Oracle December 2022

December 2022

Your all-seeing local

RACLE

Thorpe Bay, Southchurch, Garrison, Shoeburyness, Leigh, Chalkwell, Westcliff & Southend Conservation Area. Circulation: 14,000

Est.2005

COMPETITION LOCAL ISSUES

Loneliness in the elderly...

Can you help?

SPOTLIGHT T.B.R.A & Speed Bumps

WIN! Enjoy £100 worth of treatments at The Bay Sanctuary

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MP'S COLUMN Hospital backlog busting

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December 2022

ORACLE

WELCOME

Christmas is normally a time for family and friends to exchange presents, eat, drink, sing Christmas carols, attend church, play games, and thoroughly make the most of the festive season. Sadly, this isn’t the case for everybody as it can be an incredibly difficult and lonely time, particularly for the elderly.

10 % CREAM

Wishing You a Wonderful Christmas

This month, Age Concern Southend, highlights this local problem and very much needs Southend’s residents to help play their part in helping those less fortunate.

Turn to page 9 and find out how to help make a huge difference to an elderly person’s life.

Win a fabulous prize this month offered by The Bay Wellbeing Sanctuary worth over a £100 in total. Enjoy a full body massage, mini facial and experience the wonderful Flotation tank. For more information on this hidden gem, located near Thorpe Bay Station, visit www.atthebay.co.uk.

To enter the Oracle/The Bay Wellbeing Sanctuary competition visit www.oraclepublications.co.uk/ competition. Closing date 31 December 2022.

There are some great events planned locally for this December and the New Year. A number of those events are promoted within December's Oracle or visit the www.southendoracle.co.uk for a larger selection.

Merry Christmas to Oracle's clients and you the readers.

170 The Broadway Thorpe Bay SS1 3ES

Emma Wynne-Morgan Publisher

01702 393838 Oracle House, 11 Clarence Road, Southend-on-Sea, Essex SS1 1AN

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CONTENTS Loneliness in the ederly...

Can you help?

9/10

Local Issues by Julia Usher

T.B.R.A. & Speed Bumps

16/22

Spotlight by Andrew Hall

Hospital backlog busting

26

MP's Column by Anna Firth MP

Meet the new District Commander, Chief Inspector Jo Collins 28 Police Watch by Essex Police

To buy or not to buy...

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Hair & Beauty by Craig Smith

Hot Cheese Dip with Pitta crisps

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Recipe by Judy Barden

Innocent until proven guilty

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Health & Wellbeing by Jacqui Sayer-Noble

Useful Numbers

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Brainbox 52 Advertiser Index

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Advertorials The Bay Wellbeing Sanctuary Why do you need Lasting Power of Attorney?

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All rights reserved. No part of Oracle Publications UK Ltd may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means either wholly or in part without prior permission of the publisher. Oracle Publications UK Ltd is editorially autonomous and the opinions expressed are not those of the publisher unless expressly stated.

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December 2022

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December 2022

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December 2022

LOCAL ISSUES

Loneliness in the elderly…

Can you help?

A

ge Concern Southend need volunteers to help tackle a mounting waiting list of lonely and isolated elderly looking for companionship through their telephone and face-to-face befriending service.

Age Concern Southend are a small, independent charity based in Westcliff on Sea, Essex. We provide support, advice and services to older people in Southend and the surrounding communities. One of our most popular services include our befriending programme, which has been in operation for over 10 years.

Over 2,500 visits

Julia Usher 01702 345373 julia.usher@acsos.co.uk www.acsos.co.uk

December 2022

Both face-to-face and telephone befriending is available to anyone over 60 in Southend and the surrounding areas who may feel isolated or lonely or do not see anyone on a regular basis due to health or mobility issues. The service is completely free but relies on the support of kind hearted volunteers.

We currently have a team of 110 befriending volunteers who are then matched with an older person in their area to call or visit once or twice a week, ideally. We provide 171 people

with the befriending service. Of these people, 55 are currently receiving a visit each week; 133 are currently receiving a telephone call each week; and some people receive both.

