Vicky Hancock

Herefordshire residents are being invited to take inspiration from artist Grayson Perry and create their own works of art – a tapestry, textile or collage – with a selection to be displayed at Hereford Museum and Art Gallery at the same time as Grayson Perry’s ‘The Vanity of Small Differences’ exhibition, from October 2021.

Grayson Perry is one of the UK’s best known artists. Recently he has highlighted how art can help improve wellbeing through his popular Channel 4 television series Grayson’s Art Club, where he talks to artists, creatives, celebrities and viewers about art and lockdown.

Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small Differences exhibition will be at Hereford Museum and Art Gallery from Saturday 9 October until Saturday 18 December 2021, on loan from the Arts Council Collection. Inspired by William Hogarth’s A Rake’s Progress the six large scale tapestries explore class mobility and the influence social class has on our aesthetic taste.

As part of a Herefordshire community art project, selected locally produced pieces of tapestry, textile or collage, in any media, will be chosen to be displayed at the same time, and a digital gallery of all the submitted works will also be created.

If you would like to submit your work please contact Julia Radburn at jradburn2@herefordshire.gov.uk. The closing date for submissions is 4 September 2021.

For further details please see the Herefordshire Council website www.herefordshire.gov.uk/graysonperry

The new opening times will be 8am to 6pm on the following days:

• Bromyard: Tuesday, Saturday and Sunday
• Hereford: 7 days a week
• Kington: Friday, Saturday and Sunday
• Ledbury: Wednesday and Saturday (Plus 9.30am to 1pm Sunday)
• Leominster: 7 days a week
• Ross-on-Wye: Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday (10am to 5pm on Bank Holiday Mondays)

To ensure safety and efficiency, residents are still required to book slots to visit the Household Recycling Centres. Only those who have booked a slot will be allowed entry.

This can be done online or, for those unable to book online, by contacting the Herefordshire Council customer services team on 01432 260051, who will book a slot for you.

The Household Recycling Centres are only open to Herefordshire residents, and the booking system is in place to ensure the safety of staff by controlling numbers of visitors and prevent queues at sites. Residents can book up to four slots every two weeks and will receive a pass before visiting. An address and vehicle registration number are needed to secure the booking.

To ensure the safety of staff, contractors and each other, please continue to observe all the relevant guidelines.

To book online and for more information, please visit Herefordshire.gov.uk/recycling

Thousands of Herefordshire residents, considered to be clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV), will no longer have to follow the current guidance on shielding from April 1.

Around 11,000 people in the county have been taking extra measures to protect themselves from COVID-19 but, with the virus case numbers currently low and the rollout of the vaccination programme, the government is lifting its restrictions and the guidance for CEV is changing.

Those in the CEV category will receive a letter in the next two weeks notifying them they can start following national restrictions alongside the rest of the population from April 1. It will include advice to help reduce their risk of catching COVID-19.

Steps to minimise risk include maintaining strict social distancing, keeping their overall social contacts at low levels and working from home where possible.

CEV people are thought to be at very high risk of serious illness from coronavirus. They were a high priority for COVID-19 vaccinations and more than 90 per cent of the CEV population in England have now received a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccination.

The government has recommended the current shielding recommendations should be replaced with practical advice on managing risk of exposure to the virus.

This includes advice to:

• continue to work from home where possible, but if not possible, can return to the workplace
• go to shops and pharmacies, but take practical steps to minimise any risk (e.g. shopping and travelling at quieter times of the day)
• CEV children and young people should return to school and college

Supermarkets have agreed to continue to offer priority access to delivery slots for CEV individuals already receiving them for a grace period – currently to 21 June. Herefordshire’s Talk Community can continue to offer support for those needing help with shopping and those self-isolating.

After 31 March, CEV will not be eligible for statutory sick pay and Employment and Support Allowance due to shielding. The advice is to return to work, if they cannot work from home, and that returning to work is safe.

The free medicine delivery service will end after 31 March and CEV individuals are advised to ask if friends, family or volunteers can collect medicines for them. If they have to go themselves, they are advised to visit pharmacies at quieter times.

Herefordshire’s Director of Public Health Dr Rebecca Howell-Jones said:

“Thousands of people across Herefordshire have seen their lives severely disrupted due to shielding during the pandemic.

“I would like to thank them for their patience and commitment to following the national guidance on shielding. They have played a significant part in protecting themselves from this devastating virus.

“I would also like to thank the hundreds of volunteers across Herefordshire who came forward to support those people largely confined to their own homes, as well as family members and friends who helped to keep them safe.

“We know some people may feel apprehensive about leaving home after such a long time, while others will welcome additional freedom but, with the prevalence of the virus in the community at low levels, the government feels now is the right time for people to start thinking about easing up on these more rigid guidelines.

