Opening hours are Tuesday to Friday 10am – 4pm and Saturdays 10am to 2pm.
They have computers available, for scanning, printing and photocopying. Books for browsing and borrowing. All they ask is that people wear a face covering and observe the social distancing guidelines.
Telephone number 03000 41 31 31 cranbrooklibrary@kent.gov.uk
Kent Police have also provided the following social media links:
A new website has been launched. With social distancing measures currently in place many people are experiencing social isolation and loneliness. To help combat this, and the impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council has launched a new community website ‘Tunbridge Wells Social’.
The site is a collaborative project between the Council’s Culture, Health and Housing teams, the Community Safety Unit and partners including Town & Country Housing, St Giles Trust, KCC’s Early Help, Salus, DAVSS and Age UK. The site is free to use. More content will be added over the coming weeks and months, and the site will continue to be available as a community resource after lockdown measures are lifted.
| Tunbridge Wells Social offers something for everyone. It’s a one stop shop of information and support as well as entertainment and fun. There is an interactive weekly podcast ‘Tunbridge Wells Talks’ airing lighthearted views about what’s going on, as well as updated and relevant content to help connect people. |
Stars from the stage and small screen with local connections have given their support to the initiative. Comedian, writer and presenter Jo Brand recalls her school days in Tunbridge Wells; local actor Philip Martin Brown (Waterloo Road and Coronation Street) reads a favourite poem; Olympic medallist Jayne Torvill shares a message of support, commending how the local community has come together, and TV presenter Nick Knowles, who went to school in Tunbridge Wells, is also supporting the project sharing funny poems and a message.
Please do share this email and the website with your contacts and networks, families and friends. It would be also helpful to note that the Council has set up a local helpline to support people who need urgent help, supplies or medication as a result of the coronavirus. The number is 01892 554497.
Keep well and stay safe
Best wishes The Social Isolation Group
Tunbridge Wells Borough Council.
Health partners and providers, local authorities and emergency services across Kent and Medway are working together to provide information on local support services to help people’s mental wellbeing during the ongoing Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic crisis.
Information is available at www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeing for people experiencing bereavement and loss, debt and financial difficulties, pregnant women and new mums needing extra support, families looking for help with young children or teenagers.
There is support for those who might already have pre-existing mental health conditions, are victims of domestic abuse or are people in the shielded community.
The site also offers help for people with learning disabilities, people who don’t use English as a first language, carers and NHS staff, care staff and other key workers.
Kent County Council Director of Public Health, Andrew Scott-Clark said: “The challenging reality of lockdown is creating uncertainty and anxiety for many. The constant news can feel overwhelming and you may be adjusting to a different way of life, with children off school, many people not working or working from home, as well as not seeing family, friends and colleagues.
“This anxiety is natural, and we are all feeling it. Fortunately, there are things that we can do to protect our mental health and to support the wellbeing of our friends and family. At www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeing you can find information, advice and signposting to other great sites which can help, whatever your situation and need. This is #kenttogether.”
Thanks to all of those supplying content to www.kent.gov.uk/wellbeing including: Kent County Council; Medway Council; Public Health England; NHS England; Kent and Medway Clinical Commissioning Group; Kent Community NHS Foundation Trust; Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust; Live Well Kent; Healthwatch Kent; Kent Community Foundation; Headstart Kent; Carers UK; Kent’s Integrated Domestic Abuse Support Services; KCC Children’s Centres; Citizen’s Advice and Age Concern.
As part of the Release the Pressure campaign, a new text service is now available – by texting the word “Kent” or “Medway” to 85258, you will start a conversation with one of the many trained and experienced volunteers who can give support at any time, wherever you are. It’s a place to go if you’re struggling to cope and you need immediate help. Texts are free on all major mobile networks and the service is provided by SHOUT and the Crisis Text Line.
The service will run in addition to the current 24/7 freephone helpline and is funded by the Kent and Medway Sustainability and Transformation Partnership (STP) which is a collaboration between Kent County Council, Medway Council, Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust and all the NHS organisations across Kent and Medway.
Vulnerable people in Kent who need urgent help, supplies or medication are also reminded of the helpline – called Kent Together – which provides a single, convenient point of contact for anyone in the county who is in urgent need of help during the Coronavirus outbreak. It is a collaboration between KCC, central Government, District, Borough and local councils, the voluntary and community sector, the NHS and other partners to ensure help is at hand for vulnerable people.