This means that more than 6,000 telephone befriending calls are made each year, and over 2,500 visits are made each year to isolated people in our community.

The oldest person being befriended is 100 years old, and the average age is approximately 78. The longest running befriending case we are aware of had been ongoing since 2011 and ended recently when the client sadly passed away.

Loneliness at Christmas Julia Usher at Age Concern Southend said, “Levels of isolation vary from case to case. Some of our clients are housebound and have no family or visitors, some are bedbound and only see carers, and most will have some contact with family, friends and/or carers but want to make more meaningful connections. As you can imagine, Christmas can be a difficult

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9

LOCAL ISSUES

time for many older people who may have lost family and friends and the Winter months often make it difficult for people to get out as much, so we expect there will be a significant need for more befriending volunteers in the months ahead.”

Support is rewarding “The programme is rewarding for both befriender and befriended. We are often told that our calls or visits give people something to look forward too, make them feel calmer, less anxious and supported. Our volunteers feel fulfilled, helpful and less lonely too – carving real friendships.”

“It really is a vital community service.

Just last Christmas, one of our telephone befrienders made us aware of concerns for a member’s welfare, after he had sustained an injury and was unable to leave his home. He had run out of money, food and medication *Statistics gathered and true of October 2022

10

and had not wanted to ask anybody for help. We were able to get some support for him and referred him to the Access Team for ongoing assistance.”

Service in high demand As you can imagine, the Pandemic has had a significant impact on social isolation in the elderly and in turn this service is in high demand.

During the pandemic, we could only offer telephone befriending and unfortunately had to put our face-to-face befriending on hold. The waiting list was at 0 at the beginning of the first lockdown in 2020, but

by December 2020 this had risen to 49 people waiting, it now stands at 77 for telephone befriending and 79 for face-to-face befriending, with an average waiting time of 6+ months (although we do prioritise those most in need). Unfortunately, our administrative demands have also grown, whilst volunteer support has reduced as people return to work post-lockdowns.

The charity is looking for more volunteers who can offer an hour or two a week to help Age Concern Southend reduce this waiting list. We anticipate that 60-80 volunteers are needed to tackle the growing waiting list and hope that local businesses may also like to support us, affording time to their employees to volunteer. Without volunteers this vital service would, quite simply, not be possible. If you would like to learn more about how you can help, please get in touch by contacting Julia on 01702 345373 or emailing Julia.usher@acsos. co.uk. All volunteers are supported in their roles and DBS checks are carried out by the charity, more information can be found on our website www.acsos.co.uk.

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December 2022

December 2022

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December 2022

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December 2022

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15

SPOTLIGHT

T.B.R.A. & Speed Bumps E

ight months on and Thorpe Bay Residents Association (TBRA) is thriving. Your support has been substantial and as such has managed to achieve a huge impact on our community in a very short space of time. We have grown to over 1200 members on both Facebook and our donation led newsletter subscription.

Andrew Hall Chair Thorpe Bay Residents Association

16

The Beach Cleans have been a roaring success as was the Street Party. We raised close to £1000 of food for the local foodbanks all thanks to your amazing generosity.

Back in February 2021 Cllr. Woodley, then portfolio holder for Highways and Transport commissioned a report to compile the worst affected roads in the City and cost the repairs needed. The worst road on the list is Elm Road in Shoeburyness, in Thorpe Bay it was Burges Road at 151 on the list! When Cllr. Woodley initially proposed the speed bumps it was met with a huge groundswell of anger as it was neither needed nor wanted. Thorpe Bay is blessed to have some of the safest roads across Southend. To see such huge sums of money wasted on roads that do not need this is unforgivable.

It’s important to understand that the money being proffered by the Government is to improve local road safety but with no stipulation as to what and how. A not unsubstantial sum of £500,000 is available to help make our worst roads safe. Instead, Cllr. Woodley still wants to spend this money not on the worst roads but the safest. As someone who is very much pro road safety, I find this approach difficult to comprehend and understand. Let’s tackle the worst roads first and then work our way through the list methodically.

