Stay at home;  Protect the NHS; Save lives

The Council is working with our partners in national government, local health and public sector services, as well as local charitable, faith and voluntary groups, to prepare and respond to the challenges we face. 

The government’s advice is:

Stay at home

• Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
• If you go out, stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people at all times
• Wash your hands as soon as you get home

There have been a number of reports of people in parks:

• taking down the barriers around play/outdoor gym areas
• not following social distancing guidelines
• meeting in large groups

If you are visiting any of our parks you must keep 2 metres between you and others. Group activities are not allowed and play/outdoor gym areas are closed, in order to keep our community safe.  The Council will have to close parks, unless the advice is followed.

Council services, including adult social care, recycling and waste collections and children’s services, have well-developed plans that will ensure our most vulnerable residents get the support they need in the coming weeks and months.

The situation is changing very quickly though and we will need to continue to adapt as circumstances need. To help us keep you informed, the Council is adapting our regular Sutton Scene e-newsletter to focus on useful and up-to-date information relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). If you wish to receive this email please sign up and encourage your relatives and neighbours to do the same. We will use this to keep you updated as frequently as possible. 

The Council is updating its website with the latest information and guidance.

For information on the symptoms, treatment and advice relating to travel and avoiding spread of the virus, please refer to the NHS webpages.

Information and advice, including what to do if you have symptoms, and what the government is doing about the virus is available on the government’s website. 

Travel advice is also available from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

Please check the above links regularly as advice is updated and new guidance added. 

Sutton Council has launched a Hub to coordinate delivery of food and essential items and to provide support for Sutton’s most vulnerable people during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak.

Sutton Hub is being staffed by council and voluntary sector employees and some of the more than 700 local volunteers who have stepped up to volunteer their time to help others in their community. https://www.sutton.gov.uk/…/sutton_hub_launches_to_help_vul…

Thank you to all those who have registered to help in Sutton. You’ll shortly receive an email from Volunteer Centre Sutton (email address: [email protected]) updating you on what we’re doing. If you haven’t been contacted yet, sit tight, we have staff working over the weekend making calls.

The Council has published information on how to access the Small Business Grant Funding. The Government is providing funding to support small businesses that already pay little or no business rates because of small business rate relief (SBRR). This will provide a one-off grant of £10,000 to eligible businesses to help meet their ongoing business costs.

Council and Committee meetings and events are being reviewed and many are being cancelled at short notice.  We have had to cancel our Saturday morning surgeries at The Dolphin, as the people running the building have decided to close the venue.  If you need to contact us, the best way is by email, or by leaving a message on our voicemails.

And while I know these are worrying times, we implore everyone to remain conscious of the needs of others around you. Please do think about the amount you need to buy, to leave our local shops better stocked for those who still need provisions and may be struggling with their everyday needs. 

Please do take care of yourselves, your family, friends and those close to you.

Ruth, Marlene and Steve

Further updates are on our facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pg/suttonnorthcommunity/