Latest update from Braintree District Council

Hey everyone.

We hope you are keeping safe and well. This newsletter will update you on our latest service updates, some reminders and other important messages about bin collection changes. 

Please continue to check our dedicated coronavirus hub at www.braintree.gov.uk/coronavirus for the latest updates and information. 

Heroes campaign - stories so far 

Earlier this week we launched our heroes campaign which shines a light, celebrates and says thank you to these heroes who are doing incredible and heartfelt things in the battle against COVID-19.

Here's just some we have shared this week... 

Caroline Rudd, a local Braintree resident and arts and crafts business owner, made 307 scrubs bags so far for NHS nurses using her own fabric stash! She is a true hero! 

Read the full story here. 

John and Sophie Kent, owners of Holts of Witham butchers, decided to donate a whole pallet of meat from their shop to feed the animals at Colchester Zoo - what an amazing gesture that is! 

Read the full story here. 

Another great example of a community coming together where residents in Silver End have transformed a phone box into a community larder.

Read the full story here. 

We are absolutely loving receiving the stories so please do continue to share yours with us by emailing us at marketing@braintree.gov.uk. 

Thank you to our key workers from Braintree Town Hall

To celebrate all the incredible work our local key workers are doing to keep the country safe during COVID-19, the team at Braintree Town Hall are asking children (or adults) to draw a picture of a key worker that they know from the District.

Portraits will be displayed in the windows of the Town Hall for all to view. Upon the Town Hall re-opening, two pictures will be chosen and by a way of saying thanks, each chosen key worker will receive a £25 Amazon voucher.

They ask that all entries are A4 in size and portrait, so they can fit in the Town Hall Georgian Windows, any entries not this size might not be displayed.

> Visit their website on how to submit your drawing and terms and conditions

How to help safely

Across the district there are many people playing their part and providing essential support to their friends and family who are in isolation.

But it's still really important to stay safe as a volunteer. 

The government has put together lots of useful advice and information on how you can help others safely via their website. 

VE DAY 75 anniversary 8th May Bank Holiday – Collection dates have CHANGED

Since your collection calendar was delivered in August 2019, there have been changes made to the collection dates that were originally published.

As the usual early May bank holiday Monday has been changed to Friday 8th May and includes the weekend in order to commemorate VE Day 75, (the 75th anniversary of the formal end of World War II,) revisions have been made to the waste and recycling collection dates, to reflect this change. 

Please see the table below for your revised collection date:

Please remember, the Garden Waste collection service remains suspended due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Find out more and download your REVISED collection calendar.

Online education materials for parents

We're supporting a government campaign to help families access online educational materials. The Department for Education recently announced further support for schools, families and young people during the current school closures.

This includes the launch of the Oak National Academy, a new, government-backed online learning resource. It provides 180 video lessons each week for every year group – from Reception through to Year 10 – across a range of subjects, including maths, art and languages.

The BBC has also launched its own education package, BBC Bitesize Daily. This will deliver a tailored day of learning across TV and online, with curriculum-relevant offers for Years 1 to 10.

These resources are alongside new Government guidance for parents on how to best support their child’s education and development.

Road maintenance during COVID-19

Road maintenance has been ruled as a necessity during the current lockdown due to Coronavirus (COVID-19) and Essex Highways has been playing its part.

Crews have been out every day to mend potholes and repair other defects including mending streetlamps, traffic signals, white lines and signs. All this has been done while ensuring engineers follow the current self-distancing rules. Urgent response crews have been working at night and weekends.

Crews will soon be starting the resurfacing and redressing work to hundreds of miles of the county’s road network and preparing carriageways for next winter.

Essex Highways still needs your help so please carry on reporting potholes or other problems online at www.essex.gov.uk/highways

Scams during COVID-19

There have been reports of a scam email purporting to be from HM Government asking for donations to the NHS during the coronavirus outbreak. This is a fake email and your money will only end up in the hands of a criminal.

The NHS will never ask you to send money directly to a bank account. If you would like to donate to the NHS you can do so via their official channels or your local NHS Trust. 

Don't click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails and never respond to messages that ask for your personal or financial details. 

Council Tax scam

We have also been made aware of customers in our district receiving calls stating their Council Tax banding have changed. This is a SCAM.

For more advice on how to keep safe visit www.actionfraud.police.uk

Parks, play areas and outdoor gyms

Please continue to respect government social distancing guidelines.

Hand washing - it's still so important

It's still really important to wash your hands. This will help reduce the risk of you or anyone you live with getting ill with coronavirus. 

• wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds

• use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available

• wash your hands as soon as you get home

Remember, we are still here to help and support you

Even though our council offices are currently closed to visitors, our service hours remain unchanged and we are still here to help and support you during this time. 

There are a number of ways in which you can access our services or get in touch with us:

• Online (including reporting, paying or applying for our services): www.braintree.gov.uk
• Email: csc@braintree.gov.uk
• Follow us on Facebook and Twitter