“However, if you have been shielding, we strongly urge you to take extra precautions from 1 April to keep yourself as safe as possible, such as continuing to observe social distancing and working from home. If you are one of the few CEV who have not yet taken up the offer of COVID-19 vaccination, I would encourage you to do so as soon as possible.”

The government will continue to monitor all of the evidence relating to COVID-19 and adjust this advice if there are any changes in infection rates.

During the pandemic Herefordshire’s Talk Community COVID-19 response team had worked with volunteer organisations across the county to provide vulnerable residents advised to shield with additional support if they had gaps in their isolation plan.

The Talk Community Helpdesk received thousands of phone calls from residents needing additional support and more than 1,500 volunteers were on hand to provide vulnerable people with food and medication collections, as well as help with general daily tasks such as posting letters and pet care. Support is still available through Talk Community

To protect yourself and others, you must remember: Hands. Face. Space.

• Hands – wash your hands for 20 seconds with soap and water often, and as soon as you get home – use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.
• Face – wear a face covering in indoor settings where social distancing may be difficult, and where you will come into contact with people you do not normally meet.
• Space – stay at least 2 metres away from anyone you do not live with, or who is not in your support bubble.
• Vaccination – take up COVID-19 vaccination when you are invited to do so.

Herefordshire children are set to benefit from free school meals support during the Easter holidays, thanks to a scheme funded through the Government’s winter Covid grant.

The scheme has already funded meals for over 3,600 eligible children during the Christmas holidays and February half term, helping to prevent vulnerable Herefordshire families from going hungry during the coronavirus pandemic.

Primary and secondary school aged pupils who are eligible for benefits related free school meals will receive meal provision of £80 directly through their schools and will be contacted by their school prior to the Easter holidays.  Families with an eligible child that haven’t received information before the holidays should get in touch with their child’s school direct.

Children who are eligible for the early year’s pupil premium and are not in a school setting, will receive a voucher posted direct from the council.

Parent and carers who have recently experienced a change in circumstances and think that their child may now be eligible for free school meals can apply by completing a form on the council’s website.

Councillor Felicity Norman, Cabinet Member for Children and Families, said:

“We are delighted to be able to extend our financial support for the free schools meal provision into the Easter holidays.

“We know the pandemic has been incredibly difficult for everyone.  We encourage families who may be experiencing financial difficulties and need a bit of extra support to find out if their child is entitled to free meal provision by visiting the council’s Free School Meals webpage.”

For more information about the free school meals scheme for the Easter holidays, please visit www.herefordshire.gov.uk/holidaysfsm

Full Council has approved the 2021/22 budget today (12 February 2021). This includes the setting of Herefordshire Council tax rates which will come into effect from April 2021.

The final budget takes into account the 2021/22 final local government finance settlement announced by central government. This includes:

• A new ‘Lower Tier’ Services Grant of £0.25m
• Revenue Support Grant funding of £0.6m
• New Homes Bonus funding of £1.7m
• Rural Services Delivery Grant of £5.3m

The council is continuing to face long-term Covid-19 cost pressures on its budget. The council has looked first to find savings within its core activities to offset these costs. This has resulted in £11.2m in savings being identified across the council’s services – the largest one-year saving this council has ever had to make.

Councillor Liz Harvey, Cabinet Member for Finance and Corporate Services, said:

“2020 didn’t turn out the way any of us expected, and none of us anticipated the impact the Covid-19 pandemic would have on us nationally and locally. The council’s 2021 budget has to address a shortfall of £15.1m in a base budget of £157m – that’s almost 10% savings in-year – whilst continuing to deliver on core and statutory public services.

“We have managed to identify more than £11m of internal savings, but following consultation with the public and stakeholders, we do need to set a 4.99% Council Tax increase to bridge the funding gap.

“We are mindful that this is a very challenging time for everyone, so alongside this tax rise we have also increased the Council Tax discount scheme to 100%, for those that qualify, and we are providing £1.9m to fund this alongside the council’s local assistance fund for others experiencing financial hardship.”

Council Tax funds around 29% of the council’s budget. A 4.99% total increase to Council Tax has been recommended. This is an equivalent rise of £1.51 a week for a Band D property. The increase is made from a 3% increase to the ‘adult social care precept’ and 1.99% increase to ‘core Council Tax’. In total this will provide £3.2m towards the cost of council services.

Residents on a low income may be eligible for help to pay their bill through the Council Tax Reduction scheme. Some residents will continue to pay no Council Tax at all, such as young adults who have left care and, with effect from 2021, also all the council’s Foster Carer families.

More information and advice on Council Tax reduction schemes and allowances.