Unfortunately, Cllr. Woodley insisted the proposal be reinstated despite opposition from his own Independent Party group. None of the Councillors I’ve spoken to are in favour of this proposal and are completely against them.

Tick box exrcise This consultation or lack thereof has been yet another waste of public funds that could’ve been spent far more wisely repairing the numerous potholes that litter our

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(continue in page 22)

December 2022

FESTIVE HOUSEHOLD WASTE COLLECTION DATES HOUSEHOLD WASTE AND RECYCLING CENTRES

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Revised collection day

Tuesday 27

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All communal bin collection will be taking place a day later than usual between Monday 26 December and Friday 6 January.

Communal bin collection schedules will go back to normal week commencing 9 January.

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December 2022

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October 2021

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SPOTLIGHT

(continued from page 16)

city. Instead of the “Open full and fair consultation” promised by Cllr. Wakefield and in open Council

by Cllr. Wakefield we were given a tick box exercise that consisted of scheme A lots of speed bumps or scheme B less speed bumps. The third option that was C do nothing until further data is gathered, was completely deleted at the request of Cllr. Woodley and Cllr. Terry.

Mockery of the 'Consultation' What followed was a confusing climbdown. To allow residents to not tick either option and just add their comments on what they wanted. Unfortunately, by the time this was added the consultation was already halfway through, which will undoubtedly lead to skewed results and make a mockery of the 'Consultation.'

22

Reduce the long road into smaller sections and reduce speed TBRA have offered some solutions to Cllr Wakefield in meetings and on the face of it were met in a very positive manner. These included additional raised crossings to not only help all pedestrians cross the main roads safely but also aid road calming through reduced speed.

In Burges Road we suggested changing the give way to stop signs and moving them from the side roads into Burges Road. In effect this would reduce the long road into smaller sections and reduce speed without the need for excessive speed bumps.

Whatever way the Council decides to proceed, it is clearly evident that there are far more less intrusive ways to calm traffic and aid us all but more importantly we must ensure the money is spent on the roads that need it the most not the roads that need it the least.

I know of many residents that have chosen scheme B not because they’re in favour but because it was the lesser of two evils and have written in the comments section to that effect stating they don’t want anything.

Of the Councillors whose roads are on the list of top 10 worst affected roads.

All wanted to see the money spent in their wards first, before spending it on some of the safest roads as in Thorpe.

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December 2022

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MP'S COLUMN

Hospital

backlog busting

D

uring the by-election, I found an elderly gentleman lying in the cold who had been waiting for an ambulance for hours.

To me, this was simply unacceptable.

As a new golden city christened by King Charles in honour of Sir David, I knew that we needed a healthcare system that was fit for the proud status and great people of Southend-on-Sea. Thus, I promised you I would do everything within my power to fix it if I was chosen to represent the best constituency in the country, Southend West. You kindly put your faith in my promises and trusted me to be your representative in Westminster. Since then, I have been focused on one thing - delivery.

We've got 111 new paramedics I immediately set about meeting every NHS chief executive responsible for the overall journey of a patient and tasked them to improve the current situation. We needed to get paramedics back on the road and patients into community care that would prevent readmission.

Nine months of relentless lobbying later and I am pleased to have delivered on my promise. We’ve

got 111 new paramedics, 11 new ambulances, a new £1.2 million outpatient building, an enhanced discharge service, and now an amazing 12-bed ambulance handover unit! Not bad.

The latest development will mean hospital care starts sooner whilst under the supervision of a dedicated clinician. Their care will also be monitored regularly by emergency care staff, nurses, and healthcare assistants before admission to the emergency department. Meanwhile, paramedics will be back on the road helping those most in need.

by Anna Firth MP Conservative MP for Southend West anna.firth.mp @parliament.uk

See Anna Firth MP press release on the news page on Oracle's website

"It is integral that we keep this pace" I want to thank our amazing NHS superheroes from the ambulance service and Southend Hospital for helping to make this all happen.

