Advice to help you stay safe and well this summer

As temperatures remain high and are due to rise this week, health experts across the county are advising people to stay safe and well during the hot spell.

Shropshire’s Council’s Stay Safe and Well this Summer webpages offers a host of advice for people young and old, to help keep cool and hydrated throughout the hot weather.

The website also provides advice and information on home and personal safety, and signposts people to other summer-related advice including:

• Summer health – NHS advice on how to stay well throughout the summer months
• Heatwave advice – advice to ensure the hot weather doesn’t harm you or anyone you know
• Insect bites and stings – tips and advice on what do if you’re stung or bitten by an insect
• Skin care – advice on being ‘sun smart’ and help reduce the risk of skin cancer
• Leisure safety – information and advice on water safety, camping and fireworks
• As temperatures on the increase, and Public Health England will be tweeting weather updates and information, including referencing their UV measurements and our UV video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cblhrVTnZUU and blog https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2016/04/18/nine-things-you-need-to-know-about-uv-ultraviolet-radiation/.

Dr Thomas Waite of Public Health England, said:

“Much of the advice on beating the heat is common sense. But before the hot weather arrives, it is a really good time to think about what you can do to protect yourself and your family and friends from heat. For some people, such as older people, those with underlying health conditions and young children, the summer heat can bring real health risks. That’s why we’re urging everyone to keep an eye on those you know who may be at risk this summer. If you’re able, ask if your friends, family or neighbours need any support.”

The top ways for staying safe when the heat arrives are to:

• look out for others, especially older people, young children and babies and those with underlying health conditions
• close curtains on rooms that face the sun to keep indoor spaces cooler and remember it may be cooler outdoors than indoors
• drink plenty of water as sugary, alcoholic and caffeinated drinks can make you more dehydrated
• never leave anyone in a closed, parked vehicle, especially infants, young children or animals
• try to keep out of the sun between 11am to 3pm
• take care and follow local safety advice, if you are going into the water to cool down
• walk in the shade, apply sunscreen and wear a hat, if you have to go out in the heat
• avoid physical exertion in the hottest parts of the day
• wear light, loose fitting cotton clothes
• make sure you take water with you if you are travelling.

Lee Chapman, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for adult services, health and social housing, and chair of Shropshire’s Health and Well-Being Board, added:

“With temperatures forecast to rise this week, we strongly advise residents to look after each other in this hot weather. Heat exhaustion and heatstroke can both be very serious if they are not treated quickly, especially for the very young or very old, or for those with long-term illnesses.

“Our ‘Stay Safe and Sell this Summer’ webpages provide lots of information and advice to help you keep well whilst enjoying the lovely weather. I’d therefore encourage anyone seeking summer health advice to visit our pages at shropshire.gov.uk/stay-safe-and-well-this-summer/”

River safety

On a hot day, it might seem like a great idea to cool down in open water. However, it is strongly advised to stay out of the water as there are too many risks that you can’t see hidden below the surface. Here are some tips to stay safe:-

• Take notice of warning and guidance signs – water conditions are constantly changing
• Swim parallel with the shore, rather than away from it, and avoid drifting in currents
• Get out of the water as soon as you start to feel cold
• Alcohol and swimming should never be mixed
• If walking or running keep away from the water’s edge, and supervise youngsters at all times
• Don’t use airbeds at open locations where they may be carried into deeper water and may not stay afloat
• Don’t swim near weirs, locks, pipes and sluices
• Only enter water where there is adequate supervision and rescue cover
• Wear recommended safety equipment – for example life jackets/helmets for canoeing
• Don’t jump/dive into open water unless you are sure of the depth and that there are no submerged hazards
• Getting trained in first aid, rescue and resuscitation techniques could save a life
• Ensure children know how to swim and that they do not enter the water alone.

Hayfever

Hayfever is the most common seasonal allergy, affecting one in five of us at some point in our lives, and the symptoms can make life very difficult for sufferers. It can come and go at any time in life so for those that haven’t had it before it can take us by surprise.

With pollen counts also high, Professor Rod Thomson, Shropshire Council’s director of public health, offers advice for hayfever sufferers:

“Although there is no cure for hayfever, there are many over-the-counter remedies available from your local pharmacy to help make life and the condition easier to manage during the summer months. Pharmacists are fully trained health professionals who can offer useful advice on treatments for hayfever, such as antihistamines.

“For those already taking regular medication, pharmacists can advise on the most appropriate treatments that won’t interfere with it. If you’ve tried over-the-counter medicines but are still struggling with troublesome symptoms it may be worth speaking to your GP, as you may need prescription medication.”

Advice on how to reduce the risk either for yourself or somebody you know can be found on NHS Choices at www.nhs.uk/summerhealth. You can also visit your local pharmacy or call NHS 111.

