A message from Cllr Kevin Guy, Leader of Bath & North East Somerset Council
It has been an extraordinary week for us all – coping with extreme weather while staying safe in record-breaking high temperatures. It has been a reminder about the urgent need to reduce our carbon emissions because of their impact on our environment.
Tackling the Climate and Ecological Emergency is one of our core policies and we are committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030. Transport currently accounts for 29% of carbon emissions in the B&NES area and we have set out in our Journey to Net Zero a plan to tackle some of the biggest challenges we face.
Another way we are working towards our net zero ambition is our flagship £39m Keynsham Recycling Hub where work is progressing well. The first stage of the project is set for completion later in the autumn with the opening of a new Reuse and Recycling Centre. It will be quicker and easier for to use, with expanded recycling provision so you can recycle even more which will in turn contribute to our climate emergency goals. When built, the hub will have on-site renewable energy generation, via a 3800m2 (783kWp) solar panel array, office and welfare buildings designed fabric-first to be sustainable; rainwater harvesting and sustainable drainage.
It's important to stress that our Midland Road recycling centre in Bath will remain open until an alternative like for like Bath site is in place. When the Midland Road site is vacated, it will be released to build much-needed new homes supported by Homes England grant funding.
Thank you to everyone who kept services running during this week’s extreme heat. We put measures in place to help keep many of our teams safe during the peak hours – waste was collected earlier in the day, highways teams also started earlier, and our school crossing patrols were suspended in the afternoon.
Last weekend Bath proved how it is bouncing back thanks to the hugely successful Michael Bublé shows. Attracting and hosting amazing shows like Michael Bublé’s is a huge boost for the city, and I want to thank the Royal Crescent Society and the Marlborough Lane and Buildings Residents' Association, who worked with council teams and the promotor Senbla to make it a truly memorable weekend for so many.
Finally, as our schools and colleges break up, I want to thank teachers and staff across Bath & North East Somerset for their continued dedicated hard work under challenging circumstances over the past academic year. And for families who are eligible for free school meals, please be aware vouchers worth £90 per child, to help prevent holiday hunger, are available.
I hope students, families and teachers enjoy a well-earned summer holiday.
Have a great weekend.
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A message from Becky Reynolds, Director of Public Health at Bath & North East Somerset Council
While it may seem to many of us that the pandemic is over and life is moving on, it’s worth bearing in mind that coronavirus is still very much with us. The Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 variants are significantly increasing the numbers of people with covid we have seen in recent weeks.
We’ve also seen a rise in hospital admissions in line with this increase in the community. Thankfully, vaccinations are continuing to keep ICU admissions and deaths at low levels. But it is concerning to see hospitals so stretched and having to re-introduce mask wearing for staff and some restrictions on visiting.
For many people, Covid-19 is far from simply a bad cold. People can be ill for a week or more, and this has knock on effects on the smooth running of the NHS, council services, airlines, education, businesses etc.
While vaccinations are helping in the fight to reduce the spread of Covid-19, the jabs’ efficacy wanes over time. So, it’s more important than ever that we’re all up to date with our covid vaccinations – and it’s not too late to catch up if you have missed boosters, or even first doses.
This week, the Government announced that this autumn, everyone aged 50 and over will be offered the Covid-19 booster and the flu jab.
If you have any symptoms of a respiratory infection, including a high temp, or you’re simply feeling unwell, try to stay at home or away from others to limit further spread, especially among those who are elderly or clinically vulnerable.
While we may have got out of some of the good habits that we developed during the height of the pandemic, wearing face coverings in crowded, indoor spaces, and remembering to regularly wash our hands are important to help reduce the spread of coronavirus.
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Next Monday is #SamaritansAwarenessDay
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| The Samaritans is there 24/7 for anyone who needs someone to listen. |
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Advice about visiting the RUH
We are currently experiencing a high rate of Covid-19 cases in the community. This means the RUH is taking care of more patients with Covid-19 and has more staff who are Covid-19 positive and unwell or unable to work in their usual role.
To help keep patients, staff and visitors safe and minimise the spread of infection, the RUH is restricting movement in and out of wards and bays where patients are Covid-19 positive, these are called ‘closed’ areas. However, they are able to support some limited visiting to these areas, when booked in advance.
- Visiting a closed ward or bay? Please call the ward in advance and book for a maximum of two people per patient for up to two hours
- Visiting an open ward or bay? Up to two people per patient can visit, you don’t need to book in advance but please check the ward is open before you visit
- Visiting as a carer of a patient? There are no visiting restrictions, but please consider your personal risk of acquiring Covid-19 when visiting a ‘closed’ ward and wear a surgical facemask – these are available on entering the RUH
The RUH is asking everyone coming on site to use their hand hygiene stations and wear a mask in clinical areas if they can, and other areas if they wish to. They are also strongly encouraging people to undertake a lateral flow test and only visit if they are negative and you have no Covid-19 symptoms. |
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Covid guidance
It's still important to help prevent the spread of coronavirus and ensuring you stay safe and get your Covid-19 booster dose.
