IRU - Friday 25th June 2021

Statement from Director of Public Health

Message from Emma Ferguson (Stockport Council)

Friday 25th June 2021

Please find the link to the latest Statement from the Director of Public Health - Stockport Council

We are still seeing high rates of Coronavirus in Stockport, with the Delta variant now accounts for 99% of cases. Rates are currently at 219.4* cases per 100,000 and 92 new cases each day and Stockport currently has the 11th highest number of cases in the country. The latest published data can be found here.

The statement this week focuses on the detrimental long-term ill effects of Long Covid.

Long Covid is when people who’ve had Covid develop ongoing, persistent symptoms after 4-weeks or continue to have symptoms after 12 weeks, not explained by an alternative diagnosis.

We will continue to be asking residents to get a vaccine when called at the weekly pop ups and take twice weekly lateral flow tests along with the hands, face, space and ventilation messages.

We are continuing to ask all older children and their families to take a lateral flow test on Sunday before their children return back to school. If they are positive or have any covid symptoms we are asking them not to return to school and to isolate to help break the chain of transmission.

I have also attached a briefing pack from the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership about the launch of their Care Champion Awards - Greater Manchester-wide awards which recognise those people who regularly go above and beyond to improve the health and wellbeing of the people of Greater Manchester.

Sparc4Youth Updates

Message from Megan Hyland (SPARC)

I wanted to make you aware of some new developments within SPARC4Youth - SPARC's young person's project that has now been up and running since August with myself as the project lead. 

The group is open to anyone aged between 18 and 30 that has had contact with a health professional regarding their mental health - including their GP - and now that the group is established and has both on and offline workshops available, we're hoping to get some new referrals in to make it bigger and better!

I have attached our referral form and latest information leaflet to this email, though it is worth mentioning that SPARC4Youth is a constantly evolving project in line with group member needs and ideas, as well as changing restrictions. In light of this, you can find additional information on our website page:

http://sparc4me.org.uk/sparc4youth/

I would greatly appreciate if you could send anyone of interest our way, and am more than happy to complete our referral form with them myself!

If you have any further questions please feel free to contact me on this email or call 0161 429 9744.

Courses for Men and support for employment 

Message from Mark Emery (The Prevention Alliance)

Summer Reading Challenge

Message from Lynda Byrne (Stockport Libraries)

As libraries start to recover and we begin getting services up and running again as we come out of Covid-19, children will be able to sign up to the 2021 Challenge digitally, but will still be able to come into the library to pick up their starter pack and choose books. The challenge starts from 10th July until 11th September.

The Summer Reading Challenge, presented by The Reading Agency and funded by Arts Council England, encourages children aged 4 to 11 to set themselves a reading challenge to help prevent the summer reading ‘dip’.

The national curriculum for English aims to ensure that pupils develop the habit of reading

widely and often for both pleasure and information.

In 2020, The Reading Agency developed a digital challenge platform and working with libraries the Silly Squad - themed challenge was available to support children to continue to read for pleasure over the summer.

The Summer Reading Challenge website had more than 1.2 million-page views and reached a total of 527,354 children and families in 2020 through public libraries, schools community partners and the digital platform.

The 2021 Summer Reading Challenge will be a celebration of reading, nature and action for the environment. Developed in partnership with WWF, the world's leading independent conservation organisation, Wild World Heroes will inspire children to stand up for the future of our planet.

Children will be able to join six fictional characters- “wild heroes”- to help solve some of the threats to the environment, while helping to restore nature levels in the neighbourhood of “Wilderville”.

The characters and landscape will be illustrated by children’s author Heath McKenzie.

Wild World Heroes will feature amazing books, awesome rewards, and plenty of ideas for taking care of our environment.

The digital challenge will be FREE to access, featuring games, quizzes and digital and downloadable activities to incentivise and encourage children and their families to take part in reading related activities at home. www.wildworldheroes.org.uk/

The Reading Agency have provided lots of information for parents about signing up for the challenge and this can be accessed from the Summer Reading Challenge website.

https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/parents-carers

The Video Trailers can be found here or you can access them through YouTube.

