Welcome to the May edition of the Oakley Vale blog – we hope you’re all keeping well and are making the most of this lovely English weather…
May is here at last which finally means (providing the Covid conditions are met) that we can socialise with family and friends indoors once again. It’s been a long and tough few months but we’re so proud of how the Oakley Vale community has come together – we couldn’t have done it without you!
In this blog, we’ll outline the new Government guidance, some exciting things to come for Oakley Valers, and how to have your voice heard at the upcoming Local Government elections.
National ‘Share a Story’ month
But first, we wanted to focus on national ‘Share a Story’ month which is held every year throughout May. The month is a celebration of the power of storytelling and story sharing, and highlights just how important stories are to us, especially in times like this.
With that in mind, we’re inviting you to share your own tales! We want to know one of your favourite memories in Oakley Vale, it could be when you first moved here, your earliest memory of Oakley Vale, or even when you realised Oakley Vale was ‘home’. And if you have children, don’t be afraid to get them involved too – it’s a well-known fact that children tell the best stories!
If you or someone you know would like to share an extra-special story with us, simply email us on: info@wpe.spd.agency. We’ll be sharing our favourites in the next blog, as well as on our social media channels so get in touch!
Follow us on Instagram!
Last month, we left you with news that we were working on a few behind the scenes projects. Well, this month we can announce that Oakley Vale has got it’s very own Instagram page! We chose Instagram because it’s simple, visual and allows us to share some of the amazing pictures you send us of life in Oakley Vale.
For all those interested, you can find the page here.
Tell us what you want to see from Oakley Vale
Last month, we also announced that we would be launching a survey to get more of your opinions on how our website and social channels can best serve the community. We’re delighted to announce that this is progressing well, and we’re aiming to share it with you later in May – remember to keep an eye out for it!
At Oakley Vale, we’re so keen to give our community a strong voice so that together we can gather ideas and drive forward change. We believe that a community that is heard is happier, healthier, and more likely to grow and thrive.
Government guidance
The arrival of May marks the next step in the Government’s plan to guide us out of the Covid-19 pandemic. As usual, we wanted to give you an overview on what these new changes actually mean so that you can stay safe and informed. From May 17th:
- Most restrictions on meeting others outdoors will be lifted
- Indoors, the ‘Rule of 6’ or two households will apply
- Indoor entertainment venues such as cinemas and children’s play areas can open
- Some larger performances and sporting events in indoor venues can go ahead
- Up to 30 people will be able to attend weddings, receptions and wakes, as well as funerals
- However, gatherings of over 30 people will remain prohibited
It’s not long before it’s back to business as usual in Oakley Vale and we can all start doing the things we’ve missed. Talking of which, we were inspired by a recent reply to one of our Facebook posts where we asked the question: ‘Looking back over the last 12 months, what’s the biggest and most important lesson you’ve learnt?’
See the reply for yourself!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learnt over the last 12 months? Email us on info@wpe.spd.agency and share your thoughts!
And finally…
Last but not least, we wanted to give you a quick guide to the local elections which are happening on the 6th May 2021. For those of you who don’t know, these elections will decide who’s in charge of local public services and how they’re run. To cast your vote, head over to your nearest polling station. If you don’t know where that is, you can find it here.
All that’s left to say is that we hope everyone has a great month! Remember to keep smiling and stay safe – see you in June!
