Stuart Webber, Sporting Director at Norwich City FC
Breckland Council’s work to support vulnerable residents through the coronavirus pandemic has been boosted by a donation from Norwich City Football Club and Norwich City Community Sports Foundation.
There are more than 3,600 people in the district who the NHS consider to be ‘extremely vulnerable’ and the council is supporting them by making welfare calls and, where needed, distributing medicines and food parcels.
The club and its foundation recently boosted the local effort by donating 120 parcels to the council, containing essential non-perishable food items such as tinned goods and dried foods. The boxes also included hand sanitiser, toilet roll, sweet treats, a NCFC gift and a note from celebrity chef and Canaries shareholder Delia Smith.
The support is part of the club and foundation’s Canaries COVID-19 Community Support Project which has seen £200k donated by the football club’s players, staff and directors, to help the county respond to covid-19.
The initial delivery was dropped off to the council by Norwich City’s Sporting Director Stuart Webber, with further donations possible over the coming weeks. The boxes will be distributed by the council to Breckland residents who need emergency access to food, including people who have recently been discharged from hospital and those unable to shop for themselves.
Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Breckland Council’s Leader, commented: “The Canaries clearly know a lot about teamwork and we’re delighted to have received their generous donation. The support we’ve had from them, along with help from volunteers and other local businesses, has been like a twelfth man in helping us respond to the pandemic and keep local residents safe and well.”
Ian Thornton, Chief Executive Officer of the Community Sports Foundation, said: “This donation is part of the first phase of the Canaries COVID-19 Community Support Project, helping to tackle short-term issues, such as helping vulnerable people access essential items. As time progresses, the project plans to refocus on potential longer-term issues brought about by the crisis, such as inactivity, poor mental health, or a loss of employment.”
To find out more about the fund and make a donation, go to: www.communitysportsfoundation.
Three new modern, all-weather, floodlit tennis courts are now open for budding Wimbledon stars at Heigham Park in Norwich.
Norwich City Council have installed the courts and aim to build on the success of other Norwich Parks tennis schemes at Eaton and Waterloo parks by providing high quality, accessible, affordable sports facilities that will be available for 52 weeks of the year.
Norwich City councillor Adam Giles, cabinet member for community wellbeing said: “The city council is proud of its record for improving facilities for our residents and investing in our much-loved parks. These courts, along with others across the city, form part of the council priorities to improve health and wellbeing, which has become even more important since the Covid-19 pandemic. It’s been quite a journey to get to this point and a lot of hard work in the face of some tough obstacles to deliver these fantastic affordable community facilities.”
Martin Jones from Norwich is a keen amateur photographer who over the past few months has been taking his camera out with him when going for a walk along a small part of the River Wensum in Norwich.
We are so glad that Martin took the time to share these wonderful selection of photographs with us which we are sure you will enjoy and just demonstrates what we can all see if we take a moment to just stop and observe the environment around us .
We are, of course, also very lucky to either live in or be able to visit the fine City of Norwich which the Sunday Times recently named Norwich the best place to live in the East of England in 2022.
Chantry Place has unveiled the dinosaurs that have stomped into the Centre this summer for GoGoDiscover 2022 as it hosts six large T.rex sculptures and 30 Breakasaurus T.rex sculptures from now until 10th September 2022.
As well as the return of Afternoon Tea-Rex, the T.rex that Chantry Place has sponsored, and the amazing T-Wrecks, new dinosaurs for 2022 include Sirdavidsaurus Rex, T-RAFFE, The Golden King and Paintosaurus.
Chantry Place is a presenting partner of GoGoDiscover 2022 and also plays host to 30 mini Breakasaurus T.rex as part of the GoGoDiscover Learning & Community Programme with packs found on the dining terrace, in House of Fraser and in Langleys window at the Centre. The large sculptures can be found on each floor of the Centre, as well as on Chantry Square.
A new mobile food store is launching to serve the rural communities of Breckland.
The service will provide a way to shop for healthy, nutritious food and store cupboard staples at a reduced price, to help residents tackle increasing living costs or difficulties getting to other shops due to isolation. Friendly expert staff on the bus are trained to offer wider support such as advice on debt management, isolation & loneliness and mental health, and will signpost customers to a range of services that can offer further help, where needed.
Informed by data, the bus will begin its route in early May, stopping in Swanton Morley, Bawdeswell, Shipdham, Carbrooke, Saham Toney, Ashill, Necton, Narborough, Weeting and East Harling.
Exciting new plans for the future of Watton and Swaffham have been drawn up as part of the Future Breckland project.
Future Breckland: Thriving People and Places is a project to revitalise Breckland’s five market towns and equip them for the future. The project has already seen a plan drawn up for Dereham: plans for Attleborough and Thetford will follow. Now, the newly-revealed plans for Watton and Swaffham are setting out proposals that are individually-tailored for each town. The proposals include long-term goals for the next decade and shorter-term goals for the next one to three years.
The plans have been drafted by economic specialists Hatch, with urban regeneration experts, We Made That, after being commissioned by Breckland Council. The programme is being backed by Norfolk County Council and local town councils.