How the Challenge works:

● Children can sign up to the easy-to-use website from the 10th July onwards and create their own profile at http://wildworldheroes.org.uk/

Because we are unsure how things will be with Covid-19, children can of course do the digital challenge, but  we will also make up physical packs too for the children to collect from the library, to enable them to complete the challenge in the normal way with stickers and prizes etc, so they will benefit from both online and physical rewards.

We will encourage children to come into the library throughout the holidays, dependant on social distancing restrictions.

Once registered on the website children can collect their Wild World Heroes pack from their nearest Stockport library. The pack will include the fold out poster with 3 packs of stickers, some of which are scratch and sniff, as well as the prizes for reading up to 4 books.

Children will be able to hopefully come into the library to collect their medal and certificate upon reading 6 books and completing the challenge.

We will do a similar thing for pre-school children taking part in the mini challenge.           

● To complete the challenge, we ask children to read 6 books, with children being encouraged to read about environmental issues, including plastic pollution and deforestation to wildlife decline and nature loss; in digital or print format. Stockport Libraries have provided a FREE range of e-books and e-audiobooks that will be available via https://www.stockport.gov.uk/ebooks-and-audiobooks  There are many copies of these titles so children will not have to wait to borrow any!

The Reading Agency have also provided a book sorter to help you chose a book to read!   https://summerreadingchallenge.org.uk/book-sorter

● EVery time children finish a book, they add it to their profile and write a review. They are rewarded with activities and incentives along the way, such as online badges, games and author videos.

● Children receive a downloadable certificate once they’ve completed their challenge! Or they can come into the library to receive their medal and certificate.

If any parents or children are not members of the library, they can join online or call into their library.

To join the library please visit https://www.stockport.gov.uk/join-your-local-library

National Careers Service Webinars

Regarding a series of webinars for customers in relation to the following:-

• Making a career change
• Exploring your options post 18
• 50+ career support
• Beyond Furlough
• Digital Job Searching Master Class
• Make your CV work for you

Consultation on the GM Gender-Based Violence Strategy

Message from Claire Slade (GMCA)

Earlier today we launched a consultation about the Greater Manchester Gender-Based Violence Strategy. Through the Strategy, we aim to lead a comprehensive, responsive programme of service delivery that enhances the safety of women and girls, while preventing gender-based violence and challenging the attitudes and inequalities that enable it.

The Consultation is aimed at the general public, particularly those affected by gender-based violence, as well as students, employers and those working in policing and criminal justice.

As part of the consultation we are hosting two online surveys on GM Consult, both cover the same content but one is an easy read version.

We have developed a digital pack to raise awareness of the consultation and we would be really grateful if you would help us by sharing through your social channels, newsletters and your active networks. The closing date is 23:59 on Sunday 1st August.

The pack includes: 

• A news article on our website
• Suggested content and accompanying images for social media (attached) 

Living life to the full

Message from Richard (Bramhall Methodist Church)

I’m pleased to let you know that we’ve decided to run another series of weekly Living Life to the Full classes on Tuesday evenings starting on 27th July. They will be from 7:45 until 9:15 but we’ll be open form 7:30 serving tea/coffee and cake. We’re currently completing a risk assessment to ensure that this will be COVID space. This will limit numbers to twelve (although we’ll allow a couple more to the first introductory session as we known that a couple of people always decide that this is not for them at that point.

We’ve got a functional website (www.bramhallmethodists.org.uk/wellbeing/llttf) which should have all the details (if you can seen anything missing then please let me know). I’ve also attached a pdf version of a two-sided A5 flyer. Please feel free to circulate this as widely as you want. I could have some printed up if it would be useful (although we’re trying to cut down our use of paper as much as possible at the moment).

I’ve also attached a copy of our application form which can also be downloaded from our web-site. As you’ll see we assume that this is filled in and submitted by the client but it does allow them to specify a support person (one of your staff?) who they are happy to share information with about their progress if they would like.

Please use your network to publicise this as widely as possible (at present we do not place any limitations on who can attend), the more demand we experience the sooner we are likely to start with another series of classes.