If you are vulnerable and have an urgent need that cannot be met through existing support networks, you can contact the Kent Together helpline at www.kent.gov.uk/KentTogether or by calling on 03000 41 92 92. It is a 24-hour service.The Kent Together service is a single, convenient point of contact for anyone in Kent who is in urgent need of help during the coronavirus outbreak
Please see below an alert from Action Fraud in relation to a phishing scam, where fraudsters are impersonating Tesco.
The fake Tesco emails are offering ‘free vouchers’ during the coronavirus outbreak and you are asked to click on a link, which takes you to a convincing looking phishing website that is designed to steal your login, personal and financial information.
If you receive one of these, please do not click on the link and delete it and report to Action Fraud.
For more info and extra help on how to keep yourself safe online visit https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/
Use the A, B, C of scam awareness:
Kent Police is urging parents to look out for the signs of online grooming as children and young people in Kent spend more time at home.
The Covid-19 worldwide pandemic means that children who would normally be visiting friends and family or attending school around the county are now in lockdown and may be searching for things to do to keep them occupied.
With more people turning to the internet, Kent Police is reminding everyone of the steps that can be taken to keep young and vulnerable people protected from online abuse.
Detective Chief Superintendent Andrew Pritchard at Kent Police said: ‘This is an extremely worrying time for families who may be feeling anxious and dealing with new and difficult living situations. As a result it may be harder than usual to spot the signs of online abuse.
‘Whilst there is nothing to suggest more children are being groomed at this time, there is a potential for more young and vulnerable people to fall victim to predators who may take advantage of the health crisis and seek to enter homes without leaving their own.
‘Keeping children and vulnerable people safe is a top priority for us and significant resources are dedicated to tackling this issue. As the public continues to play their part in social distancing and saving lives, we will remain committed to keeping people safe both outdoors and at home.’
It is important that children using mobile phones, tablets and computers know what is right and what is wrong especially when using instant messaging services. They should only ever be speaking to people they know personally and report anything suspicious to their parents or the police.
Check what restrictions are in place, most devices or internet access will have parental controls available. Ask your child to be open and honest with you about their passwords and profiles.
Parents should talk about the risks when uploading and sharing private information as you can never be sure whose hands it will end up in or who can see it.
DCS Pritchard added: ‘We have invested in educating young people about online dangers and the chances of a real child meeting someone they’ve met online and becoming a victim of this sort of offence is extremely low.
‘Rest assured the force has specialist detectives who are trained to work in this field and have the skills and resources needed to carry out investigations in the most appropriate way.
‘It is important we all continue to do our bit to keep children safe, not just at this unprecedented time but always.’
Further advice
• Speak to your children. Understand the capabilities of the devices they use, and the websites that they use.
• Keep the computer in a communal room. Explain to them the dangers of talking to strangers; whether that be in ‘real life’ or on the internet.
• It’s important that online privacy settings are checked regularly especially when updating apps – the same applies for location settings too.
• Encourage the use of strong passwords such as three or more random words or capital letters, numbers and symbols.
• ‘Stranger danger’ is as relevant on the internet as it is on the streets. You should not speak to strangers and we encourage children to raise any concerns with their parents.
• Only speak to people you know and have met. Don’t accept social media requests from people you don’t know.
For more advice or to report online abuse visit https://www.kent.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/caa/child-abuse/online-child-abuse/
The Parish Council intend to hold meetings remotely under new powers the government have introduced to help us continue to function during the current crisis. Please keep an eye on our agenda page for details of those meetings and how you can attend these meetings remotely
https://chatterpack.net/blogs/blog/list-of-online-resources-for-anyone-who-is-isolated-at-home
The Parish Council wish you all well in these strange times
PROTECT ALERT
Fraudsters are exploiting the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus to facilitate various types of fraud and cyber crime.
Since February 2020, the National Fraud Intelligence Bureau (NFIB) has identified 21 reports of fraud where Coronavirus was mentioned, with victim losses totalling over £800k. Ten of these reports were made by victims that attempted to purchase protective face masks from fraudulent sellers. Reporting numbers are expected to rise as the virus continues to spread across the world.
Fraudsters are also sending out coronavirus-themed phishing emails in an attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments or revealing sensitive personal and financial details.