Without them, our health service would not be the amazing British institution it is today.

It is integral that we keep up this pace, and I will continue to work with and for our local NHS players and community to ensure we are better prepared for winter as we know demand will naturally rise.

As you can see, a promise I make is a promise I deliver. By putting people before politics, I am determined that this great city will become even safer, healthier, and wealthier than it already is.

As ever, if you have any issues I can help with, please contact me on anna.firth.mp@parliament.uk.

26

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December 2022

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Police Watch

Meet the new District Commander, Chief Inspector Jo Collins

S

outhend’s new District Commander, Chief Inspector Jo Collins, says maintaining the trust and confidence of the local community is one of her top priorities as she starts her new role.

Ch Insp Collins has lived in the area for nearly 30 years and is now responsible for local and community policing – the officers who respond to 999 calls and are solving and preventing crime across Southend.

Ch Insp Collins has taken over from another Southend local, Ch Insp Ian Hughes, who has moved on to the force’s serious violence unit after two and a half years in the role.

As one of the most popular seaside destinations in the country, Southend experiences high numbers of day trippers and holidaymakers but unfortunately with that comes a small minority who are intent on committing crime or behaving anti-socially.

106 people arrested

This summer, Operation Union, which was in place to combat high-harm crime in the busiest areas of Southend, saw 106 people arrested between April and October with officers conducting nearly 7,500 hours of patrols along the seafront and up the High Street and surrounding roads. However, Ch Insp Collins wants to address the myth that all the policing resources are concentrated on the tourist areas.

She said: “The perception might be that we’re focussed on the seafront, but we have neighbourhood and ward officers in every area across the entire district.

“While some of our focus in the summer is on our busy seafront and town centre, we respond to the needs of the public wherever they are.

“I want our officers to be visible in their local communities and increase the trust and confidence of the public by preventing crime and treating victims properly.”

Strong links

Ch Insp Collins said she was “thrilled” to be given the opportunity to lead such a busy and diverse team and that she wants to maintain the strong links the force has with partner organisations and the local community.

“Many of the officers who work in Southend were born and grew up here,” she said. “They’re really proud to help keep the city safe.

“We’re lucky to have such strong relationships with the council, local businesses, community groups and charities, but I want to build on those and support the wider community to make sure everyone who lives here or visits Southend feels safe.

"Police officers like nothing more than talking to the public" “It’s such a vibrant city, there is something here for everyone and we’re so lucky to have such amazing beaches and green spaces on our doorstep.

“Southend has a rich history but with the new city status and the visitors

and investment that will attract, it has a really exciting future.”

Ch Insp Collins would also like to encourage the everyone in Southend to engage with their local officers whenever they see them on the streets.

She said: “Police officers like nothing more than talking to the public. Let the officers know if you have any concerns so we can act on them. The more we know about what’s happening, the more we can do to help.”

Keep up to date with latest from Essex Police in Southend by following the district Facebook page, www.facebook.com/EPSouthend

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33

HAIR & BEAUTY

To buy or not to buy...

A

s Christmas looms ever closer and virtually every TV ad break seems to feature a celeb flogging a ‘fragruns’ – they never say fragrance – buying a beauty gift is a great idea, but it can be a bit of a minefield too.

The products someone uses are usually highly individual, so choosing wrong could be met with an underwhelming response. On the other hand, a prolific user of all manner of different beauty products is likely to be delighted.

It might not be the most romantic gesture, but a gift card is a pretty safe bet - especially for a popular store or brand. If you know someone who is something of a beauty addict, an organiser might just be THE thing. Featuring everything from see-through plastic drawers, brush holders, shelves or revolving holders, organisers are particularly ideal for small-space living.