Free testing for Covid-19 has now ended for most people. You may still be able to get free rapid lateral flow tests if you work for the NHS or in social care, if you are going into hospital, or you’re at high risk of getting seriously ill from Covid-19. If you symptoms of a respiratory infection including Covid-19, here is what you should do. |
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Am I eligible?
Find out which vaccinations are available for each age group by visiting the BSW CCG and clicking on 'Am I eligible for a booster vaccine?'. Covid-19 vaccinations can also be booked for children aged 5-11 through the National Booking System. |
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Upcoming clinics
- Friday 22 July ‒ Bath City Football Club, 105 High St, Twerton, Bath (11-6pm)
- Saturday 23 July ‒ Paulton Rovers FC, First4Pools Stadium, Winterfield Road, Paulton (10-4)
- Thursday 28 July ‒ Bath Citadel Salvation Army, Green Park Road, Bath (11-5.30pm)
You can get the following vaccinations:
- First and second doses for anyone aged 12+ in Year 8 and above
- Boosters for people aged 16+, plus at-risk children aged 12-15
- Additional primary doses for people with severely weakened immune system 12+
Clinics marked in yellow are also open to children aged 5-12. Anyone aged 12 in year 7 and below, can book their vaccination appointment online or find a walk-in clinic on the NHS website. You need to be registered with a GP (or call 119) to book online. You do not need to book or be registered with a GP to use a walk-in clinic.
If you plan to attend a walk-in, please check the 'grab a jab' website to make sure the site is open on the day.
If you’ve had a positive Covid-19 test, before getting any dose of the vaccine you need to wait: 4 weeks (28 days) if you're aged 18+ or an at risk 12-17 year old; or 12 weeks (84 days) if you're aged 12-17. This starts from the date you had symptoms, or the date of the positive test if you didn't have any symptoms. If you or your child have had symptoms of Covid-19, but haven't had a test, you should wait until your symptoms are better to get a Covid-19 vaccine. Talk to a healthcare professional at the site.
Don't forget, you can still 'grab a cab' to your planned vaccination appointment. The vaccination must be pre-booked and evidence of the appointment must be shown to the taxi driver. Evidence can include a screen shot on a mobile phone or a tablet, or print out.
If you need a translator, have difficulties communicating or hearing, or are a British Sign Language (BSL) user, use textphone 18001 119 or the NHS 119 BSL interpreter service. |
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A Michael Bublé boost for Bath
Residents, Michael Bublé fans, promotor Senbla and all the teams involved in putting on two nights of fantastic open-air performances by the Grammy-award winning global megastar have been praised for creating a major success for the city. |
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City Centre security scheme works update
Two Bath city centre streets will be temporarily closed under Temporary Traffic Regulation Orders to allow advance works to install safety bollards as part of a city centre security scheme. |
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Holiday fun across the area this summer
There’s a bumper schedule of activities for families to enjoy over the summer holidays at the Roman Baths, Fashion Museum and Victoria Art Gallery. |
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Free school meals vouchers for summer holidays
This summer, families in Bath and North East Somerset who are eligible for free school meals will be provided with vouchers worth £90 per child to help prevent holiday hunger. |
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Supporting students who can't attend school
Students across Bath and North East Somerset who cannot attend school due to health needs will be able to access specialist, educational support thanks to a new contract agreed by the council. |
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Shake up your summer
This summer, the NHS Better Health campaign has again teamed up with Disney to help get kids active throughout the holidays by playing 10 Minute Shake Up games. The games favourite characters from Disney’s Encanto and Frozen, and Disney and Pixar’s Lightyear, and Marvel’s The Avengers.
The 10 minute shake up campaign aims to inspire children to build confidence in being active, develop new and longer-term physical skills and, most importantly, have fun. Children and young people need 60 minutes of physical activity a day, so we have chunked up activities into 10 minutes to help getting active be easy and fun. |
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Council meeting calendar
Do you want to know about decisions being taken by the council and have your say? Please follow this link to the council’s calendar of meetings. |
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Follow us online
You can follow us on twitter, facebook and instagram; subscribe to us on YouTube, read the latest releases on our newsroom and if you sign up on nextdoor we are there too.