Some of the other tactics we’ve identified from victim reports:
• Fraudsters purporting to be from research organisation’s affiliated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) contact potential victims over email. They claim to be able to provide the recipient with a list of coronavirus infected people in their area. In order to access this information, the victim needs to click on a link, which leads to a malicious website, or is asked to make a payment in Bitcoin.
PROTECT ADVICE
What to do next?
Watch out for scam messages:
Don’t click on the links or attachments in suspicious emails, and never respond to unsolicited messages and calls that ask for your personal or financial details.
Shopping online:
If you’re making a purchase from a company or person you don’t know and trust, carry out some research first, and ask a friend or family member for advice before completing the purchase. If you decide to go ahead with the purchase, use a credit card if you have one, as most major credit card providers insure online purchases.
For more information on how to shop online safely, please visit: https://www.actionfraud.police.uk/shoponlinesafely
Protect your devices from the latest threats:
Always install the latest software and app updates to protect your devices from the latest threats. For information on how to update your devices, please visit: https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/guidance/securing-your-devices
Notification of gas works
We are planning essential work to upgrade the gas network in the High Street, Cranbrook over the coming months. Our £625,000 project involves the replacement of old, metal gas mains with new plastic pipe to ensure a continued safe and reliable gas supply.
We have planned this work in close collaboration with Kent County Council, Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council, and Councillor Seán Holden to ensure we minimise disruption to the local community. Our project will start on Tuesday 14 April and will last approximately eleven weeks.
As agreed with the local authority, we’ll be working Monday to Friday from 7am to 7pm, and on Saturdays from 8am to 1pm. We are mindful of people who live in the area and will try to minimise noisy activities where possible.
Our project will begin on Tuesday 14 April in the High Street. To ensure everyone’s safety, we’ll need to close the High Street between its junction with the A229 Angley Road and Cranbrook Fire Station. Through network planning and downsizing our pipes, we’ve been able to reduce the road closure from a planned 12 weeks down to two weeks. We’ll also need to close New Road during this phase. A signed diversion will be in place for motorists and access for residents will be maintained.
Once we’ve completed our work in the High Street, New Road will remain closed for two further weeks while we continue to upgrade our gas mains. We will then pause our work for the VE Day celebrations.
From Monday 11 May, we’ll be working in the A229 Angley Road from the war memorial to the junction with Wheatfield Way for approximately seven weeks. We’ll need to install temporary traffic lights around our work area to keep everyone safe and the traffic flowing.
In July, we will then work in Bakers Cross between its junctions with Frythe Way and Dorothy Avenue for approximately two weeks. We’ll need to install temporary traffic lights during this phase to keep everyone safe.
You can find a map of our work overleaf.
We understand that people can get frustrated by roadworks. However, the new plastic pipe has a minimum lifespan of 80 years. This means that when the work is complete, Cranbrook residents will continue to enjoy the benefits of a safe and reliable gas supply for years to come.
If you have any enquiries about our Cranbrook project, please contact our Customer Service team on 0800 912 1700.
Steve Fitzpatrick Project Manager
Cranbrook’s first electric car customer, and a very happy one to, was a tourist from Berkhamsted who plugged into the newly installed electric vehicle charger on Easter Sunday. These chargers at the Jockey Lane Car Park will charge at 7.5kw per hour. A first-generation electric car battery holds about 22kw, a new generation car battery holds 42kw and these chargers will also fit rechargeable hybrids.
With electric cars becoming more popular Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council is hoping that this facility will encourage more visitors to the town.
It is the individual responsibility of every parishioner to take due care and attention in adverse weather conditions.
The Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council have made no arrangements this winter for snow and ice clearance, salting or gritting of the Regal, Tanyard or Jockey Lane Car Parks.
Cranbrook & Sissinghurst Parish Council will not undertake clearance of pavements within the parish. Residents and businesses are encouraged to clear the areas in front of their own property, although this will be entirely at their own risk.
There are salt and grit bins throughout the Cranbrook and Sissinghurst parish for use by parishioners. Spreaders are available from the Parish Office at the corner of Stone Street, under the Vestry Hall.
Throughout the winter season all residents and visitors to Cranbrook and Sissinghurst must use the roads, car parks and pavements with due care and attention. It must be clearly understood that all users of the car parks do so at their own risk.