The newsletter for the Civil Service Retirement Fellowship
Fellowship News SPRING / SUMMER 2020
New National Chair We are delighted to welcome Madeleine Alessandri CMG to the CSRF as our new national Chair. Madeleine is currently Permanent Secretary at the Northern Ireland Office and is pictured below (far right) during a recent visit to Fellowship Office.
Government moves to Delay Phase With the Government’s recent announcement that we are now in the ‘Delay Phase’ of their Action plan we have added a ‘Coronavirus Update section’ to our website and we will ensure it is kept updated. We have already issued a Memo to all our Group leaders, Home Visitors and Beneficiaries receiving a visit repeating the recommended guidelines for health & hygiene (washing your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds) and what to do if you’re worried you may have symptoms (e.g. self-isolation). There has now been some specific advice issued for the delay phase which is summarised as follows: • Anyone over the age of 70 should avoid going on any cruises • Anyone experiencing any symptoms (dry cough, temperature) should self-isolate for 7 days. If you have
very minor symptoms the recommendation is that you don’t call 111. But if your condition gets worse then you should call 111. You can find more guidance and advice on what to do during self-isolation on the Gov.uk website using the following link https://www.gov.uk/government/ publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-athome-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possiblecoronavirus-covid-19-infection We want to reassure everyone that we will continue to provide updates on the Government’s Action plan via our website and e-newsletters. Whilst our services may be affected we will do the best we can to make sure things can run as normally as possible. But if you have any worries or concerns then please ring us on 020 8691 7411 or email: enquiries@csrf.org.uk
Preserve access to cash!
Published in 2019, the Access to Cash Review explored the implications of the UK’s shift towards digital payments, away from cash. It concluded that if nothing was done, the UK would sleepwalk into a cashless society, leaving millions behind. Despite the increased challenge to obtain it, cash continues to be a preferred method of transaction for many people across the UK. About 3.5 million older people have never used the internet and many aren’t confident in online banking. Left without a local branch, residents of rural areas – who tend to be older on average than in urban places – are forced to travel to different towns and cities if they wish to withdraw cash, and this means paying for transport as well as any cash withdrawal fees. It is therefore even more important that access to cash is preserved for this section of society. You can follow the Access to Cash Review online at www.accesstocash.org.uk
The 2020 APPEAL: Swim-Cycle-Run – find out what Nathan’s doing to help raise funds this year – more on page 13