A free shuttle bus will run between Alloa Shillinghill (stance 2) and the vaccination centre at Forth Valley College’s Alloa Campus from Monday 8 February to Sunday 28 February.

The service will operate every 20 minutes Monday to Sunday and there is no need to book in advance to use the bus.

The first bus from Shillinghill is at 8.15am then every 20 minutes between Shillinghill and the college’s main entrance. Last bus from the college’s main entrance to Shillinghill is at 8pm

The bus will be operated by Oder of Malta Dial a Journey and run in conjunction with NHS Forth Valley to assist with transport to the vaccination centre.

https://www.clacks.gov.uk/coronavirus/generalinformation/

SHARED ON BEHALF OF SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT

People across Scotland are being encouraged to ‘roll their sleeves up’ and get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as they are eligible.

A new campaign has launched to emphasise the importance of the vaccine and its safety, highlighting that it is the best way out of coronavirus, as it offers the best protection.

The vaccine will be offered to 4.5 million people in Scotland, with those most at risk of COVID-19 prioritised, in line with guidance from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI).

Delivery of the vaccination programme is underway, led by NHS Boards who will contact those eligible when it’s time to arrange their vaccination appointment.

Health Secretary Jeane Freeman said:
“Vaccination offers us greater protection against COVID-19 and it offers us hope that this year will be a brighter one. It is another vital tool in our work to suppress the virus, but other measures including testing, and lockdown restrictions remain absolutely essential to suppress COVID to the lowest possible level in Scotland.

These three critical actions will help us protect the NHS and save lives, towards a brighter year ahead. However, we don’t yet know how well vaccination stops people transmitting the virus to others – which is why it’s essential people protect the progress we’ve made, and continue to follow the restrictions currently in place, whether they have been vaccinated or not, while vaccine delivery is rolled out across the country.”

For more information visit  nhsinform.scot or call 0800 030 8013

Further information can be found in the following leaflets:

20-21 – Covid Vaccine – general leaflet – 21 January 2021

20-21 – Covid Vaccine – pregnancy leaflet – 21 January 2021

Further to recent reports regarding the increase in the number of telephone scamming calls that are currently taking place. a resident contacted MCC to recommend ‘trueCall’, a product designed to help protect against scamming calls, in particular, for more elderly and vulnerable residents. This recommendation, subsequently, was passed on to Neighbourhood Watch Scotland (NWS) which has responded with the following information:

NWS promotes trueCall to its Watch Coordinators and members to stop nuisance calls. The following leaflet provides further information for anyone who may be interested in this product: trueCall leaflet

NWS has also provided a discount code, L19, which is worth £10.00, should anyone be interested in purchasing this product and will be circulating some information regarding trueCall on its social media channels over the coming days.

MCC’s thanks goes to the resident recommending this product.

25 January:

MCC has been advised about another device which may be useful for elderly and more vulnerable residents, namely, Hobsafe which is a device that is designed specifically to prevent hobs from being left on if the person preparing food is distracted.

Further information can be found on: Perfect Controls

Again, thanks to the resident recommending this product.

Mike Wilson

Secretary – Muckhart Community Council

[email protected]

MCC has been informed that the Council has been advised that the cause of death of three mute swans found in Clackmannanshire, in December 2020, has been confirmed as Avian Flu (also known as Bird Flu). Although the risk to human health is extremely low, the Council understands that this may cause concern for local people.

More information is available on the Council web-site: https://www.clacks.gov.uk/environment/avianflu/

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is leading with control measures and is being assisted by the Council.

Local poultry farmers have been notified about the control measures they must take and information for keepers of captive birds (chickens, pigeons, etc.) has also been made available and the rules on bio-security measures must be followed. Anyone who finds dead swans or other wild birds should report this to DEFRA on 03459 335577, selecting option 7.

Information for poultry keepers on biosecurity and protecting their birds can be found by following the link to the document, published jointly by the Scottish Government, Defra, and the Welsh Government.

Further information can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/avian-influenza-bird-flu/

MCC has been advised that Briskona has recently issued a second letter offering free superfast broadband connectivity to over 30 properties across the wider Muckhart area. These properties are currently unable to access a superfast broadband service due to their distance from the existing fibre-enabled exchange and cabinets and, consequently, are entitled to Scottish and UK Government Broadband Vouchers to cover installation and equipment costs.

See the earlier post, dated 14th December, for more information.

For further information on this offer, please visit Briskona’s website www.briskona.com or call their Office on 01786 235031 to talk to a member of their team.

Big Energy Saving Month

This year’s Big Energy Saving Month, which will run from  11 January to Sunday 31 January, seeks to help people save time, money and energy through everyday actions.

We know energy bills are a real struggle for people and falling temperatures in the past week, alongside ongoing restrictions as a result of coronavirus, means people will really be starting to feel the squeeze.

Figures released by the Scottish Government last year revealed 1 in 4 households in Scotland, over 600,000, find themselves in fuel poverty and official estimates suggest this could rise to 29 per cent of households as a result of the pandemic.

This issue is a real problem for those already struggling with energy bills, with inefficient and expensive heating systems or those who are unable to access discounts and support online.

We would encourage everyone to take a look at the simple changes you can make to help save energy, reduce your bills and access any entitlements that you may be due.

