We are asking residents and businesses to join us in saying 'thank you' to those who have helped our communities during the coronavirus pandemic.

'Thank You Day' is a national event, taking place on Sunday 4 July 2021, which aims to get as many people as possible involved, so everyone who deserves it gets a 'thank you'.

It is hoped, with local support and wider involvement, it could be the UK's biggest ever 'thank you party'.

Harborough District Council is calling on residents and businesses to show their appreciation to the hundreds of local volunteers and key workers who have selflessly supported communities throughout the huge challenges of the past year.

The Council will be highlighting the fantastic efforts of volunteers, its staff and partners – who helped provide frontline services, assisted vulnerable residents and supported local businesses as the pandemic hit. It will also be sharing 'thank yous' from the community.

A special 'thank you' message has been commissioned by the Council which will be seen across the district on the side of some of its recycling collection vehicles.

Harborough Market is also getting involved with the occasion and will be asking customers to nominate market staff or traders who they think have been most helpful during the pandemic.

Cllr Phil King, Leader of Harborough District Council, said: "For more than a year now we have lived in the grips of a pandemic which has had an immeasurable impact on all our lives. But during that time, some people have shown incredible spirit and selfless dedication by helping others in their communities either as key workers, by volunteering, or by simply being there for vulnerable neighbours when they need it most. There are so many people that deserve our thanks; I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to show their appreciation in their own special and creative way – and share it online."

On social media, people can use the hashtag #ThankYouDay to share their posts thanking those who they feel deserve it and those who have made a lasting impact over during these challenging times.
Find out more about how to get involved at www.thankyouday.org.uk 

The following day, on Monday 5 July 2021, NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers Day will be encouraging people to thank the healthcare workers who have supported them during the pandemic.
It will be a chance to show gratitude to all NHS and frontline staff, with an annual day of thanks, and remembrance of those who lost their lives due to Covid-19.

The day of thanks will take place on 5 July – the date the nation's pioneering National Health Service (NHS) was born, bringing free healthcare to everyone, 73 years ago in 1948.

The occasion will also be an opportunity to help raise funds for national healthcare charities.
Find out more about NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers Day at www.nhsfrontlineday.org

Rapid (lateral flow) Covid-19 tests show results in just 30 minutes - and by testing yourself regularly you're doing what you can to protect family, friends, workmates or business customers. 

Harborough District has seen a spike in the number of Covid-19 cases in recent weeks, mainly due to localised outbreaks, and currently has highest infection rate in the county.  

Rapid home-testing kits are FREE and available from chemists, Covid-19 testing sites, or you can order them online at www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests.

It is recommended that people take a rapid test about twice a week, even if they don't have symptoms of coronavirus, to provide reassurance for themselves and those around them that they are not spreading the virus. 

Around 1 in 3 people with Covid-19 do not have symptoms. Rapid lateral flow tests help to find cases in people who may have no symptoms but are still infectious and can give the virus to others.
The test usually involves taking a sample from your tonsils (or where they would have been) and from your nose, using a swab - with results in 30 minutes.

Lateral flow testing sites are now closed in the Harborough district, due to the availability of home-testing kits, although symptomatic testing sites remain open at Harborough Leisure Centre and Lutterworth Sports Centre 

A new campaign to help reduce the amount of litter left in laybys, along major roads in the Harborough district, has been launched this week with a number of action days taking place.
 
Harborough District Council is teaming up with Magna Park owners GLP, Lutterworth Town Council, and other Councils, to crackdown on roadside litter with new signage going up this week in local hotspots and at Magna Park.
 
The first action day took place on Monday 28 June 2021 along the A5, A426 and the A4303 roads in the district, which saw enviro-crime officers speaking to drivers and new signage, written in a number of languages, installed.
 
A further action day was held on Wednesday along the A47, A6 and the A4304 roads - with more to follow.
 
Extra patrols – using vehicles fitted with cameras – will also be carried out. The campaign will also involve local authorities from across the district boundary, including Blaby District Council and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
 
Following the success of the Council's Tip Off campaign in tackling fly-tipping in the district, it is hoped this latest campaign will reap similar positive results.
 
Cllr Jonathan Bateman, Harborough District Council's Cabinet lead on environment and waste, said: "We want a cleaner, greener countryside, it's as simple as that. We know we can't stop all littering but we are working hard with the right people to hopefully make a difference. It is totally unacceptable to drop litter anywhere, especially by verges where it can harm wildlife and impact on biodiversity; it is important drivers dispose of litter appropriately."
 