For thos less gifted at wrapping It’s worth noting that at this time of year virtually every skincare producer offers gift sets, so if the other half favours one type or another, it’s worth checking those out. Just don’t do the passive-aggressive thing of buying stuff like anti-wrinkle cream…

For those less gifted at wrapping or last minute shoppers, some sets are available beautifully packaged. Lush and The Body Shop always have a great choice of prewrapped gifts for every budget, while luxury brands such as Aqua di Parma and Officina Santa Maria Novella will deliver to your door direct from Italy. Just be prepared to feel like you’ve bought a half-share in a brand-new Ferrari if you do.

If makeup is on your list, classic shades suit most people, while for lipsticks and nail polish, bright red never goes out of style. But most important of all, have a very Happy Christmas with the ones you love!

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JURY FINANCIAL

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You may get back less than you invested.

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RECIPE

Hot Cheese Dip with Pitta crisps

T

by Judy Barden Next month’s recipe: 'Homemade creamy tomato soup'

his is now a firm family favourite throughout the year ! Any get together I have to make this dip after I did it for a cookery demonstration and everyone always reaves about it. Leave the bacon out if you have vegetarians or for a change use some chorizo instead of bacon. Enjoy!

Ingredients FOR SHARING 125g/4 ½ oz Philadelphia cream cheese 50ml/ 2 oz soured cream 65g/2 ½ oz grated mozzarella 65g/2 ½ oz grated extra mature cheddar 2-3 spring onions, chopped 3 rashers streaky smoked bacon, grilled until crisp and roughly chopped 1/8 tsp each paprika, salt and pepper 2 Jalapenos, chopped, optional Celery batons and pitta crisps, to serve

Preheat the oven to 190/fan 170/gas 5 Put the cream cheese, soured cream, ¾ of the mozzarella and ¾ of the cheddar in a large bowl and cream together with a wooden spoon. Add the paprika, salt and pepper then gently stir through the spring onions and bacon.

Spoon into a flat earthenware dish roughly 16cm/6in in diameter, smooth the top and then sprinkle with the jalapenos, if using, and top with the remaining mozzarella and cheddar.

Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and bubbling. Let the dip cool for 3-4 minutes before serving with pitta crisps and celery batons.

ORACLE

estate planning In association with Countrywide SE LLP 38

Ingredients FOR THE PITTA CRISPS 3 pitta breads 2 tbsp olive oil, sea salt & pepper To make the pitta crisps, preheat the oven to 200C/ Fan 180C / Gas 6 and using a knife split the pittas in half then cut into triangular wedges.

Spread on a large baking sheet, then brush with oil and season. Bake for 5 minutes then remove from the oven and shake the pan to move the pitta crisp around a little, then return to the oven for another 3-5 minutes or until crisp and slightly golden. Remove and set aside to cool.

Will Writing • Power of Attorney • Trusts • Funeral Plans Will Updating & Storage Facilities • Probate Administration Call Clive Rowe on: 01702 393838 e: crowe@countrywide-se.com w: www.countrywide-se.co.uk Oracle House, 11 Clarence Road, Southend SS1 1AN

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values have been held dear for a number of years. Since starting the business some years ago Cloudy2Clear have remained true to their core values of supporting the local community by providing a service that saves the public money.

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43

ESTATE PLANNING

Why do you need

Lasting Power of Attorney?

Loss of mobility or mental capacity can make it difficult to manage your affairs.

What if I am unable to manage my affairs?

There may come a time in your life when you are unable to manage your financial affairs or personal welfare, owing to some form of incapacity and you will need someone to act on your behalf.

Even when we are young, we can find ourselves incapacitated owing to illness or injury and it can be invaluable having a reliable person, who is able to manage your personal affairs and remove the anxiety of having unpaid bills, at a time when you most need peace of mind.

Similarly, as we get older, the need for an attorney increases as we are more prone to illness and injuries.

Trusts, Probate and Funeral Plans. We offer the best possible advice at the time you need it most. Covid compliant, we can arrange an informal chat or meeting via zoom/skype at our offices or in the comfort of your own home. Please feel free to contact me on 01702 393838.

by Clive Rowe, Oracle Estate Planning in association with Countrywide SE LLP

What kind of LPA do I need?

