A Message from Penyffordd Community Council
Dear Pen-y-ffordd, Penymynydd and Dobshill residents,
With our Prime Minister in intensive care, this is a very unsettling time. A new sense of normality has settled on our community. It is now normal to cross the street when you see someone. It is now normal to walk rather than drive. But it is also now normal to say hello to strangers, to ask neighbours if they need anything and to clap in support of the NHS and other key workers.
Our community has come together in a very positive way. There are 70 volunteers already helping those who are in enforced isolation. The Red Lion is visibly doing amazing work feeding the NHS and as many households as they can cook for in the village - I just hope that they themselves are rigorously maintaining their separation and hand washing, we want them to stay safe above all - and they are among many unsung heroes throughout our community, with many people helping each other.
This is a time of fear that we have not really known before. We have to remember that we can limit the risk and protect ourselves in simple ways. We must also remember that most people who are infected with this virus have manageable symptoms and stay at home. Of those few who do have to go to hospital, many more people come home from hospital recovered than die.
Our local doctors and pharmacy are being incredibly supportive right now. If you have health concerns about anything, you should be speaking to them. Don’t ignore your own health through fear of the virus.
The Community Council receive regular updates from Welsh Government and Flintshire County Council and it is vital that we all follow the official guidance.
None of us would want to be responsible for infecting someone else. Hand washing is very important. As soon as you get home, every time. Before you prepare food and before you eat, every time.
Go out and get some fresh air but avoid gates or places that other people touch. Avoid the playgrounds, they are all closed, and avoid footpaths that pass through farms, we don’t want to risk infecting our farmers.
Stay at least 2 metres / 6 feet apart.
Residents in some streets are enjoying saying hello across gardens or from driveway to driveway. This is all good as long as it does not descend into a real social gathering with people getting too close.
This is not really the time for ‘buy and sell’ sites or for leaving boxes at the bottom of the drive - the virus does pass through contact with surfaces and it is just not worth the risk, however kind the intention.
We are all able to leave the house for essential shopping - food, pharmacy - but shopping is not a chance for a trip out to relieve the boredom - every time we leave the house we risk infecting someone else (or becoming infected ourselves). Don’t forget the shop workers who are facing risks all the time. The fewer shopping trips the better.
If you can get a delivery then see if you can get some food for other people to reduce the number of shopping trips.
Our overriding wish is for everyone in the community to remain safe and well through this crisis, we don’t want to lose anyone in our villages and through extra care, from every one of us, that should be possible.
There are many self employed and small businesses in our community, as well as the very visible ones that we see, there are many who work from home too. When this is over, they will need our support more than every before.
The final word has to go to those essential workers in our community, who are helping to make our relatively comfortable lives possible. The NHS and emergency services are heroes right now. But we are dependent on so many others - refuse collectors, post office, water, gas, electricity and internet providers, our food retail workers, pharmacists, farmers, delivery & HGV drivers - the list is long and we thank you all for keeping going.
On behalf of the Community Council, we send our best wishes to our Prime Minister and everyone suffering as a consequence of this terrible virus.
Please stay at home and stay safe.
Alan Wight
Chair
If you know of someone in need or need support yourself, please get in touch with us:
Sarah Hughes
(Clerk and Responsible Financial Officer)
Telephone 01244 537032
Email clerk@penyfforddcouncil.org
Alan Wight (Chair)
Telephone 07976 667807
Email alan.wight@penyfforddcouncil.org
Cllr David Williams
Telephone 01978 762486 / 07928 493862
Email david.williams@penyfforddcouncil.org
If you have symptoms:
If anyone in your household has a high temperature or a new and continuous cough, even if the symptoms are mild, you must all stay at home for at least 2 weeks.
Don’t go to your GP or hospital, go to NHS.UK and follow the advice.
If you can’t get online, only then should you call NHS 111.