To find your nearest pharmacy in Shropshire visit http://www.nhs.uk/Service-Search/Pharmacy/LocationSearch/10

For more information on staying safe and well this summer, visit Shropshire Council’s Stay Safe and Well this Summer at https://shropshire.gov.uk/stay-safe-and-well-this-summer/

Further information

Public Health England’s (PHE) Heatwave Plan update, advising people to keep safe in the sun, seek shade to cool down and keep hydrated with plenty of cool fluids.

Hayfever

Symptoms include sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes as pollen causes the nose, eyes, throat and sinuses to become swollen, irritated and inflamed. As well as seeking advice from your local pharmacist to ease its symptoms, sufferers can take some basic precautions to help prevent hayfever, including applying a small amount of Vaseline (petroleum gel) below the nostrils to trap pollen grains, and wearing wraparound sunglasses to stop pollen getting in the eyes.

It’s also a good idea to take a shower and change your clothes after being outdoors, and try to stay indoors when the pollen count is particularly high (over 50 grains per cubic metre of air).

Hayfever relief

Antihistamines are commonly used for hayfever. They block the action of the chemical histamine, which the body releases when it thinks it is under attack from an allergen like pollen. Decongestants can also help to relieve a blocked nose which is often caused by hayfever, as well as dust allergies and pet allergies.

The Friends of Our Lady and St Oswald's are holding a School Summer Fayre on Thursday 12th July, 3.00-5.00pm.  There will be lots of activities, stalls, food and fun games.  If you would like to help at this event, please contact a member of the Friends.

We hope to have blue skies and sunshine and see lots of smiling faces, so come along to what promises to be a great afternoon! 

All of a sudden the pond is transforming from a muddy area to a place of beauty.   It has not been without a lot of thought and work and we thank everyone who has been involved. 

As you will see from the photographs, the banks of the pond have been planted, the donated water lilies introduced to their new home and just this week, the latest delivery of plants have arrived ready.

The team have been really careful to include elements that will encourage wildlife to the area.  As well as the planting in the pond itself and special access areas, the frame for the bug hotel is completed, ready for the children to fill it.  Piles of logs have been placed to encourage other insects and animals to make their homes - or just as a stopping off place.  There is the start of a little island in the middle of the pond, planted to encourage rooting and growth.

A new compost bay has been built which will be re-sited once the fencing work has been done.  The broken slabs have been cleared and the area leveled so that the log seating circle can be used and bulbs have been planted among the plants you can currently see on the back bank.

The work is ongoing, but we would like to say a really big thank you to everyone who has and is working on this project; to those who have generously provided plants and other items and to the Friends of Our Ladies who are continuing fundraising to support this project and other external areas around the school.

Thank you to Mrs Rothera for the lovely photographs.

Once again a big thank you to our team of volunteer gardeners who last week transformed the raised bed in the Key Stage 1 Play Yard.  As our photograph shows, it now has a mixture of herbs and other plants and it will be interesting to watch what develops in the pots.

If you would like to join our team of volunteers please see Mrs Edmondson.   At the moment we are looking for volunteers to help with the planting of geraniums and other pot plants so please either speak to Mrs Rothera or Mrs Edmondson if you can help.

CHANGE TO FREE SCHOOL MEALS ELIGIBILITY

The introduction of Universal Credit (that is replacing many benefits, eg jobseekers’ allowance) means there are changes to free school meals eligibility for children of qualifying parents. The new criteria for free school meals eligibility is that all families in receipt of Universal Credit and earning £7,400 or lower per annum will be entitled to free school meals.

From 1 April 2018, all existing free school meals claimants will continue to receive free school meals whilst Universal Credit is rolled out (currently to roll out in Shropshire from May 2018 and scheduled to complete in March 2022), even if their circumstances change eg earnings rise above the new threshold during the roll out period.

Any child who gains eligibility for free school meals after 1 April 2018 (eg in July 2019), will also continue to receive free school meals during the Universal Credit roll out period.

Once Universal Credit is fully rolled out, any existing claimants that no longer meet the eligibility criteria at that point (because they are earning above the threshold or are no longer a recipient of Universal Credit) will continue to receive free school meals until the end of their current phase of education (ie primary or secondary).

During the roll out of Universal Credit, protection arrangements mean that once a pupil has claimed free school meals and has been found eligible, there is no requirement from the Department for further eligibility checks to be undertaken.

We therefore encourage parents who believe they may qualify for this (whether in Key Stage 1 or 2) to make an application for this via: http://www.shropshire.gov.uk/free-school-meals.

Please contact the School Office if you have any other queries regarding this.

Please use this link to make your RACE FOR LIFE donation: https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/our-lady-st-oswalds-catholic-primary-school

Thank you :-)