For updates on our services visit our website. |
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Tap on Tap Off on First buses
From Sunday 17 July passengers using First buses can Tap on, Tap Off for adult fares across the West of England. Tap On, Tap Off uses contactless payments to cap the adult bus fares so you will never pay more than the Day ticket for each day you travel in your chosen zone, no matter how many journeys you make. For more details follow this link. |
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Free weekly creative writing class at library
If you're looking to improve your writing skills, a new free weekly creative writing class will run every Saturday from 6 August to the 8 October, in Bath Central Library. The ten-week class is open anyone over the age of 18 and suitable for writers of any experience level, you can book your place here. |
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The Library at Home service
If you, or someone you know is unable to visit the library, why not try the Library at Home service. This is a great way to connect with new friends and volunteers through a love of reading. You can access books and audiobooks, regardless of your situation.
To find out more visit here, or email HomeLibraryService@bathnes.gov.uk. |
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Employment and Skills Drop In at Bath Library
If you need help looking for work, training or even starting your own business, why not pop along to the employment and skills drop in sessions at Bath Central Library, from 11am to 1pm, Monday to Friday. |
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Employment and Skills Pod
Are you returning to work after a short or long break? Perhaps you are already in work and planning to change the direction of your career? The Employment & Skills Pod can help you find the right opportunities.
Call us now on 0300 247 0050 or email us on EmploymentSkills_Pod@bathnes.gov.uk. You can also find out more on the website. |
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Future Bright
Future Bright offers FREE career coaching, training and support to help you develop the skills and confidence you need to take your next step. Read some of the inspiring stories from those who have progressed with their careers with support from their Future Bright Careers Coach.
Head over to www.futurebright.org.uk to find out more or give us a call 01225 395555 |
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Live Well B&NES: information for all
Live Well B&NES is a web-based resource providing information, signposting and support to Bath & North East Somerset residents. It provides useful information, signposting and resources for families, including Ofsted registered childcare, children and young people with additional needs (our SEND Local Offer) and adults needing care or support to live independently.
Information, services and groups are regularly added to Live Well B&NES. If you work with, support, provide services or run groups for children and young people or for adults needing care or support (such as older people, adults with physical disabilities and/or sensory impairments, people living with mental ill health), and haven’t already registered ‒ make sure you’re included. It’s free and takes less than five minutes to register.
Find out more:
https://livewell.bathnes.gov.uk/
www.facebook.com/livewellbathnes
www.instagram.com/Youth_Info_Bathnes
Live Well B&NES has a brand new feature called Unsure where to start? to help Bath & North East residents find the information they need for themselves or a family member who needs care or support. Users of the site select a category (such as money matters & finance, keeping safe, caring for others) answer a few simple questions and are then presented with a range of resources and information relevant to their needs. For more information, email the LWB team: Livewell@bathnes.gov.uk |
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Specialised dementia groups in B&NES
Age UK Bath & North East Somerset run specialised Dementia Groups in the district. These groups are a safe, fun environment for people to come for activities and friendship. Find out more here or call 01225 466135.
The Alzheimer’s Society also runs a series of support services for people across Bath and North East Somerset. For more information, email: Bath@alzheimers.org.uk. |
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Do you look after someone else?
If you support someone who has a disability, illness, mental health condition, addiction or who needs extra help as they grow older, Bath and North East Somerset Carers’ Centre is here for you. Their friendly team will listen to any concerns you have, offer practical advice and access to free wellbeing activities to ensure you’re happy and healthy in your caring role. Contact our freephone support line: 0800 038 8885 or email us. We’re available 9am-1pm, every weekday. |
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Support available from the Community Wellbeing Hub
Anybody who is a resident of Bath and North East Somerset can benefit from support from the Community Wellbeing Hub.
It is a collaboration between Bath & North East Somerset Council; HCRG Care Group; the 3SG; Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire Clinical Commissioning Group; and other third sector organisation representatives. The team can offer a range of support services such as mental health, returning home from hospital, income, housing and benefits advice, emergency food, as well as lifestyle services for help with stopping smoking, getting active or losing weight.
To contact the Hub:
Phone: 0300 247 0050.
Email: cwhbanes@hcrgcaregroup.com
Website: http://communitywellbeinghub.co.uk
Text: 07870 868368
Opening hours: Monday–Friday, 9am until 5pm
If you need to contact the council about its services please ring Council Connect on 01225 394041 or email Council_connect@bathnes.gov.uk |
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Domestic abuse
Southside provides help to people who live in Bath & North East Somerset who are at risk of domestic violence and abuse. The working hours are 9am-5pm Monday-Thursday, and 9am-4pm Fridays. Local support services can be found here. |
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Sight loss support
Sight Support West of England provides emotional and practical support to help people adjust to living with sight loss. To find out more, or make an appointment please call 0117 3224885 or email For more information on the full range of services visit www.sightsupportwest.org.uk
For more useful information visit the RNIB website: www.rnib.org.uk/ |
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