PCG Blog

Young people aged 11 to 18 living in Gloucestershire can now access free anonymous counselling from qualified counsellors via an online mental wellbeing platform at  www.kooth.com . Kooth is designed for young people experiencing issues with their emotional wellbeing, such as anxiety, low mood or stress.  Counselling can be accessed through a drop-in service or booked sessions; there is no referral needed from a health professional, no waiting lists, and no criteria to meet to get support. As well as the option of online counselling, there is an online support network where young people can join friendly discussion boards to connect with others having similar experiences. They can access journals, goal trackers, and self-help articles with the option to contribute their own experiences or advice. Cllr Tim Harman, cabinet member for public health and communities, said: “It’s totally normal to feel stressed or anxious whatever age you are, especially if you’re not ab...

Pyke Quarry and Oak Quarry Household Recycling Centres to re-open Published 22.05.2020 The Household Recycling Centres (HRCs) at Pyke Quarry, Horsley and Oak Quarry near Coleford will re-open next week for pre-booked visits only. The HRCs at Hempsted in Gloucester, Wingmoor Farm at Stoke Orchard and Fosse Cross near Cirencester are already open with all trips needing to be booked in advance.  Next week, from Tuesday 26 May, the HRC at Pyke Quarry, Horsley will re-open with Oak Quarry near Coleford opening the following day on Wednesday 27 May. Social distancing measures will be in place to help keep visitors and staff safe and crucially anyone with covid-19 symptoms and those in self-isolating households MUST NOT visit. To limit the number of people on-site pre-booking is now required at all five of the county’s HRCs and vehicles should only have drivers wherever possible – a maximum of one passenger is permitted if you need help to unload your waste an...

Anyone over 18 in Gloucestershire can now access free anonymous counselling from qualified counsellors via an online chat based platform at  www.qwell.io .  Chats can be accessed through a drop-in service or booked sessions; there is no referral needed from a health professional, no waiting lists, and no criteria to meet to get support. Qwell, which is provided by XenZone, is designed for people experiencing issues with their emotional wellbeing, such as anxiety, low mood or stress. The site has a range of self-help tools, including friendly online discussion boards to connect with people having similar experiences, journals and goal trackers, and self-help articles with the option to contribute your own experiences or advice. Qwell is the  first of a new package of mental health support  to launch and will work alongside existing mental health services in the county to make sure there is a range of options for people depending on their need. If people can’t easily a...

                          38 Degrees reports - Today our message calling on the government to help people pay rent was sent straight to Chancellor Rishi Sunak - virtually! Over 100,000 members of 38 Degrees joined forces with Shelter to make our message even louder together. In this time of crisis, it's vital that housing benefit pays enough to cover average rents. It's a simple change that would mean people would no longer have to skip meals to make rent, or build up debts they can't afford to pay back. Below is a link to the facebook page which shows members handing in a petition https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=164030661693675

A new local drive-in testing centre will be opened.   It will be running for five days, from Thursday 7 May until Monday 11 May inclusive, and will be based at Oxstalls Tennis Centre in Gloucester. People with symptoms including key workers, people living with them or over-65s can attend the site, which is run by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), to be tested. The full list of who is eligible to attend is here: www.gov.uk/guidance/coronavirus-covid-19-getting-tested  Anyone with symptoms who is in the key groups listed can log onto the website and register via the self-referral portal. If they meet the criteria, they will be issued with a unique code and will be able to select the Gloucester location, as long as appointments are available. Some household recycling centres will reopen in a limited way: From Monday 11th May the two largest sites in the county at Hempsted in Gloucester and Wingmoor Farm at Stoke Orchard will re-open for essential visits only and ...

Hi my name is Liz and I’m proud to be a Black Country girl who moved to Stroud around 20 years ago with my partner and two boy, now aged 26 and 23.  My drivers in life are family, friends, community, justice and hard work. I am a passionate believer in fresh healthy food and thrive in the outdoors.  In my spare time I garden and create using wool, particularly needle felting. I also keep as fit and strong as possible doing HIIT, bootcamp, box fit and yoga classes, and my very important 10000 steps a day. I also support my elderly aunt who has Parkinson’s.  In my work life I am an engineering geologist working for a company in north Gloucester - currently furloughed.