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Latest News

Beware the Scammers

Villagers have recently reported receiving scam telephone calls, including a resident being informed he was eligible for money, due to his age, and could they please have his bank account details... Please be aware of the high numbers of attempted telephone scams making the rounds - click here for a useful Scam Share list from Trading Standards Scotland.

Alzheimer Scotland Online

Alzheimer Scotland have launched a new online surgery service where people can connect with the Borders team from the comfort of their own home.

The Borders team will be available through the Facebook page www.facebook.com/alzheimerscotlandborders and online video call consultations through the ‘Attend Anywhere’ platform with their Dementia Advisor will be available to book by contacting borders@alzscot.org or call 01573 400324.

These consultations will be private one-to-one in a confidential and secure online platform.

Thank You from Haylodge Hospital, Borders General Hospital and Biggar Medical Practice

Thank yous have been flowing in to everyone who helped sewing scrub bags for the NHS. See pictures and text below.

And from Biggar Medical Centre:

"I am writing to thank you very much for co-ordinating the production of 20 scrub bags for the clinicians at the Practice.

All the doctors and nurses are most appreciative and have asked me to thank you and request that you pass on their thanks to all who contributed.

We are all very grateful to have such a supportive community."

Shopping at the Co-op - New Gift Card

To date we have not been able to offer help shopping at the Co-op but, thanks to a new initiative by the Co-op, this should now be possible and is a great mechanism for friends, family and/or volunteers to shop on your behalf.

For more details on how to set this up, please click here.

Face Masks

With the lockdown hopefully starting to ease, it seems likely that we will be asked to wear masks to protect each other... Jen Robertson has very kindly been sewing some for the community, which will be available in the village hall from Monday 11th May. Please help yourselves and a big thanks to Jen.

Sew a Scrub Bag for the NHS - Update 5th May 2020

Thank you to all who have sewn and donated material since the call went out on 21st April!
Many donations and completed bags have been left in the Hall porch from where they have been moved to the Small Hall. Those involved have been Skirling Village folk, their friends and family, along with the Peebles Walking Netball Group, to which Sue Davies belongs.

We can now report that 3 batches of scrub bags have been dispatched

1)      25th April - 25 pairs to Haylodge Hospital, Peebles
2)      2nd May – 25 pairs to Maternity ward, Borders General Hospital
3)      5th May – 20 pairs to Covid ward, Borders General Hospital

Going forward we still have material available to anyone who would like to sew. We are ready to donate to any NHS staff who request bags (e.g. from a nursing agency, the ambulance service etc). We hope it will be possible to donate to a Facebook group called ‘Lanarkshire Uniform Bag Donations’ set up by a nurse and we have just had confirmation from Biggar Medical Practice that they require 20 bags.

Let us know if you want to sew or have any suggestions for where to donate the bags.
Esther Daborn and Sue Davies (Mobile: 07949 768132; Email: estherdaborn@gmail.com)

Broughton Village Store - Help with Shopping

Broughton Village Store has received external grant funding which is to help families and individuals in our area who are struggling financially as a result of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Click here for more details.

Sew a Scrub Bag for the NHS

Nurses need to wash their scrubs at the end of a shift without taking home a bin bag covered in infection.

They want to put their scrubs into a cotton laundry bag, pull the drawstring tight, tie it and put the whole thing in the washing machine at 60C. Each nurse needs two bags for alternate use.

We have found a current need at Haylodge Hospital Peebles.

Are you a sewer? Have you got cotton or polycotton cloth/old pillowcases that are no longer needed that you can offer us? Click here for more information.

Food Parcels/Supermarket Deliveries for those at high risk

Biggar's Coronavirus Community Action group have produced an excellent flyer for those who have received a letter from the Scottish Government with a 10 digit Community Health Index (CHI) number on it. To read the flyer, please click here.

Skills Exchange / Help Available

- Eggs, rhubarb and soon asparagus available (limited amount)

- Reiki Master can send distance healing

- Phone or video counselling and coaching

- Help with meals

- Computer assistance, help with Zoom, Teams, Skype

- Small trailer available for borrowing

- Maths tutoring / primary help with homework

There is also financial help for those in the community affected by COVID-19 and the lockdown with funds provided by the Pauline Fund, the SBC and the Clyde Valley Windfarm Fund.

Please email ResilientSkirling@gmail.com or call any of the three numbers below for more info and assistance.

31.03.20

Thank you to everyone who took the time to complete our survey. We now hold a great database of contacts for the community and have a plethora of wonderful volunteers and a clearer idea of who could do with some help.

If you have yet to complete the questionnaire, it can be found here:

https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/3NSQHBR | Hard Copy

In anticipation of a further tightening of the lockdown, we have put a courier service in place for collection from Biggar stores on a daily basis. A flyer will have arrived in your postbox with instructions on how to use this service.

We will also be putting up a skills exchange to highlight the additional skills, provisions and assistance people have kindly offered in the survey.

Contact Details for Resilient Skirling

Tel: 860274 (Bob & Isobel Hunter) | 860339 (Tim Janeway) | 07949 768132 (Esther Daborn)
Email: ResilientSkirling@gmail.com
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In other news...

We have been asked to pass on a link to a survey on the future of Peebles High School by Cllr Anderson: https://scotborders.citizenspace.com/children-and-young-people/future-of-peebles-high-school/

Police Scotland are urging cyber security as more of us are spending time online. Click here for their advice.

Local Information

Biggar Medical Practice Information (updated 31.03.20)

Broughton Village Store (updated 29.03.20)

Skirling - A Resilient Community leaflet (updated 26.03.20)

Parishes of Upper Tweeddale (now online)

101/102 Bus Timetable (updated 23.03.20)

Citizens Advice Bureau Peebles (advice on benefits, employment rights etc.): 01721 721722

Citizens Advice Bureau Lanark: 01555 664301

National Information