BeKind a message from your Editor
O
riginally written a few days before print deadline day, this article started off as a lesson in handwashing and preventative measures we can all take to try and thwart the spread of COVID-19. Then the weekend arrived. It’s almost incomprehensible to imagine what can change in the world in just a couple of days. By Monday morning (16th March), as the world watched this unprecedented state of global uncertainty unfold, the advice had changed again. By the time you read this, we are as sure as we can be that the guidance for dealing with it will have been amended, rewritten and altered a number of times. Gatherings and events will almost certainly be cancelled and many more people will be asked to self-isolate. Bearable if you’re in a house with others. You have company (even if it is in the next room). But what about those on their own? Take my dad for example. At 73, he has been under quarantine since the beginning of March. Not because he is feeling poorly, is coughing or showing any signs of illness. He’s cooped up by himself in his retirement apartment on lockdown because, with stage 4 COPD, a life limiting respiratory illness, his GP advised him to hole up for the duration, limit his contact with family members and keep his distance from others. Put simply, if he contracts COVID-19, the odds are not stacked in his favour. He is willingly staying in. He loves life and wants to see this through so he can get back down to his local, have a pint and reunite with his social circle. Frankly though, just a few weeks into the quarantine period and he’s bored and very lonely. As a family we
have put measures into place to ensure he has food and the medication he relies on, but we cant give him the company he so rightly craves. Thank goodness for face time and his love for jigsaw puzzles and snooker on the telly. With people increasingly staying at home as coronavirus spreads, you might be wondering how you can help those most at risk? Self-isolating, either because you have symptoms or because you are in one of the high risk groups, means you might need others to give you a helping hand. For those who are not over 70 and who do not have underlying health conditions, you can still go out, as long as you take the recommended precautions so think about what you can do for those who can’t. You can also help by donating to food banks, giving blood and supporting small businesses who are under financial pressure. Be kind. If you are not vulnerable, and feel healthy, please check in on others. Check-in with friends and elderly relatives or neighbours to see if they need anything picked up from the shops or if they need any help with anything. Self-isolation is obviously very lonely so please call anyone you know who is avoiding going out. Offer to factime or Whatsapp video them or play some online games together to help them socialise. Even if you are far away, just having a chat could mean a lot to someone. Facebook groups have been set up across the UK for volunteers to offer help and for those in need to ask for it.
Here in this area, we’ve already seen many such groups spring up in the villages we serve, which is great - but village-wide groups may become too large to manage and pleas for assistance may become lost in the noise. We would suggest joining the village groups by all means, but also consider setting up or joining one for your specific street. Look after your neighbours. Be kind. Of course, if you are volunteering to help anyone, continue to take precautions – only speak to them online or on the phone and leave things outside without making contact if you are delivering to anyone. BE SOCIALLY CONNECTED We would also ask you to ensure you’ve liked the Village Eye Facebook page if you haven’t done so already. We will be using this as a HUB page for local village groups in the coming days and weeks and will be asking all of our admins in the various villages we serve to keep our communities updated with any news/ developments on a local level if and when appropriate. We will also be trying our best to keep your spirits up! If you’d like to become a temporary admin in your area, please get in touch. Don’t forget that this magazine is always available online, as are our directories covering Tadley, Baughurst, Burghfield, Burghfield Common, Spencers Wood Three Mike Cross, Theale, Aldermaston, Sulhamstead and Ufton Nervet. These directories list helpful local numbers. View all our magazines & directories at:
www.villageeye.co.uk
/villageeyemagazine
Especially now, please make sure you like us on facebook. We’ll keep you updated
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