Category Archives: Community News

Changes from today – shops re-opening and face covering rules

by

From today if you do travel on public transport you will have to wear a face covering and if you have not covered your face then you may be refused travel and could be fined up to £100. If you need to visit a hospital for any reason you must also wear a face covering.  It’s very important to also continue social distancing and handwashing as before and the advice remains to avoid using public transport if you can.

Also from today some non-essential shops will be starting to open up and Leeds CIty Council have issued some information and advice:

From Monday June 15, shre-opening infographicops and businesses across the city will start to reopen. Our main priority remains on keeping people safe in public space and places, and ensuring people can adhere to social distancing rules to stop the spread of the virus.

Whilst we continue to work with partners and businesses to ensure the city centre is ready to open in a safe way, there are a number of things you can do to stay safe including washing your hands regularly, using contactless payments where possible, and maintaining social distancing guidelines.

Working with businesses, partners and stakeholders in the city centre including LeedsBID, the measures include widening pedestrian areas where possible, emergency trial pop-up cycle lanes, key information signage, one-way systems through shopping centres and shops and hand sanitiser stations.  Whilst a number of shops will be open straight away from Monday, more are expected to follow in the coming weeks.

Guidance has been given to businesses to support them to operate safely, including ways to manage safe queuing systems including disabled access outside stores maintaining the two-metre social distancing rule, while the public messaging encourages people to use contactless payment wherever possible. Everyone is advised to wash their hands regularly, and especially before leaving home and when returning after being in public.

A new council team of ‘city centre ambassadors’ will be on hand in the city centre in the main retail areas to help the public, while other council teams will also be available to offer assistance and guidance to keep people safe.

Some but not all toilets in the city centre will be open, while parking in all council-managed car parks remains free of charge until at least July 4. For more information on parking in Leeds visit https://www.visitleeds.co.uk/resources/car-parking-in-leeds/

Measures are in place at travel hubs including Leeds Station and Leeds Bus Station to support social distancing, while additional cleaning is also taking place at transport interchanges. All park and ride services remain closed until further notice.

Leeds City Council’s cleansing services team will be carrying out enhanced cleaning in the city centre working with the LeedsBID rangers, with public benches available for use but only with the two-metre distancing being followed. Collections from recycling on the go bins and coffee cup bins in the city centre have also now resumed, with all items of street furniture including bins being regularly deep cleaned.

Anyone developing symptoms of the virus is advised to stay at home and follow the national guidelines in terms of requesting a test and the track and trace system if the test proves positive. Those in shielded groups are also advised to continue following the national guidance to keep them safe.

Leader of Leeds City Council Councillor Judith Blake said:

“It is a positive and welcome step to see our city centre start to reopen, but we would still urge considerable caution and ask people to follow the guidance and messaging they see in shops and public spaces, with patience and understanding so everyone can keep safe.

“We would encourage people where possible to think carefully about how and when they choose to travel, with active travel in terms of walking and cycling preferred and to allow more time for journeys and moving around the city centre.

“All of these measures are designed to stop the virus spreading, so if everyone takes care to follow them it will help us all.”

Healthwatch Leeds Survey on Shielding

by

Since the start of the pandemic, many people in Leeds have been advised to “shield” to keep themselves as safe as possible. Healthwatch Leeds would like people to let them know how this has been for them and what can be done to help them over the coming weeks.

Healthwatch would be grateful if people who have been shielding could complete their survey so they can feed back people’s experiences and help shape the city’s response to coronavirus in Leeds. You can find the survey here

If you’d like more information about shielding, please see the link at the end of the survey. If you know someone who is shielding and would like to take part in this but cannot complete it online, they are welcome to call the Healthwatch team on 0113 898 0035 to talk through the questions.

Your Healthwatch Leeds

‘Support Bubbles’ – Government Guidance from today

by

New Government guidance means that from today (Saturday 13th June) people who live alone can form a “support bubble” with one other household. Those in the support bubble can spend time with each other inside the home and do not have to remain 2m apart.
Your support bubble should only be with one other household and you should not change who is in your bubble or have close contact with anyone else you do not live with.
If you or someone in your support bubble is showing coronavirus symptoms, everyone in your support bubble should stay home and self isolate.
https://www.gov.uk/…/meeting-people-from-outside-your-house…

The easing of restrictions includes healthy people aged 70 or over but the advice for those aged 70 and over continues to be that they should take particular care to minimise contact with others outside their household.

If you are classed as extremely vulnerable then the guidance for you has not changed and it is recommended that you continue to shield.
It is still against the law to have visits from or visit the home of anyone who is not part of your household or‘support bubble’.

You can still meet outdoors with up to 6 people providing you maintain social distancing rules and keep 2 metres apart.
https://www.gov.uk/…/meeting-people-from-outside-your-house…

The Government advice continues to be that the best way to keep yourself and others safe is to stay home as much as possible

‘The Wiz’ – Streaming this weekend – The Shows Must Go On

by

 Streaming from 7pm tonight and available for 48 hours

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46S9yppXxKE

“The Wiz Live!” brings the wonderful world of Oz to life like never before, featuring a star-studded cast of performers and the awe-inspiring Cirque du Soleil Theatrical. Whisked away from home by a tornado, young Dorothy finds herself transported to the magical Land of Oz, where she sets off on a quest to meet the powerful Wizard and find her way back home. Crossing paths with enchanting friends and wicked foes, Dorothy’s journey is a timeless tale about friendship, courage and learning to believe in oneself. Starring Queen Latifah, Mary J. Blige, Uzo Aduba, Ne-Yo, and a host of other talented performers, “The Wiz Live!” invites viewers of all ages to ease on down the yellow brick road for a vibrant musical adventure unlike any other.