There are two types of LPA: Property and Financial LPA - This type gives your attorney the authority to deal with your property, your bills, bank account and investments. This can be used while someone is still capable but has chosen to delegate to their attorney.

Personal Welfare LPA - This can only be used when you have lost capacity and are unable to make decisions for yourself. It gives someone you trust authority to make decisions about where you should live and what medical treatment you should receive.

Don’t leave it too late!

Instead of preparing while we are physically and mentally fit enough, many of us choose to put off dealing with such unwanted eventualities until the inevitable happens and by then it’s too late.

Who can I rely on for sound advice?

When estate planning, it is important that you can rely on the adviser. Oracle Estate Planning offers a friendly and professional service, including Wills, LPAs,

ORACLE estate planning

In association with Countrywide SE LLP 44

Will Writing • Power of Attorney • Trusts • Funeral Plans Will Updating & Storage Facilities • Probate Administration Call Clive Rowe on: 01702 393838 e: crowe@countrywide-se.com w: countrywide-se.co.uk Oracle House, 11 Clarence Road, Southend SS1 1AN

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HEALTH & WELLBEING

Innocent until proven

guilty W

hat is the meaning of ‘Guilty’? In the eyes of the Law, Guilty, means being responsible for a specific wrong doing, resulting in some form of penalty. However, it may be that someone may not break the law but be guilty of a moral code such as having an affair or just being unkind to others because they are unhappy.

The Effect of Feeling Guilty During my seven years of being a therapist there have been many clients who were eaten up with guilt of one kind or another. Harvesting guilty feelings, was causing them constant internal distress that keeps them awake at night causing anxiety that can feel worse than the actual guilty feeling itself.

Many clients I have helped should not be feeling this guilty emotion in the first place as the reason they are feeling this is because they are good kind people who care so much.

BWRT or Hypnotherapy With three of these clients I successfully used the BWRT protocol

H.E.A.L.L JSN Therapies 48

and for the fourth she preferred hypnotherapy which was also very effective.

If I can help you please contact me on 0771785699 or at jacqui@jsntherpies.co.uk.

Guilt is an Emotional response I have been working with four client’s recently who had different issues, with no mention of feeling guilty but during the course of assessment it became apparent that in addition to their other issues they felt guilty about something that they have done, didn’t do or couldn’t do.

All felt they were all unable to help elderly parents as much as they wanted to, or being made to feel guilty because they couldn’t do what was expected of them by their parents and others.

Two of them felt really guilty about going on holiday and leaving parents behind in case something happened whilst they were away.

However it was apparent that both these clients desperately needed that respite break, away from their responsibility to those parents in order to recharge to be able to continue with the extra duties they had taken on as well as working and supporting a family too.

If you are suffering from stress or anxiety, I can help you!

0771 785 69 99  jacqui@jsntherapies.co.uk I am able to do consultations via Face Time, Skype or Zoom www.oraclepublications.co.uk

December 2022

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ORACLE ONLINE DIRECTORY

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ORACLE 01702 393 838

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435555

Southend General Hospital

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Bansal Pharmacy 587500 178 The Broadway, Mon–Fri 9–6.30pm/Sat 9–1pm Howells and Harrison Thorpe Bay Pharmacy 582658 The Broadway, Mon–Fri 9–6.30pm/Sat 9–5.30pm Closed 1–2pm Wed+Sat

Local MP

Anna Firth (Conservative) (Southend West) 020 7219 4098 James Duddridge (Conservative) (Southend East) 616135

Animal Welfare

Downes & Prtnrs, Veterinary Surgeon RSPCA Rochford

584511 0300 1234 999

Police emergency Police non-emergency Essex Police Marine Unit HM Coastguard

999 101 01245 452815 01702 294998

Police Services

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Southend Forum 215011 Bournes Green Post Office 582241 Traveline 0871 200 2233 Arriva Southend 0844 800 4411 First 01268 525251 National Express 08705 80 80 80 Odeon Cinema 0871 2244007 SSAFA (Soldiers, Sailors, Airmens Families Assoc.)

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