, he asks if you can guess who it is? If anyone else would like to come along then please do get in touch and we will let you know when it is safe to do so. The allotment is on Woodhouse Moor.
A new report has praised grassroots community groups in Leeds for the vital support they have provided for older people during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The report, jointly compiled by the Centre for Ageing Better charitable foundation and Sheffield Hallam Universityâs Centre for Regional Economic and Social Research, highlights how Leeds Neighbourhood Networks have acted as a lifeline for older people in the city over the last nine months.
Funded by Leeds City Council and Leeds Clinical Commissioning Group, the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks are a group of 34 voluntary organisations that cover every part of the city, delivering services designed to help older people live independent lives and play active parts in their local communities.
The Centre for Ageing Better report says the value of these organisations has been underlined by their important role in the city-wide response to the COVID-19 crisis.
The report also says the pandemic has illustrated the need for national government to give councils the âadequate and flexibleâ funding required to sustain initiatives such as the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks.
Despite the financial pressures caused by COVID-19, Leeds City Council is bringing forward proposals which will protect funding for the groups next year, allowing them to continue their vital work supporting older peopleâs physical, mental and social wellbeing at this difficult time.
Councillor Rebecca Charlwood, Leeds City Councilâs executive member for health, wellbeing and adults, said:
âThe Leeds Neighbourhood Networks are a long-term success story for our city, so itâs heartening to see the work done by staff and volunteers being recognised in this way.
âProtecting and supporting older people has been a priority for the council throughout the pandemic and the tireless efforts of all those involved with the neighbourhood groups have contributed enormously to that.
âTheir local knowledge and community contacts mean they have been perfectly placed to reach out and help our older residents cope with the difficulties that this year has brought.â
Anna Dixon, Centre for Ageing Better chief executive, said:
âThe coronavirus has highlighted how important local support networks are, especially in times of crisis, and the vital role that trusted community organisations play in supporting people at risk.
âThe Leeds Neighbourhood Networks are an excellent example of how councils and community organisations can work together to meet the needs of their communities. Their work demonstrates the value of investing in community infrastructure so it is there when itâs really needed.â
The âkey findingsâ section of the report shows that the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks were able to respond quickly to the challenges posed by lockdown and other COVID-19 restrictions, assisting vulnerable and isolated older people by doing everything from shopping to organising hot meal deliveries and picking up medicine.
Then, after the first national lockdown began to ease over the summer, they created opportunities for older people to enjoy more face-to-face contact while following social distancing rules. Notable examples of the work carried out during this period included the relaunch of an allotment project and the setting up of a mobile library service.
Elsewhere in the report, there is a focus on the willingness of the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks to adapt to changing circumstances, with some becoming community care hubs responsible for the co-ordination of voluntary action in their area. There have also been productive link-ups with private sector companies, including supermarkets, pubs, cafes and takeaways.
There is praise for the practicality of the councilâs Leeds Neighbourhood Networks funding model and how it has allowed the groups to tailor their work to the specific requirements of their patch during the pandemic.
The report concludes: âNational government needs to provide adequate and flexible funding for local authorities and other local commissioners to develop and sustain social and community infrastructure such as [the Leeds Neighbourhood Networks]. Ringfencing small proportions of physical infrastructure investments, such as that of the proposed national infrastructure bank, to be spent on community infrastructure is one way to achieve this.â
For anyone who didn’t know Caring Together is a Neighbourhood Network Scheme. For more information about the Neighbourhood Network Schemes across Leeds, including a full list and an interactive map showing the scheme for each area visit https://www.opforum.org.uk/nns/
