THE BUILDINGS MAY BE CLOSED BUT THE CHURCH IS ALIVE.

Each week we are holding a ‘Zoom’ service at 10am on Sunday morning and a short evening service of Compline at 8pm on Friday evenings.  If you would like to join in please contact Heather canonhdb@gmail.com.  You can be added to our church email list which will give you the Zoom login details each week.

The email notice is sent out on blind copy and your email will only be used for this purpose.  We hope you will join us.  If you are new to Zoom, do not be put off, we have all been on a steep learning curve and can help you if needed.

We are also ringing parishioners and will happily ring  you if you are lonely and would like a friendly chat.  Please let us know if you need any help with shopping.

Heather is using her daily exercise to cycle to each parish, praying for them as she goes and having conversations (at a distance) with some of the people she meets.

 

SUPPORT FOR NORFOLK RESIDENTS

There is now a central contact point in place for all residents in Norfolk requiring support.  A team at the County Council will assess calls, identifying existing social care clients and passing other requests through to district community hubs to implement the support needed.

All residents will have received letters sent by their District Council providing details of support options.  Individuals who have been identified as vulnerable may also have received additional letters from the NHS and local GPs.  Local District Councils have also been calling individuals who have been identified as vulnerable as part of a collective effort to get help where it is needed.

 

INDIVIDUALS IN NEED SHOULD CALL 0344 8008020.

 

“… all shall be well”

In a time of uncertainty we are challenged by much, we are under threat by something we cannot see, feel or identify until, too late, we see the evidence.  Growing up in a era when discipline is frequently challenged, where mass protest is taken as a “right” and, moreover a “right” that must be listened to we can all feel rather helpless.

We cannot argue with or threaten an invisible foe.  The current “battle” has to be fought, not only by the expertise of medical science, but, most essentially, by our own individual self-discipline.  Quite simply we are reminded that our personal defence is “to do what we are told”!

In our “practical” world we are caught up in the invisible, the mysterious.  This is demonstrated by two events in the Church Calendar: The Ascension (21st May) and Pentecost, or Whitsun (31st May).

But also this month, on 8th May, we are called to remember a Norwich woman, Mother Julian, the first woman to write a book in English.  She was a recluse and mystic and lived in a cell attached to St Julian’s Church in Norwich.  In what we today would call a “near-death” experience she experienced an absolute and unshakable certainly that “all shall be well” she does not “argue the case” or attempt to define it, such is her unshakable certainty that to do so is pointless and unnecessary.  She is talking of love, that intangible certainty that is the most important part of all our lives.  For Julian it is best summed up in her vision of something like a hazel nut.  “I marvelled and wondered.  It was so small.  I saw three truths.  The first is that God made it; the second that God loves it; and the third is that God sustains it”.

Jonathan Boston

Rev’d Julia Writes

So many words have been written about the current situation and its effect on every person and every aspect of life, so I am only going to add a few of my own.
During this pandemic Christians are grieving for locked churches, cancelled worship, Holy Week and Easter spent apart but we have all in our own way journeyed through Holy Week and experienced the joy and hope of Easter more deeply than ever before.
Whatever our circumstances I have noticed how people strive to remain cheerful during these challenging days and we are finding a new appreciation for all that we have.  Many are saying that the world could be a better place if as a result of what we have been through we have learned how to live better.
Social media is often criticised for the harm it can do but it has been a vital means of people keeping in touch and it gave us this wonderful poem by Kathleen O’Mara.

BE ENCOURAGED

And people stayed at home
And read books
And listened
And they rested
And did exercises
And made art and played
And learned new ways of being
And stopped and listened
More deeply
Someone meditated,
Someone prayed
Someone met their shadow
And people began to think differently
And people healed.
And in the absence of people who
Lived in ignorant ways
Danger, meaningless and heartless,
The earth also began to heal
And when the danger ended and
People found themselves
They grieved for the dead
And made new choices
And dreamed of new visions
And created new ways of living
And completely healed the earth
Just as they were healed.

JOHN JONES

We were sad to learn that John Jones passed away on 9th May 2020, aged 80, having been unwell for some time.  John actively contributed to Litcham’s village life in so many ways over the years, not least as a parish councillor and through his involvement with the Royal British Legion, and was a kind and caring man.  John was a long-standing member of Litcham Common’s Management Committee and was also Honorary Warden of the Common, which he cared deeply about.  We are grateful for John’s commitment and service over many years and will miss him as a friend.

