News in Maldon

The branch of HSBC bank in Maldon High Street will close in July, it has been announced today (Tuesday, 19 January).

The news came as part of announcement from the bank that it is planning to shut 82 of its local and High Street branches nationwide.

A new community testing centre has been opened in Maldon for residents who do not have any symptoms of Covid-19.

From today (Tuesday, 19 January) the new fast testing centre has opened at West Maldon Community Centre in Sunbury Way, Maldon. The postcode is CM9 6YH.

Maldon District Council and Maldon & District Community Voluntary Service (CVS) share a vision - to support a strong and connected community, and to this end we often work together. I recently spoke to the Director of Maldon & District CVS to find out more.

The CVS is an independent registered charity which exists to offer support for charities, community groups and volunteers in and around the Maldon District and to promote volunteering opportunities. Within the CVS is the Volunteer Centre, where there are volunteers vital to the running of many local community groups and charities and there are a variety of ways in which you can get involved.

Tributes have been paid to a police officer from the Essex Police Police Marine Unit based at Burnham-on-Crouch after news that he died on Saturday.

Special Constable Toby Speller, who had worked with the marine unit for 16 years, passed away after contracting Covid-19.

Special educational needs and disability (SEND) provision in the Maldon area is facing a tight timescale to ensure it is fit for purpose when the service is re-assessed as soon as the spring.

Essex County Council (ECC) says it is addressing "significant weaknesses" in special educational needs and disability (SEND) after a health and social care regulator CQC (Care Quality Commission) and OFSTED report in November 2019 found "inequality and inconsistency" across the county.

Health chiefs for the Maldon area have launched a campaign to help inform people what they can do to treat Covid-19 symptoms at home - and when to call for help.

The campaign by Mid and South Essex CCG (Clinical Commissioning Group) focusses on a range of symptoms and how you can treat each one, including temperature/fever, cough and breathlessness.

A mass Covid-19 vaccination centre that could offer the jab to hundreds of people a day and will be available to anyone living within a 45-minute drive will be opened in Runwell, Wickford on Monday (18 January).

The new centre - which will be another venue where people living in Maldon can get the vaccine - is one of 10 new super hubs announced by the Government this weekend and is the first of its kind in Essex. It comes in addition to the local sites already in operation in Maldon, Danbury, Chelmsford, Witham and South Woodham Ferrers.

The air ambulance service covering Maldon is now helping with the transfer of some Covid-19 patients between pressured local hospitals.

The Essex & Herts Air Ambulance (EHAAT) team members travel by helicopter or Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) to local hospitals and accompany patients in a designated land ambulance to the receiving hospital.

A GP surgery in South Woodham Ferrers and another in Witham are among the latest Covid-19 vaccination venues to be added to the ever-growing list in or close to Maldon district.

Crouch Vale Medical Centre in Burnham Road, South Woodham Ferrers, and Fern House Surgery in Witham began offering the jabs yesterday (Friday, 15 January).

Viewers of new BBC series Pooch Perfect will by now know the face of bubbly award-winning dog groomer Hannah Bowles.

When the new BBC1 show launched on Thursday (15 January) the first part of the competition saw 5ft Hannah from Hatfield Peverel grooming beautiful but huge Alaskan Malamut Hancock to perfection.