It’s Doorstep Carols day, and Dave Williams and Lucy Davies look ahead to tonight’s carol singing event in Petersfield, plus the rest of the local news and information.

Don’t forget to get a copy of the Petersfield Post for all the words to the carols and remember to tune to Shine Radio at 6pm tonight for all the wonderful music.

Doorstep Carols start tonight at 6pm

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You can help to update the information we share via email to team@petersfieldradio.uk or by calling Petersfield 01730 555 500.

Information transcript

Petersfield’s local news

Petersfield Festival Hall to act as local vaccination hub from today.

Those aged 80 and over, as well as care home workers and residents, who have been identified as priority groups will have the new COVID-19 vaccine administered by nurses, paramedics, pharmacists, GPs and other NHS staff.

It’s not known how long the NHS will occupy the building, but organisers of February’s planned Antiques Fair know their event may be cancelled if medical staff still need the hall. So far, no planned events have been affected. Laura Sheppard has more:

Petersfield-based doctor Richard Kershaw of the Swan Medical Group is co-ordinating the project locally which will see patients from across East and Mid Hampshire come to Petersfield to receive their jabs.

Surgeries as far South as Rowlands Castle will refer patients to the Petersfield facility.

The Festival Hall is one of only a few centres that are not to be stationed inside existing medical facilities. The vaccine being deployed is required to be stored at extremely low temperatures so special equipment will need to be brought in.

Coronavirus cases are down in Petersfield and Liss but some neighbouring areas are seeing a new spike.

As we reported this weekend, Petersfield is experiencing a noticeably lower number of Covid-19 cases than other areas nearby. The latest figures for cases up to December 10 indicate that the Petersfield North and East Meon area has one of the lower case rates in the county. Noni Needs has more:

The latest Government data suggests that the Petersfield North and East Meon area now has 26 cases per one hundred thousand people, while in Liss the number is 38 point 5 cases per one hundred thousand people.

However, in Bordon and Whitehill the rate of infection is more than three times higher, and in Horndean North it’s more than four times the Petersfield rate.

The highest incidence in the local area is in Waterlooville where 283 cases per one hundred thousand have been measured.

That puts Waterlooville way above the national average and makes the infection rate there ten times that seen in Petersfield.

The government says it will review the tiers later today, but it’s expected to keep all of Hampshire lumped together.

East Hampshire is closing its holiday play scheme for Children…

East Hampshire District Council is set to commission welfare projects across the district targeted to the people who need them most.

The new way of working will see the end of the council’s long-running play scheme, the Rural Area Play Project (RAPP), with resources redirected into a variety of schemes aimed at improving wellbeing for all ages.

EHDC has earmarked welfare as one of its key priorities and has laid out its plans to help vulnerable residents in its Welfare and Wellbeing Strategy, adopted in August 2020.

Projects will be based on evidence gathered by the council’s research team, so the right services can be delivered to the people who are most in need.

It will be funded by resources redirected from the RAPP scheme as well as grants from the council’s Welfare and Wellbeing Fund and the Supporting Communities Fund.

RAPP was set up in 2006 to provide holiday play for children in the area’s towns and villages.

Since that time private play schemes have bloomed, creating a much more competitive market, while coronavirus regulations have seen the council’s programme curtailed.

Christmas lunch for isolated and elderly people in Petersfield is being offered on two days this year.

Normally, there’s a sit-down lunch in the Community Centre but that can’t take place during the Coronavirus pandemic.

So, in a combined effort between Age Concern and Petersfield Area Churches Together, lunches will be delivered on the twenty first of December and on Christmas Day.

Volunteers deliver the food which is donated by the catering team at Churcher’s College.

Organiser Will Hughes says that, for some people, the prospect of delivered food is a rare treat:

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Radio listeners in Petersfield will be able to join a national carols singalong at 6pm this evening.

Shine Radio has joined forces with other broadcasters around the country to encourage us all to take part in festive carol singing this evening.

The scheme is called Doorstep Carols and it works by singing along to the music which is broadcast on the radio.

It started in Shropshire but has spread around the country in recent years and this year reaches Petersfield for the first time.

We will play the music to the carols on Shine Radio and publish the words on our website so anyone in Petersfield can take part. Words to the selection of carols have also been printed in this weeks Petersfield Post. 

The live doorstep carol singing starts at six pm this evening.

Travel news

There’s a plethora of traffic controls in place around the Petersphere today so please be aware of potential delays on your travels. 

Take a breath here’s the list – Hill Brow Road in Liss, Petersfield Road in Froxfield, Fyning Lane, London Road and Langley Lane in Rogate all have traffic control measures in place which may cause delays.

The Avenue and Tilmore Road in Petersfield are both having works carried out and there are some carriageway incursions expected on Warren Side in South Harting, but none of these are expected to cause delays. 

And if we’re not saying what you’re seeing out there – you can call Petersfield 5 55 500 to help us keep Petersfield up to date.

And if we’re not saying what you’re seeing out there – you can call Petersfield 5 55 500 to help update this information. Just another way that you make it shine.

Shine Radio today

Market day today, but if you’re not visiting it, do stay with us at Petersfield’s Shine Radio if you can – lots of great listening all day and there’s a wonderful new edition of the P pod out today.

Listen at petersfieldradio.uk, by enabling the Petersfield’s Shine Radio skill on an Amazon smart speaker or search “Petersfield” on your favourite radio or podcast app such as TuneIn, Streema or myRadio.