Tim Angell

Litcham Volunteer Group.

 

Do you, or someone you know in the village, need some help with getting shopping, posting a letter, collecting medication, walking your dog, etc?

This group has been set up to help you at such a difficult time for us all!

We are about 30 volunteers, the majority of whom are able to go and get shopping.

There are three or four volunteers to each area of the village. Some of the volunteers are self isolating and so can give support and a listening ear down the phone and some are able to go out and about. Between those volunteers, someone will help you.

If you don’t need any help now, please bear us in mind, if you need some help in a few week’s time.

Please ring 01328 700 145 or any of the numbers on the flier that was delivered to you at the end of March and we will do our best to organise some help for you, either as a one-off or as continuing help – until all this is over and we can go back to normal!

GP practices open over Easter Weekend

New arrangements to see a GP if you have coronavirus symptoms

GP practices are open Good Friday and Easter Monday

Changes to the way patients are seen by a GP or practice nurse are being introduced across much of Norfolk and Waveney in the coming days.

This means some people may be asked to go for their appointment at a surgery they don’t normally attend. Others may be contacted for a telephone or video consultation or given online advice.

Patients who want advice from their GP practice or an appointment remains the same – enquire online or telephone first. Do not attend your GP practice without checking.

The NHS is also reminding people that GP Practices are open on Good Friday and Easter Monday for essential services only.

There are two new and different ways of attending a face to face appointment if this is necessary, depending on what local groups of GP practices have decided is best for their local area:

1. Designated centres where people with coronavirus symptoms are asked to attend for a pre-arranged face to face appointment. These will be GP surgeries or other NHS facilities.

   Where designated surgeries are put in place, these are only for patients from the surrounding area who have spoken over the phone to a GP either from their usual practice or from a new virtual clinical triage hub, and are asked to attend a face to face appointment. They will be asked to come to one of the designated centres and phone on arrival. A member of staff will invite them in for their consultation or will see them in special drive-through arrangements.

   In some of the designated centres for people with coronavirus symptoms, plans are being developed to undertake routine appointments in different ways, for example drive-through phlebotomy (taking blood for tests)

   Other GP surgeries in the area will be used to help people who do not have symptoms.

2. “Zoning” within individual surgeries where patients with coronavirus symptoms can be seen well away from patients who do not have coronavirus symptoms.

These new arrangements will separate patients so that important routine appointments can go ahead safely, for example childhood immunisations or ante natal clinics.

The majority of patients will be given advice either online, over the phone or in a video consultation. But if you are advised by your doctor or nurse to come in for a face to face appointment, you will be told exactly what to do and where to attend. The instructions will depend on your medical need and what local arrangements have been put in place. Please follow these instructions to help keep yourself and others safe.

Dr Anoop Dhesi, the Chair of NHS Norfolk and Waveney NHS Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), said: “We are in unprecedented times and all of our GP practices are having to make different arrangements to look after patients than we are used to. For example we are giving as much advice over the phone or online as we can.

“Your local GP practice is putting in place ways to separate people with coronavirus symptoms from those who do not. This will help keep everyone safe and ensure our GP practices have greater resilience to deal with the workload that Coronavirus is bringing now, and in the weeks ahead.

“These arrangements might mean you have to travel further than normal to see a doctor, and we thank our patients for their understanding and support in these unusual times.”

Dr Scott Turner, a GP in South Norfolk, said “We have set up a hub so we can continue to see patients with possible COVID-19 symptoms without these patients mixing with other patients. Some practices can do this on their own premises but we wanted to ensure we could do this for everyone. It is also the start of a model of care that we can use if there is a significant increase in workload or large numbers of our staff are off work because of the virus.”

Dr Karen Mitchell, a GP in Great Yarmouth, said: “We would like to reassure patients that, through rapid reorganisation, groups of GP practices are working together to maintain a safe and effective service. Using their staff and buildings differently, they are able to offer care safely to the vulnerable and those without possible coronavirus symptoms, whilst also meeting the needs of those that do. We thank our patients and staff for their patience and flexibility during these challenging times.”

Dr Paul Williams, a GP in West Norfolk, said: “The arrangements we have put in place mean that no member of the public living nearby needs to worry. Patients with coronavirus symptoms will be instructed to arrive by car and remain there until they’re escorted into the surgery, and leave in their car again.”

