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Covid-19 and our community It has been inspiring to see our community coming together to support each other and those more vulnerable residents amongst us during the Corona-virus emergency. Whether it’s collecting prescriptions, delivering shopping or checking in with neighbours – it’s hard to argue that whilst this pandemic has dealt a terrible blow to so many, we are fortunate to live in such a lovely and close-knit village. I want to work with North Somerset Council and interested stakeholders to ensure that once the virus has left us, we retain a net-work of voluntary and professional help and support, well into the future. It’s a sad fact that as councils have become more financially constrained over the past decade, they have lost touch with or cut many of these community links. We need to change this, and I am working with like minded councillors, village agents, local businesses, residents and officers to try to do this. North Somerset officer Richard Blows, who has been coordinating community responses across the county agrees that ‘we have the chance to create a strengths-based, community-led response that can identify needs much earlier than the statutory agencies, and then respond’. I agree. Free Access to Online Newspapers & Magazines Libraries in North Somerset are offering temporary free access to thousands of newspapers and magazines. By logging into Press Reader, readers can read or download daily and weekly newspapers and magazines. The collection of around 7,000 titles includes international and foreign language newspapers, and up to 90-days of back issues. Newspapers and magazines can be read in either the original or screen-friendly format. You can also download, print, get automated audio narration, and automated translation into other languages. Press Reader will be available on a temporary basis until October this year. Anyone who’s not already a library member can join online by signing up at <www.librarieswest.org.uk/join>. Library members can also choose from a wide range of thousands of free eBooks, and download free audio books to listen to on their phones, PCs or tablets. More information on Press Reader and other eResources can be found at <www.n-somerset.gov.uk/onlinelibrary> Steve Cllr Steve Hogg Email: <steve.hogg@n-somerset.gov.uk> Tel: 07429005512