Visit the Clackmannanshire CAB page at https://www.clackscab.org.uk/news/big-energy-saving-month which rounds up what we’ll be doing and how people can get involved. We will also be posting from our Facebook www.facebook.com/ClacksCAB and Twitter www.twitter.com/clacks_cab accounts using #BESM21.

Yours sincerely,

Jonny Miller

Clackmannanshire CAB Managing Director

Changes to the way people access A&E services have been introduced in NHS Forth Valley as part of new national arrangements to help people get the right care in the right place.

This new approach will make it easier for people to quickly access clinical advice and treatment from experienced local healthcare staff and ensure the Emergency Department is able to provide safe and effective care to people when they really need it.

Under the new national arrangements anyone with a non-life-threatening condition who would usually go to A&E should now call NHS 24 on 111 day or night to be directed to the right NHS service. NHS 24 will assess people by telephone and, where appropriate, refer them to a new Urgent Care Centre at Forth Valley Royal Hospital. This new facility, which is staffed by experienced local doctors and nurses, brings together a number of existing services within the hospital, including minor injuries, GP Out-of-Hours services and assessment services, in one location to provide comprehensive advice, support and treatment for a wide range of urgent healthcare issues.

More information can be found in the following Press Release: 14-12-20 New Urgent Care Centre Opens

In addition, a new Winter Zone has been created on the NHS Forth Valley web-site with local health information and advice for the festive period which can be accessed via the following link: http://www.nhsforthvalley.com/winter

Finally, the following link lists the local pharmacies that will be open during the Festive Period:

Pharmacy Availability over the Festive Period

Muckhart Primary School

As recorded in the Minutes taken at recent MCC Meetings (see item 4, ‘Matters Arising’, via the link below), the Council’s IT Team has been actively progressing a long-term, fibre-based, superfast broadband solution for Muckhart Primary School. As reported at the last MCC Meeting, the Council’s Stirling based supplier, Briskona, has now undertaken a detailed survey, involving BT Openreach, which has determined that a fibre-based connection can be delivered directly to the school. The Council’s IT Team are currently working on a number of options to improve the broadband service in the New Year.

Muckhart Community Council Minutes

Golf Course Road, Blairhill and Mosspark

Also, as reported at our last Meeting, recently, Briskona has contacted over 30 properties which are located in the areas of Muckhart currently unable to access a superfast broadband service due to their distance from the existing fibre-enabled exchange and cabinets serving the Muckhart area.

Briskona has sent a letter, together with a leaflet (see the link below), to properties located close to Muckhart Primary (FK14 7JL), along Golf Course Road (FK14 7JH), at Blairhill (KY13 0PU) and at Mosspark (KY13 0QE) which are entitled to Scottish and UK Government Broadband Vouchers. The Scottish Voucher Scheme is intended to ensure that every address in Scotland has the ability to access a superfast broadband connection by the end of 2021, regardless of whether or not it will ultimately receive a superfast connection through the Government’s R100 (Reaching 100%) programme. Currently, Briskona is offering to deliver a superfast broadband service, leveraging both Voucher Schemes and based upon the latest Fixed Wireless Access technology, which it is already delivering to rural locations across Stirlingshire, Clackmannanshire, Berwickshire, the Scottish Borders and beyond.

Briskona Flyer

It’s worth noting, also, that MCC has been advised that if enough properties in the postcode areas listed above sign-up for Briskona’s superfast broadband service, then this service could ultimately be delivered via a fibre-enabled cabinet which would allow an even faster Fibre To The Premises (FTTP) broadband service to be delivered.

Therefore, MCC would encourage as many properties as possible to contact Briskona and sign-up to the both the Scottish and UK Government Voucher Schemes to enable delivery of a superfast broadband service across the wider Muckhart area.

For further information, please visit Briskona’s website www.briskona.com or call their Office on 01786 235031 to talk to a member of their team.

MCC has been advised about a relaunch of the new FACTS campaign. This new campaign looks to remind people of the five key behaviours that FACTS stand for, and how this should be part of our everyday lives to keep us all safe.

The new FACTS campaign runs until the 20^th December on TV, press, radio, outdoor and social channels.

Click on the link below to see the new poster:

Coronavirus – FACTS – Poster

7th December

MCC has been advised today that the Mobile Test unit left Alloa Town Hall, as planned, last night, however, after an increasing number of people in the area have tested positive for coronavirus, it is returning tomorrow to offer testing for 2 more days, as originally planned, on 8th and 9th December. Please see the following link for further information:

https://www.clacks.gov.uk/coronavirus/cvmobiletestcentrecv/

1st December

MCC has been advised today that the Mobile Test Centre will close on Sunday 6th December and not Wednesday 9th December, as originally planned. Please see the following link for further information:

https://www.clacks.gov.uk/coronavirus/cvmobiletestcentrecv/

26th November

Clackmannanshire Council

As you may be aware a mobile Covid-19 Test Centre has been set up in the Alloa Town Hall Car Park and the Council is encouraging as many people, as possible, to book a test which is aimed at people without symptoms. While the testing is focussed on Alloa, people who live and work across Clackmannanshire can book an appointment.

The Council, itself, is not arranging tests but there’s more information about the testing on the Council website:

https://www.clacks.gov.uk/coronavirus/generalinformation/

The poster – see below – contains more information:

covid testAlloa1a

You can book a test via the Government web-site: GOV.UK website or by calling 0300 303 2713.