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LINGEN WEB ARTICLE SPRING/SUMMER 2022
It would seem that life is slowly returning to what could be the new norm and let us hope that the weather will be kind to us this spring and summer to allow us to take advantage of the beautiful countryside within the ward.
Many of us are making plans for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, me included. In my own village of Orleton my husband and I are organising a scarecrow competition and I most evenings can be seen knitting and stuffing corgis. I do hope to be able to pop into as many Mortimer ward events as possible over the 4 days but as many are scheduled for the Sunday that maybe difficult, I will however do my best.
I have had the privilege of being in the presence of the Queen on two occasions, although never to speak to. On the first occasion she visited the hospital I was working at and on the second occasion I had the honour of being invited to one of the Queen’s Garden parties. It was wonderful to wander round her gardens, admiring the black swans, whilst my husband complained about the number of weeds in the flower borders. It was an opportunity to purchase a new “frock” and a hat (which I hate) and to look out for all the celebrities who attend such events. We found to our cost that you should eat well before attending as the tiny sandwiches and cakes are not very filling. However, it was a wonderful experience I will never forget.
For most of us this will be a time of celebration, meeting up with friends and family and just having a really good time after over two of the most testing years many of us have ever experienced.
However, for some life is difficult, a continual struggle, made worse by the pandemic and if that is you or your child there is help out there. QWELL is a relatively new free digital counselling and emotional support service. It is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with no waiting lists or referrals necessary, enabling people to access care immediately and at a time convenient to them and anonymous. One to one counselling sessions with fully qualified wellbeing practitioners are available 365 days or the year from midday to 10 pm weekdays and 6 pm to 10 pm weekends. If you 11 – 18 years then Kooth is a similar service providing anonymous and personalised mental health support.
I was delighted to be informed that Leintwardine Library was open once again and that it had moved into larger premises. I visited the library during April and was really impressed with the layout and the fact that it has now been recognised by Herefordshire Council as a Talk Community Hub and will therefore be able to signpost residents to services they may not know are available. As the Hub is at an early stage the volunteers are limited in what services they can provide but are hopeful that as time goes on they will become a hive of knowledge.
In this edition I have made until now no specific mention about the state of the roads, you can see for yourself how bad they are and I am doing everything I can to improve the situation. Please report potholes via the Herefordshire Council website and if a particular pothole keeps requiring repair, please let me know.
If you need to contact me about a particular issue, please email carole.gandy@herefordshire.gov.uk, telephone either 01568 780583 or 07792882133. I am always happy to come out and visit you at your home if you feel that would be helpful.