17.12.21- Holiday Activities, Community Gift Appeal, Covid 19, Local Football

Thousands of Staffordshire school children will receive free hot meals and access to a range of activities over the Christmas holidays, all funded by the Department for Education.

More than 20,000 children and young people, aged between five and sixteen, who are in receipt of free school meals, will be eligible for the winter holiday activities and food programme being organised by Staffordshire County Council

The programme can be accessed through a registration system and activities will start on Monday and run until 31^st of December, There are lots of great things to do and to claim –  for example local group Bee Active have a free substantial play pack for eligible families.

If that’s you, you will have received a letter from your children’s school.  www.staffordshire.gov.uk/holidayactivities

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Yesterday, the gifts from the Community Christmas Gift Appeal, a joint Appeal by Aspire Housing, Tesco and The Stoke City Community Trust, were handed out to local charities at the Bet 365 stadium.  The appeal is now in it’s 10^th year and collects thousands of gifts every year.   More than 30 local children’s charities will be benefitting from the kindness of the people within our area, including the toys and selection boxes donated by the Hitmix Team and listeners.

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A difficult January is predicted for the NHS with rising Covid-19 cases, and if we want to reduce the risk of further social restrictions across our area, we need to act now.

Some people have still not taken up the opportunity for a first jab – please encourage friends and family to take up the triple vaccinations, it’s not too late to have your first dose.

If you have questions about the vaccine, please don’t listen to the myths. Instead, find out the facts on the NHS website. Covid-19 and long-Covid are terrible illnesses – the vaccines are your best defence.

There are three ways to get your vaccine before the end of the year

• Book online through the National Booking System
• Phone 119 (free to call)
• Attend a walk-in clinic, the details can be found here: https://www.twbstaffsandstoke.org.uk/coronavirus/how-to-get-a-vaccine-where-and-travelling

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Good luck to our local football teams this weekend – assuming that play goes ahead due to covid rules …  Stoke City are travelling to Coventry, Port Vale are hosting Exeter City at Vale Park and Crewe Alexandra are travelling to Gillingham.   Our two non league sides are away this weekend Newcastle Town are travelling to Merseyside to face Marine AFC and Kidsgrove Athletic will be taking on Workington AFC

To hear what happened in those matches tune into Sonya Farrall’s local and live show between 10 and 12 on Sunday morning, where George Andrews will be giving a sporting update, and Sonya of course will be sharing good news from in and around our area.

For more details and contact information with regards to the stories you have just heard, go to the Hitmix website www.thehitmix.co.uk and search local news