News

Durham County Council Small Business Support

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Friday, 03 April 2020 13:47

Kath Clements

Since its launch last week, @durham County Council have supported 3,575 small businesses affected by the #coronavirus, paying over £43 million in business support grants.

These one off payments of either £10,000 or £25,000, which do not need to be repaid, are designed to help small businesses in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors, many of which were the first to close or be affected by the pandemic.

Eligible businesses who haven’t yet applied are being encouraged to as soon as possible to get the help they’re entitled to during these challenging times. #CouncilsCan #CountyDurhamTogether

Find out more: http://ow.ly/c2bQ30quItv

Employability Durham Update

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Thursday, 26 March 2020 09:47

Corinne Walton

As you’re probably aware, Durham County Council has limited some of its services due to the advice from the UK government and Public Health. As a result of this, the Employability Durham team are not currently meeting with any members of the public but we are is still available to support our residents, albeit it remotely. 

We can still work with people over the phone, email or even video calls and it’s not just a service for our existing clients, we can work with new people too.  I know it’s a really challenging time for a lot of people, and some of our residents may find themselves out of work through no fault of their own.  We can help people gain employment through some of the sectors that are recruiting at the moment or, prepare them for when the other sectors are recruiting again. 

We can assist to create CVs, help people look for work and we still have access to our flexible fund to support people in their journey.  Eligibility criteria is in place, but we encourage people to get in touch with us and we can have a chat about what support’s available.

Email us at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or contact us via facebook facebook.com/DurhamCouncil/Employability

Support for you from Local Businesses – Update

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Wednesday, 01 April 2020 13:16

Kath Clements

The support being offered by some of our local businesses continues to be truly remarkable in these extraordinary times.   

Please see below an updated list of the support being offered currently, this is not an exhaustive list. 

Please keep on supporting your local businesses, they will really appreciate it. 

Food and Meal Deliveries (Consett & Surrounding) 

• Leadgate DIY are offering a same day delivery service to deliver items such as milk, eggs, fruit/vegetables, gas cylinders, pet food and cleaning products. This is available to the general public but especially older people. The service can be contacted on 01207 504400. (Updated 1/4/20) 

• Hunger Hangout in Leadgate are offering a delivery service of bread, milk and other supplies for the elderly (via Jacksons Taxis). Also, delivery of homecooked meals charged at their usual prices. This service can be contacted on 07596 747317. (Updated 1/4/20) 

• Just Meat Consett – Deliver meat, veg boxes and eggs to the door. Available to purchase on their website www.justmeatnewcastle.co.uk All payments will be taken online, with orders placed on your doorstep to limit contact. Cab driver will call to let you know they are outside so make sure to put a contact number on the order. (Updated 1/4/20) 

• Pizza Daddy in Blackhill, Consett are providing free pizza and chips for elderly people who are isolating (genuine cases only). Contact Pizza Daddy directly on 01207 588885. Open Thursday-Sunday. (Updated 1/4/20) 

• The Old Mill at Knitsley are offering take away/delivery meals and Sunday lunches.  Can also deliver some essential items. Call 01207 581642 to order. (Updated 27/3/20) 

• H & J Brown are offering to deliver fruit, vegetables and potatoes in the Consett, Stanley, Tanfield Lea, Catchgate, Annfield Plain, Burnopfield, Burnhope, Beamish, Pelton, Ouston and Great Lumley areas. A large mixed box costs £25, a small mixed salad and fruit box costs £12, a vegetable box costs £10 and a 25kg bag of potatoes costs £10. This service can be accessed through calling 07508 144515. (Updated 1/4/20) 

• Crinnions of Lanchester are delivering hot meals to residents of Lanchester and the surrounding areas. All adult meals are £5 and kid meals are £4. All meals will be delivered cold to be heated when required. Please order before 8pm the day before where possible. Please request when ordering if to be left on doorstep. Payment to be taken over the phone. This service can be accessed by calling 01207 520376. (Updated 26/3/20) 

Transport and Grocery Collections 

• Jacksons Taxis in Consett are adding an additional service aimed at clients who are not confident about leaving their homes or are in isolation. If someone contacts Jackson's directly, a trained driver will go the shop, pick up the client’s groceries and deliver them to the client’s home. The price for this is £6 for up to 3 items (including taxi fare), £9 for up to 10 items (including the taxi fare). All clients have to do is write a shopping list beforehand, if clients are not confident about face to face contact, they can leave the list, along with payment, in a safe space which driver will be able to retrieve before heading to the shop. (Updated 20/3/20) 

• Stanley Taxis are introducing a service for the elderly and isolated where they will collect items from the supermarket and deliver them to the client’s home address. Alternatively, clients can use the click and collect service at the supermarket, pass the reference number to the taxi company and the driver will collect the goods. All the client does is pay the driver or ring the office to pay with a debit card. Stanley Taxis can be contacted on 01207 230000 (Updated 1/4/20). 

*Please note, the information above may be subject to change so please use the contact details provided to double check the service prior to booking. This information also features on our Derwent Valley AAP Facebook page.

Increase in Corona Virus Related Fraud

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Thursday, 26 March 2020 08:39

Corinne Walton

Durham Constabulary have recently seen an increase in Covid-19 related fraud.

What scams are they seeing?

The majority of reports are related to online shopping scams where people have ordered protective face masks, hand sanitiser, and other products, which have never arrived. Other frauds being reported include ticket fraud, romance fraud, charity fraud and lender loan fraud.

There has also been over 200 reports of Coronavirus-themed phishing emails. These attempt to trick people into opening malicious attachments which could lead to fraudsters stealing people’s personal information, email logins and passwords, and banking details.

Protect yourself:

1) 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.

2) 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

3) 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

For more information about the above, including doorstep scams, please visit the website below.

http://www.safeguardingdurhamadults.info/article/18047/Concerned-about-an-adult-