Staying Safe as lockdown restrictions ease slightly

by

From Leeds City Council:

“We are working hard to make sure the city centre is ready to reopen on 15 June, and the safety of those returning to the city remains our biggest priority.

In the meantime there are lots of things you can do to stay safe when travelling in and around Leeds

No photo description available.

Before you use public transport consider whether it is necessary. Instead you could reduce pressure on public transport by walking if possible.

If it is necessary to use public transport, plan ahead and look for the most direct route.

Public transport capacity is limited and will be running to maximum 20% occupancy. Delays and longer waiting times will be expected so please only use public transport if this is really necessary.

If you do have to use public transport you should allow more time for your journey and;
Wear a face covering and carry hand sanitiser- From 15 June, face coverings will be required while using public transport (bus, coach, train, tram, ferry and aircraft passengers). There will be exceptions for very young children, individuals with disabilities and those with breathing difficulties
Pay by contactless if you can;
Maintain social distancing;
Wash your hands before and after travel;
Follow instructions from transport staff.”

Snapshot in Time: ‘Knitting things Together’ – Volunteers Week in Woodhouse, Little London and parts of City Centre

by

Dear all,

This week was volunteers week. And at Caring Together we celebrate this event every year for volunteers and helpers. We recognise everyone’s offers of help and supportive gestures in whatever way it is given, this can even be from our regular dedicated volunteers, to ad hoc offers of help from members, and their family and friends and our supporters too. It all matters a great deal.

Over the last year your acts of kindness have benefited so many. From regular befriending visits, phone calls, letters to helping in groups, money box making and counting, sharing musical talents and written creativity, tending to the allotment, baking and making things, passing on and sharing skills together, tombollas, Unity day, Little London Community Day, helping at other events, day trips and outings, catering, fundraising, marketing, trustees, delivering our newsletters and so on. Phew!

And the lockdown did not squash your thoughtfulness, it just meant for some it shifted slightly for which we are truly grateful. To you and the countless others in the community who have, and continue to give so much, we say a huge thank you to you all.

On a final note we did have something special planned this year with it being our ’25th Year’ yet this will have to wait. We can still celebrate together the amazing support of all our Caring Together’s volunteers and helpers, past and present. And everyone else in the community doing their bit.

Members and volunteers from the Univeristy of Leeds enjoying a sing a long last year before the lockdown

Homemade Marmalade sitting alongside our second batch of homemade Jam

Volunteers at Unity Day last year – huge team effort


Our newsletter ready for our team of volunteers


Pat and Joyce helping in the office prior to the lockdown. And one of our volunteers bringing the newsletter together just recently in the sun. Myrna is also making use of some of the home made jam and marmalade. She is baking buns and cakes which she will be distributing to her neighbours. Some of whom work in the NHS and some are shielding.

 


This is our 2nd homemade fruit cake


Helping to do a bit of shopping


Music Creations and Singing together with student volunteers just before the lockdown


Crochet and Sewing Skills Share – this was a team effort, just before the lockdown, led by Felina, Viv and Sylvia who kindly helped a group of us rekindle chrochet skills and for some learn how to crochet. I recently picked up one of the blankets from Felina who lovingly finished it off. We made two blankets. The one Felina is holding was for one of our members in the next picture.

.Happy 90th Birthday Clarita for this weekend. She was thrilled with her gift, yet not so much with my singing and birthday jig….

Thank you to you all for ‘Caring Together’

The Shows Must Go On

by

This week’s show is ‘Hairspray Live’ featuring Ariana Grande

Streaming from 7pm Friday 29th May and available for 48 hours.

Watch it on YouTube

“The story of Tracy Turnblad (newcomer Maddie Baillio), in 1962 Baltimore who wins a spot on a local TV dance program and ignites a campaign to integrate the show. The three-hour live event is directed by Tony Award®-winner Kenny Leon and features choreography from Tony Award®-winner Jerry Mitchell. The all-star cast includes Kristin Chenoweth, Harvey Fierstein, Ariana Grande, Derek Hough, Jennifer Hudson and Martin Short. (Original Title – Hairspray Live!) – 2016 Universal Studios.”

National Theatre at Home – This House

by

This week’s play is This House by James Graham and it streams from 7pm today (Thursday 28th May)

Watch This House on YouTube

“It’s 1974, and Britain has a hung Parliament. The corridors of Westminster ring with the sound of infighting and backstabbing as the political parties battle to change the future of the nation. This House is a timely, moving and funny insight into the workings of British politics by James Graham (Ink, ITV’s Quiz) and directed by Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things).

You can watch This House from 7pm UK time on Thursday 28 May until 7pm UK time on Thursday 4 June 2020. It was filmed live on stage at the National Theatre in 2013.

The running time is 2 hours 40 minutes with a very short interval. It is subtitled. The play is suitable for ages 14+ with some strong language throughout.”

National Theatre at Home. Enjoy world-class theatre while we’re closed

National Theatre at Home ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ from Thursday 21st May

by

 

National Theatre continue to stream a show each week while they have to be closed.  The shows go out on YouTube at 7pm on Thursday and then are available for 7days

Watch the Young Vic’s hit ★★★★★ production of Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece, A Streetcar Named Desire, with Gillian Anderson, Vanessa Kirby and Ben Foster.    You can find the play here