February Column in the Brackley and Towcester Advertiser

Vaccination success! As the rollout continues apace across the UK, I am delighted to see that Northamptonshire is doing a fantastic job in vaccinating the priority tiers.

At the time of writing, over 87% of over 80s have received their first jab and over 86,000 people have been vaccinated in total.

A significant number of care home residents have been vaccinated, and the home visiting service has also begun to visit those over 80 who cannot visit their GP or vaccination centre in person.

The brightest news comes with the opening of a new mega vaccination centre at Moulton Park. Healthcare workers and thousands of our most vulnerable and older residents will be able to receive their jab here. The accelerated opening of the centre is testament to the hard work of so many who are determined to help us find a way out of the pandemic – thank you for all you are doing.

Your GP will contact you directly when you can receive your vaccination in line with the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) guidelines. Please do not contact them. If you are not registered with a local GP then you should look to sign up.

Our local authorities are continuing to support businesses and small traders during the lockdown. South Northamptonshire Council are doing a good job of ensuring funding is distributed to those who have sought help through the local restrictions support grants and Christmas support payments for wet-led pubs. Over £50,000 has been allocated for wet-led pubs, and 62% of funding has been allocated for businesses who have applied for the local restrictions support grants.

And across the county as a whole, almost 50% of the available grants have been distributed. With 13 potential grant streams it can be confusing to know which funding is best to apply for. If you are a business owner seeking assistance with this or any other concerns please contact me, and I will do my best to help.

Finally, I’m proud that our local community continues to pull together to help support the most vulnerable and isolated. From neighbours helping each other, to the Towcester and Brackley Foodbanks, volunteering has become a key part of many lives in lockdown. Volunteers at the Community Larder are continuing to provide food boxes, funded by donations and the Northamptonshire Community Foundation. The Larder is also working with local schools to help source technology whilst remote learning is taking place. If you can support the Community Larder or need help from them please visit sofea.uk.com.

This is a tough time for many, but by sticking together, we will get through it. And if I can ever help you with any problem large or small, please don’t hesitate to email me on Andrea.leadsom.mp@parliament.uk or call my constituency office on 01327 353124.