Wiltshire Council COVID-19 update

We will be providing updates on our services on our website and you can also follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

For central government updates follow:
Public Health England
NHS
Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub supporting thousands of people

We know this is a difficult time for many and through our Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub we are working hard to ensure the most vulnerable in our community get the support they need.

If you need support, or know someone who does, the Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub can be contacted on 0300 003 4576 or by email at wellbeinghub@wiltshire.gov.uk.

The hub is open Monday to Friday, 8am – 8pm and weekends, 10am – 4pm.
So far, we have contacted more than 8,000 people and delivered more than 600 food parcels, so please get in touch if you need to.

Find out more about the Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub

Help us promote the Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub

We are keen to spread the word far and wide about the Wiltshire Wellbeing Hub and the support it can provide.

To help us with this, and to give the kids (or adults!) something fun to do, we have designed a colouring-in sheet that you can print off and stick in your window. If you don’t have a printer, feel free to design your own – the most important thing is that people who need support know that the hub is there for them.

The sheets can be found below, or alternatively there is a poster that you can display. Thanks for your support

An open letter to care providers

Every Thursday at 8pm it’s been clear how appreciative people are of NHS staff, carers and key workers.

We have written an open letter to staff in care homes and domiciliary care providers to thank them for the vital role they are playing in supporting vulnerable residents during this time. The letter is from Wiltshire Council Leader Cllr Philip Whitehead, Cabinet Member for Public Health Cllr Laura Mayes, and Chief Executive Officers Alistair Cunningham and Terence Herbert.

Read the full letter

Initiative to support members of our walking groups

Our sports development team has launched ‘Walkie Talkie’ – a new initiative to support the members of our walking sports groups during this difficult time and help them stay connected to each other.

The initiative allows participants from the weekly walking football, netball and rugby sessions throughout the county to phone in from home and have a conversation with each other in a group environment – maintaining the social-element that many of the members find so vital.

A walking netball participant said “Social interaction is hugely important to our overall wellbeing and now even more so with the current restrictions. Any way to try and maintain the friendships that have formed from being a part of the walking netball family is really important to us. To have access to a Walkie Talkie group is helpful and beneficial to so many people who may be socially isolated at this time”.

For more information on the Walkie Talkie sessions you can email sportsdevelopment@wiltshire.gov.uk

Pack to keep you and your family active

We have created a range of activity packs to support you while you’re staying at home. The packs are suitable for everyone but have been designed with specific audiences in mind – adults, older people, those with a disability, young people, and individuals who previously took part in our swimming and gymnastics sessions.

Each pack contains tailored ideas for people to get active, be creative, stay in contact and keep focussed, all from the comfort of your own home.

They are part of our Active Communities online resources which covers a variety of topics, including the various library services available online – rhyme times, story times, e-books/magazines, resources on getting creative through mediums like song, dance, art and literature and opportunities to explore Wiltshire’s history.

Get the activity packs

Public Health England launches ‘Looking Out For Each Other’ campaign

Throughout this ongoing situation we have seen communities up and down the county support one another. Public Health England has launched some resources to support the good work already happening in Wiltshire. The campaign highlights simple messages to ensure that people keep in touch with each other and help pick up food or medicines for anyone who is unable to do so.

Find out more about the campaign

RSPCA help during COVID-19

The RSPCA has produced a poster that can be downloaded and filled in by members of the public who have pets/animals. The aim being they will approach family/friends/neighbours who can care for their pets if they are hospitalised.

This poster should be displayed in a visible place, for example on the fridge, etc so that the emergency services can see plans have already been made for the animals. Please do share this with the public in your community to try and help ease the pressure on the Adult Social Care teams in finding boarding spaces for animals.

Guidance has been produced on d og walking and we would urge you to share this widely so that dog owners and all dog walkers are aware of it. It sets out sensible measures to ensure dogs can still be exercised with precautions taken for them and people.

Download the poster

Support to keep your body and mind healthy

It’s important we do what we can to look after ourselves during this time. Alcohol can affect your mental state and weaken your immune system. The NHS’s One You service has a free app to help you to keep to sensible drinking limits, keep active, eat healthily and support your mental wellbeing.