Dr Jeanine Smirl, a GP in Norwich added: “We are incredibly impressed with how our staff have responded to the call. For example in Norwich we already have 104 doctors or nurses who have volunteered to staff a designated surgery. This is a

tremendous response and reflects the level of desire to help their patients during this challenging time.”

Most people with coronavirus do not need to see a doctor. They should follow NHS advice to self-isolate and treat symptoms with rest and sleep, drinking plenty of water and taking paracetamol to lower your temperature.

Do not leave your home if you have either:

•   a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
•   a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
•   To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.

  Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do or if symptoms worsen.

Health services open this Easter

7th April 2020

Health services open this Easter

The NHS is reminding people that healthcare services, including GP practices, Minor Injuries Unit and the Walk-in centre, will continue to support patients this Easter.

It is important to stress that if you, or any member of your household displays any coronavirus symptoms please do not visit any of the following facilities.

Most people with coronavirus do not need to see a doctor. They should follow NHS advice to self-isolate and treat symptoms with rest and sleep, drinking plenty of water and taking paracetamol to lower your temperature.

Do not leave your home if you have either:

•   a high temperature – this means you feel hot to touch on your chest or back (you do not need to measure your temperature)
•   a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)
•   To protect others, do not go to places like a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. Stay at home.Use the 111 online coronavirus service to find out what to do or if symptoms worsen.If you do not display coronavirus symptoms:Patients who want advice from their GP practice or an appointment this Good Friday or Bank Holiday Monday are asked to enquire online or telephone first. Do not attend your GP practice without checking. Some surgeries are working together and subsequently if asked to attend a surgery it may not be at your usual location. Please contact your registered practice who will advise the best consultation process. For non-urgent queries please access http://www.111.nhs.uk first.For minor injuries and illnesses, people should self-care at home using a well- stocked first aid kit containing antiseptic cream, plasters and painkillers.A wide range of healthcare advice on minor illnesses, infections, headaches, emergency contraception and coughs and colds, is also available from pharmacies, many of which are open over the weekend. A full list of pharmacies open can be found on the CCG website.If it is urgent but not an emergency, you can access NHS 111 online. Available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, the freephone number is manned by trained advisors who can offer advice or arrange for you to see a doctor or nurse if appropriate.

  The NHS Walk-In Centre at Rouen House on Rouen Road, Norwich, is open between 7am and 9pm every day. The Nurse-led centre can help with a range of minor illness and injuries, including minor cuts and wounds, strains and sprains, skin complaints etc. You will be triaged at the front door and signposted elsewhere or treated accordingly.

The Minor Injuries Unit based at Mill Road in Cromer is also open seven days a week, from 8am to 7.45pm. Patients can receive treatment for minor injuries such as minor wounds, burns or simple fractures. The unit are able to advise over the phone if your injury is suitable for the MIU, please can 01603 646230.

Please also ensure that anyone who needs a repeat prescription requests and collects it themselves or has a friend or family member collect it on their behalf in advance of the weekend.

Dr Anoop Dhesi, Chair of NHS Norfolk and Waveney CCG said: “The coronavirus is presenting an unprecedented challenge to the health service, but local NHS services will remain available if you need them over the Easter weekend. We do, however, urge people to use their common sense at this time, particularly if they or a member of their household has experienced coronavirus symptoms recently. Most GP practices currently require you contact them by telephone or online initially, and they need to limit face to face contact to those patients for whom it is absolutely essential. We must not forget about regular medication too and ask that you request and collect any repeat prescriptions ahead of the weekend.”

For a list of pharmacies in Norfolk and Waveney which will be open over the Easter weekend please visit http://www.norfolkandwaveneyccg.nhs.uk

Two Allotments Available

Litcham Relief in Need Charity.

The Trust now have allotment 2 plots available for rent, which are now ready for the forthcoming planting season, now is the time for those lovely fresh veg. for the family. Phone Elizabeth Christie 701 765

LITCHAM COMMON

Following their absence last year we are hoping that cattle will once again join the ponies on the common for the next few months, possibly arriving in April or May.  Cattle will compliment the conservation grazing carried out by our ponies, with the aim of maintaining a diverse sward of heathland vegetation and preventing the more vigorous plant species from dominating.

As always, please observe the following rules:

– Do not attempt to touch or feed the animals

– Dogs should be kept under close control at all times

Thank you for your cooperation.

Conservation Group
The next conservation task will take place on Saturday 11th April, meeting at 10am in Litcham Common car park.  As always, new volunteers will be welcome.Please telephone Tim Angell on 01328 700045 for more information.