"Face Masks for the Community- Can you help?" asks Steve Allinson

It has been good to see some of our primary schoolchildren return to school at the beginning of June and we hope all is going well for staff and children alike. Home schooling has brought it's challenges for sure, but also we hope some genuine family time for many in our community too.

Several of us involved in the volunteer group have been talking in recent days about the Government announcement of compulsory face masks for public transport journeys and also in other situations. Our Langport surgery has just announced that all attending there should wear protective masks. It may be that masks will become part of the " new normal" about which we seem to be hearing quite a lot at the moment.

So, we thought we would put a request out via the village website (and through other ways) to request "mask making". We are ensuring masks are available at our Food Bank for those who need them, but we know that there are many talented people in our village who may feel they have the time and commitment to assist in making masks for our community.

If this is you, please contact our helpline number set out below or email our administrator, Carenza Hewitt, at the email below, and let us know how many you could make. We can supply a template if it will assist and also if you require materials or a contribution to the cost of them, please let us know and we should be able to assist there too.

Many in our community will have the need for a mask in the coming weeks and months and, who knows, if we have a really good response we may be able to supply everyone in the village. Now there is a challenge!

As we enter new stages of the response to the virus, new challenges face us and we have heard this week that the South West is perhaps a vulnerable area at the moment, so facial protection could become very important .

Of course, all our other initiatives are still running and you can find all details via our village websiteand the rolling banner headlines.

Finally, thank you to M P of Curry Rivel (name withheld for confidentiality) for our first (excellent) "lockdown diaries" response. It is published on our websiteand speaks volumes for our community. Surely there are other creative people (young and old) who have a story to tell and share ?

It may be good or bad, happy or sad, or just a response to the challenging times of the last few months. It would be really great if we could collate these memories for posterity and future generations of Curry Rivellers. Please do help our village history with a written piece. Anonymity can be preserved -but also your name can be in lights if you wish!

Stay safe and alert everyone and do please utilise the services of the support group if you need them

Contact the Group by phone on 07716 792760 or E mail at help@curryrivel.org.uk

Steve Allinson
Chair Curry Rivel Community Support Group