Resource Hub
We thought it might be good to collate some information that might be useful during the lockdown. This includes details on local support available, as well as resources to help with home-schooling and ideas for activities at home.
Home-Start Butser is open and providing
-Regular telephone and email support for families
-Regular contact with volunteers
-Food bank distribution and delivieries
-Up to date information, resources, ideas and activities to do at home
Please don’t hesitate to contact us for advice, support, or a friendly voice to chat things through! Call 01730 233755 or email office@homestart-butser.org.uk.
As we are all aware things are so different at the moment and, as a result, the type of support we at Home-Start Butser are giving is different too. If there is anything that you would like us to do more of or there is something else you need please let us know and we will do our best to help.
If you would like to pass on your positive experiences or a lockdown ‘TopTip’ to us and other families, please send these in to office@homestart-butser.org.uk so we can share it for you – sharing experiences can really bring us together and support one another.
If you have any comments or anything you wish to share with us, that you would be happy for us to show staff, volunteers or funders , please contact us on office@homestart-butser.org.uk or 01730 233755.
Local Coronavirus help and support
If you have to self-isolate or need help during these challenging times please call/text/email and you will be connected to a local volunteer that can help:
Clanfield – 07392021915 Petersfield – 07392021920
If you are worried about how you’ll cope during the crisis, or if you have a relative who is vulnerable, please contact Community First on support@cfirst.org.uk.
New Helpline!
A new helpline is now available to provide information and advice, as well as practical support to frail or vulnerable Hampshire residents.
The Coronavirus Hampshire Helpline – Hantshelp4vulnerable – can be contacted on 0333 370 4000. The helpline is available seven days a week, from 9am to 5pm, and is for vulnerable people who do not have support from families, friends or their local community, and who need urgent assistance with practical issues.
East Hants District Council
For EHDC service updates including the latest information on bin collections and business support, please visit their website: https://www.easthants.gov.uk.
Volunteering
If you would like to volunteer to help residents during the coronavirus pandemic, please visit the Volunteer Wessex website: https://www.volunteerwessex.org.
Requesting help
If you have a request for assistance such as deliveries of medicines or food, please email: support@cfirst.org.uk.
Petersfield Area Nappy Library:
If you are struggling to source nappies, Petersfield Area Nappy Library are offering a small reusable nappy kit for the price of a pack of single use nappies. Follow this link to their post on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/116773109690234/posts/221010922599785/
Connect To Support Hampshire
Connect To Support Hampshire have a very useful online directory for support services: https://www.connecttosupporthampshire.org.uk/s4s/WhereILive/Council?pageId=3491
Food banks
Petersfield Foodbank – referrals have been simplified, no vouchers needed. If you need food please contact Home-Start Butser and we will phone the referral through. Food can either be collected from the Salvation Army Hall or, if not possible Home-Start Butser will arrange collection and delivery.
Horndean and Clanfield Foodbank – provides a short-term, free, emergency food supply for families in crisis. If you’d like to request a food parcel, contact 07914 504 715. If you would like to volunteer to deliver food parcels, email foodbank@horndeanbaptistchurch.org.uk
Coronavirus
On the 11th June, the Government made some amendments to the rules around what you can and can’t do during the coronavirus outbreak. The new amendments can be found below.
Stay alert
We can all help control the virus if we all stay alert. This means you must:
- stay at home as much as possible
- work from home if you can
- limit contact with other people
- keep your distance if you go out (2 metres apart where possible)
- wash your hands regularly
Do not leave home if you or anyone in your household has symptoms.
Further information about what you can and cannot do can be found on this link www.gov.uk/coronavirus.
Potential reopening of schools and educational settings from 1 June
The government have announced that they intend to start reopening schools and educational settings from the 1 June, but this will not be for all children. The following list details what the government are asking of schools and educational settings:
- nurseries and other early year providers, including childminders, to begin welcoming back all children
- primary schools to welcome back children in nursery (where they have them), reception, year 1 and year 6
- secondary schools, sixth form, and further education colleges to begin some face to face support with year 10 and 12 pupils, although we do not expect these pupils to return on a full-time basis at this stage
- all schools and childcare providers to continue to offer places to the priority groups – vulnerable children and children of critical workers – they have been supporting since the end of March
- special schools, special post-16 institutions and hospital schools to work towards a phased return of more children and young people without a focus on specific year groups and informed by risk assessments
- alternative provision to welcome back children in reception, year 1 and year 6 and begin some face to face support with year 10 and 11 pupils (as they have no year 12)
This approach aims to limit numbers within schools and further education settings while ensuring that the children and young people who can benefit from attending most are able to do so.
The government are asking that only these year groups return to school and not siblings in different year groups (unless those siblings are in a priority group, for example, the children of critical workers).
Although the government are “strongly encouraging” children and young people in these year groups to return to school and educational settings (unless they are self-isolating or there are other reasons for absence, such as shielding due to health conditions), parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time. Parents should notify their child’s school or college if they cannot attend as normal.
Further information can be found here.
This week (18-24 May 2020) is Mental Health Awareness week and the theme this year is kindness. Research shows that kindness and mental health are deeply connected, and in the current coronavirus pandemic being kind to others and yourself is more important than ever.
People who are kind and compassionate experience benefits to their wellbeing and happiness; these can include helping to reduce stress, improve emotional wellbeing and even living longer. As a society we have witnessed many, many acts of kindness during this pandemic, even in the most difficult of situations. At Home-Start we are often overwhelmed by the many acts of kindness that we witness whether it is from the donations we receive, the many hours of time that our volunteers give, or the thanks we receive.
For more information about Mental Health awareness week, being kind and general information about mental health, visit the Mental Health Foundation’s website.
Stress Bucket exercise from Off The Record
The ‘Stress Bucket’ can be a useful tool for managing stressful situations. Caroline, a counsellor at Off the Record South East Hampshire, explains how it works in this helpful video.
Boredom busters
If you are running out of ideas of how to keep your little ones amused during the lockdown, the Chatterpack website has an extensive list of free, online, boredom-busting resources to keep your children entertained. It includes links to virtual tours, online learning, music, mental wellbeing and many more topics.
Fingerprint alphabet
A lovely way to combine a bit of learning with art is to create a fingerprint alphabet. All you need to do is dip your child’s fingers in finger paint or fingerprint ink pad, press them down on a sheet of paper (or a few times in some cases) and do some drawing with a black (and other) marker to bring those fingerprints to life.
Corona Virus time capsule
The Coronavirus pandemic will go down in history and will be a time we are unlikely to forget. This lovely Coronavirus time capsule booklet is a great way to keep children entertained but also to store memories and bits and bobs of the sometimes-tricky time. It will be fascinating to look back on in years to come.
We are regularly updating this page with new information and resources. The latest information shown was uploaded on 23.04.2020. Please click on the link below to find the information and resources we provided prior to this date: