Warwickshire News Mine

Gritting fleets have been busy keeping Warwickshire roads cleared. Latest reports state that snow clearing operations continue in the very south of the county which has been worst affected with reports of 45 cm of snow in places.  The routes in and around Rugby are currently being gritted again following a localised fall at lunchtime.

Winter maintenance is the latest county council service to be made available on social networking website Twitter. Residents can sign-up for real-time information about gritting progress in their area at http://www.twitter.com/warwickwinter.

The majority of the county’s schools have taken the decision to close today and parents can find out if their children’s schools are affected via http://www.twitter.com/wccschoolclosed, online at http://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schoolclosures.

Adult services have not been affected by the bad weather, David Curle, Buildings and Transport Manager for Adult Health and Community Service said: “Staff across the authority have been working tirelessly to ensure residents’ needs are met and service disruptions are kept to a minimum.”

“Thanks to this dedication our services are currently operating normally with the exception of day care centres which have been closed. We will continue to monitor the weather situation and will review procedures again in the morning.”

The council is also reminding local people to do all they can to safeguard themselves at this time by promoting the advice of national campaign ‘Keep warm, Keep well’ (http://www.keepwarmkeepwell.direct.gov.uk).

The initiative offers practical information and advice about how to stay well in winter and what financial support is available. The top five tips are:

Heat your home well - by setting your heating to the right temperature (between 18 - 21°C or 64 - 70°F), you can still keep your home warm and lower your bills. If you feel cold at night, use a hot water bottle or electric blanket - but never use both together.

Get financial support - there are grants, benefits and sources of advice available to make your home more energy efficient, improve your heating or help with bills. It’s worthwhile claiming all of the benefits you are entitled to.

Eat well - food is a vital source of energy, which helps to keep your body warm. Try to make sure you have hot meals and drinks regularly throughout the day.
Get a flu jab - you can get a free jab to protect against seasonal flu from your GP if you are over 65 or if you have a long-term health condition.

Look after yourself and others - on cold days try to avoid going outside; however, if you do need to, remember to wrap up warm. If you have an older neighbour or relative, look out for them during winter to make sure they are safe and well.

Kim Harlock, Head of Strategic Commissioning for adult services said: "Every winter in the UK, 25,000 - 30,000 deaths are linked to the cold weather. Most of these are older people, but young people with long-term illnesses such as asthma can also be vulnerable.

"It is really important that people look after themselves during the cold winter months and that we do as much as we can to keep a close eye on our friends, relatives and neighbours, especially if they are older or have long term illnesses.

"The ‘keep warm, keep well’ messages are very simple - I encourage everyone to read the leaflets or take a look at the website."

Link to WCC