| Help and support for Islanders |
 Stay up to date on keeptheislandsafe.org View as webpage 19 October 2022  Get help with the cost of living Support is available for all Islanders, even if you’ve never had to ask for help before. Not all support is means tested and you can access some of it for free. islefindit.org.uk has lots of really useful local advice. Citizens Advice: 0800 144 88 48 or Citizens Advice Isle of Wight have advisors for you to talk to if you need support. If you’re in immediate crisis, please contact Help through crisis The Footprint Trust are the Island experts in helping you save money on your energy bills. Call 01983 822282 or email info@footprint-trust.co.uk Mental health support: iwmentalhealth.co.uk and NHS111 or get medical help – NHS 111 The Isle of Wight COVID-19 helpline: 01983 823600 Community Pantries All Islanders can go to a Community Pantry. You do not need to be on benefits to go to a pantry, you just need to become a member. For £5 a week, members receive over £15 worth of fresh, frozen, tinned and dry food. Current locations are: East CowesCommunity Spirited, Vectis Road, PO32 6HN. Tel: 296592 Opening hours:Tuesdays, 12:30pm to 3:30pm Wednesdays and Thursdays, 10:30am to 12:30pm Ryde Oakfield Primary School, Appley Road, Ryde, PO33 1NE. Tel: 563732 Opening hours: Monday, Wednesday and Friday, 2.30pm to 4.30pm Ventnor Baby Box, Victoria Street, Ventnor, PO38 1EJ. Tel: 07961 959003 Opening hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 2pm to 4pm Saturdays, 12pm to 2pm Opening hours and further information is available on this web page. Find more Isle of Wight support on Isle Find It  Half term fun at Newport Roman Villa for £1 Get inspired by Roman mosaics and make your own pop up sea monster puppet to take home. Roman sea monsters were called Cetus – they would often be depicted as having the head of a greyhound and a body of a whale. Come along and find out more Roman monsters and mythical creatures as you explore the remains and complete the monster trail. The fun takes place at Newport Roman Villa, Cypress Road, Newport, PO301TY on Wednesday 26 and Friday 28 October, 10am to 2.30pm. Booking not required. Entry fee and all activities – £1 per person. Please bring the correct cash to save you time on the day. Find out more on our website  Free fun at our libraries this half term! Cowes Library, 12-14 Beckford Rd, Cowes PO31 7SG Tuesday 25 October, 2.30pm – 4.30pm. Beaver Recovery Project Drop-in. The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will be at the library to talk to adults and children about the re-introduction of Beavers to the Isle of Wight. Find out about how important these mammals are to the ecosystem of the Island. Children can also enjoy making pinecone Beavers! Freshwater Library, 41 School Green Rd, Freshwater PO40 9AP Wednesday 26 October, 2pm to 4pm drop inMake an autumn leaf collage and a spooky skeleton. Wear old clothes. Ryde Library, George St, Ryde PO33 2JE Tuesday 25 October, 2pm to 4.30pm Extra Lego Big Lego Session! Build A Spooky Castle with a Free Mini Figure to all children taking part. Wednesday 26 October, 11am to 4pm Family Board Games will be out to play and have fun. Friday 28 October, 10am to 12pm Children’s craft session. Make a Spooky Ghost! Lord Louis Library, 44 Orchard St, Newport PO30 1LL Monday 24 October, 10.30 to 11.30am Leap into the world of the cat, a family-friendly talk by The Cats Protection. Thursday 27 October, 11am Groovy Grandad! Hear local author Margaret Young read about Groovy Grandad’s adventures. Get your free ticket from the library help point (suitable for age 7+). Sandown Library, 119 High St, Sandown PO36 8AF Tuesday 25 October, 10.00am to 12.00pm Meet the author of ‘Kiki and the Lepris’ Thomas Coleman. Saturday 29 October, 10.30am Batty fun with Jules – Listen to children’s author Jules Marriner read her book ‘Vincent and the Vampires’ and then make a moving bat to take home. Suitable for children aged 4+ Booking is essential. Ventnor Library, 142 High St, Ventnor PO38 1LZ Saturday 29 October, 11am to 12pm Spooky Halloween Craft: Flying bats at Ventnor Library. Suitable for ages 5+ Children must be accompanied by an adult for all library activities. Sign up to your library online  Half term family activities at 1Leisure Racket sports We offer badminton, squash, table tennis and racket ball at 1Leisure. £4.85 per adult or £2.20 per junior (or FREE with a Gold or Silver One Card membership) 40-minute session Fitness classes We offer a variety of fitness classes every day at both The Heights and Medina. Anyone can join a fitness class from 11+! £6.60 per adult or £3.60 per junior (or FREE with a Gold One Card membership) Take a trip to Medina Theatre for a Halloween Spooktacular! There’s a spooky treat over at 1Leisure Medina Theatre with the Halloween Spooktacular. Join us for an adventure of a lifetime with ghosties, ghoulies and things that go bump in the night! Wednesday 26 October, 2pm. £12 per child or £13 per adult. Find out more at 1Leisure  The COVID-19 and flu vaccination You can now have a COVID-19 autumn booster if you are aged 50 or over.The full list of people eligible for an autumn booster is: aged 50 or over pregnant aged 5 and over and at high risk due to a health condition aged 5 and over and at high risk because of a weakened immune system aged 16 and over and lives with someone who has a weakened immune system aged 16 and over and is a carer, either paid or unpaid a frontline health and social care