Gwyn Stubbings, Planning Director at GLP, said: "We are very pleased to be working in partnership with Harborough District Council on this important initiative, to ensure that Magna Park is playing it's part in keeping the roads and countryside in the district clean and attractive. Over 10,000 people work at Magna Park and we will be actively spreading the message that we all have a responsibility to prevent littering and any associated anti-social activities."

Residents in the Harborough district have been praised for their commitment to helping shape their communities after a major milestone was reached.
25 neighbourhood plans have now been adopted – or 'made' – across the Harborough district.

Neighbourhood planning is a way for communities to help decide the future of the places where they live and work.

The Council works with communities to bring neighbourhood plans to fruition through a formal process involving public consultation and independent examination.

It's game on at Market Harborough Cricket and Squash Club where the new Padel Tennis courts are proving extremely popular.

The introduction of Padel Tennis at the club has been possible thanks to £50,000 section 106 funding allocated by the Council, and funding from Market Harborough and the Bowdens Charity.

Padel Tennis can be described as a cross between tennis and squash and is played on smaller courts with a smaller racquets without strings. You can also utilise the walls when playing as in squash.

Last month, the Council allocated more than £925,000 from section 106 funding to projects across the district - including £892,938.13 to replace the existing youth centre and village hall in Great Glen with a new community facility. 

Section 106 funds are paid by developers to improve community facilities in areas where houses have been built.

Council Leader Cllr Phil King and Neil O'Brien MP took time to visit young people and employers who are benefitting from the national Kickstart Scheme.

They visited the Battery Service Hub in Riverside End, Market Harborough to meet Brooke Smith, office assistant, and Calvin Campbell, warehouse operative, who have been taken on through the Kickstart scheme. They also visited Jake Buytenhuys who has been taken on as a retail assistant by golf shop MB Performance Golf, based at Kibworth Golf Club.

Jake said: "Golf is my passion, it runs in my family, so this is such a nice environment to work in. I am working on the website so this allows me to build on my IT degree; it's really helping set me up for the future."

In November 2020, Harborough District Council invited businesses to apply for the Kickstart scheme which provides funding to employers to create job placements for 16 to 24 year olds on Universal Credit. Placements are funded by the Government scheme, giving businesses the chance to take on staff and grow during this difficult time.

So far, 13 young people have started a Kickstart role through the Council's 'gateway' to the scheme and are already gaining valuable work skills and experience with local employers. And more are set to follow over the coming months.

The Council and Harborough Innovation Centre are playing a key role in helping local young people and employers benefit from the opportunity.

If you are a young person interested in a Kickstart placement, speak to your work coach at the job centre and apply.

Employers are still able to apply to create placements through the scheme. Get in touch with us for more information and support business@harborough.gov.uk

A reminder that our eight-week consultation asking for your feedback on our climate change action plan closes on Friday 30 July 2021.

We've already had responses coming in with some very interesting views on what can be done as we look to create a cleaner, greener environment.

The Council has committed to reducing its own emissions to net zero, as far as practically possible, by 2030 and has produced a draft Action Plan which identifies six key commitments.

But we need the views of people, of all ages, to help us reduce carbon emissions further in the Harborough district over the coming years. 

We will also be doing targeted consultation with key groups and organisations later this month.  
 
Take part in the survey at www.harborough.gov.uk/climateconsultation  

Paper copies, for those without the internet, are available at Broughton Astley, Lutterworth and Market Harborough libraries.

Alternatively, people can complete the survey, via telephone, with a customer service advisor, by making an appointment on 01858 828282.

Work to enhance the River Welland, which runs through the Harborough district, has received a boost thanks to funding from a local business.

The Welland Rivers Trust has received funding from the Market Harborough Building Society Charitable Foundation to provide new equipment such as nets, buckets and identification guides for volunteer 'River Wardens' to take water samples and record biodiversity in their local stretch of river. In Harborough district, these include the River Welland, Langton Brook, Eye Brook and River Jordan.

The donation will help the Welland Rivers Trust, and its partners, to get a better understanding of the condition of the local water environment and give volunteers new skills through structured activities that encourage participants to spend more time outside.

Harborough District Council continues to support the work of the Welland Rivers Trust through the Welland Valley Partnership – a collaboration of local authorities, government organisations, private businesses and charities, to identify the pressures on the River Welland catchment and take steps to address them together.

The Welland Rivers Trust is currently working to assess the effectiveness of its habitat restoration programmes and identify the best locations for future action.