worker You can get your vaccine by Responding to a message from your GP inviting you to get vaccinated. If you haven’t heard from your GP yet, please don’t worry. They will be in touch. Calling 119 between 7am and 11pm daily to book an appointment or booking online: Book or manage a coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccination – NHS (www.nhs.uk) You may be offered appointments at the Riverside Centre, St Mary’s hospital or a community pharmacy. Going to a walk-in clinic. A list of these is on this NHS website. Do you need help with booking an appointment or accessing information in languages other than English? Contact the Hampshire and Isle of Wight COVID-19 helpline on 0300 561 0018 (Open between 9am to 5pm Monday to Friday and 9am to 1pm at weekends). The flu vaccine is offered free on the NHS to: all children aged 2 or 3 years on 31 August 2022 all primary school aged children (from Reception to Year 6) those aged 6 months of age upwards in a clinical risk group pregnant women those aged 65 years and over those in long-stay residential care homes carers in receipt of a carer’s allowance, or who are the main carer of an older or disabled person who may be at risk if the carer gets sick those that live with someone who is more likely to get infections (such as someone living with HIV, has had a transplant or is having certain treatments for cancer, lupus or rheumatoid arthritis) frontline health or social care workers (that do not have access to occupational health) Get more information about the flu vaccination on this website: www.nhs.uk/flujab Get information about the COVID-19 vaccination  COVID-19 cases are rising Keep well this autumn half term. As the Island will be busier for the school holidays, please make sure you add another layer of protection: Get vaccinated Wash your hands or use hand sanitiser regularly Meet outdoors if possible and try to keep indoor spaces well ventilated Wear a mask in busy indoor settings Stay at home if you’re feeling unwell, don’t go to work if possible COVID-19 information for the Island  Could your organisation support Island families facing hardship? We are looking for organisations who can work in partnership with our Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme. The programme gives free spaces to eligible children who receive benefits-related free school meals. Children take part activities like sports, spending time outdoors, arts and crafts and free play. They also enjoy hot nutritious meals. Organisations interested in helping to deliver the programme next year can bid to become a recognised provider on our framework. We will tender for next year’s full HAF programme in early 2023. If approved, organisations will then be able to apply to deliver activities over Easter, summer and Christmas in 2023. Those already on the framework do not need to reapply. Suitable organisations include: Schools Childcare providers Community organisations Sports coaching and outdoor education providers We are particularly keen to hear from organisations that can provide services to older school children Find out more and apply on the connect4communitities website  Careers, Education and Jobs Fair The Isle of Wight College will host a major Careers, Education and Jobs Fair on Wednesday 26 October, 11am to 3pm (last entry 2pm). With more that 40 exhibitors, the fair is funded by the Isle of Wight Council and the Solent LEP. The fair is for everyone aged 14 upwards, no matter what stage they are in their career. Island Futures, our careers specialist service, will on hand to advise you about jobs, careers, access to training and how to improve your CV. Visitors with physical or sensory needs, or those who require extra time to get around are invited to attend 10.30am until 11am for a quieter session. Get more info on the Island Futures website  Discover how Wightcare can help you Do you worry about your own or a loved one’s safety while at home alone? Wightcare provides a 24 hour emergency response service, so there is always someone to help when you need it. Giving you the confidence to be independent in your own home, as well as giving your family peace of mind. Whether you live alone, want to remain independent in your own home, are worried about a loved one’s safety, are living with a long-term health condition or disability, or have recently returned from hospital, Wightcare can offer a lifeline to independence with the help of assistive technology. Wightcare’s customer survey results showed that 98.3% said having Wightcare gave them more confidence, made them more independent in their home and made their loved ones feel reassured. If you’d like to gain independence in your own home or give your loved ones peace of mind, get in touch with the Wightcare team on 01983 821105 or wightcare@iow.gov.uk. Find out more about how Wightcare can help you Isle of Wight Council County Hall, High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight PO30 1UDWebsite: www.iow.gov.uk l Tel: (01983) 821000 Why are you receiving this email? We are sending this news bulletin to everyone who has subscribed to Isle of Wight Council e-newsletter updates. This news update is separate to our usual community e-newsletter for the Isle of Wight, The Island, which will resume during 2022. We’ll be sending out these updates to our usual subscriber lists, including: The Island; Business news; Additional council topics and Recycling, waste and environment. 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