Coronavirus – Latest Local Updates

Organisers of the Leicestershire County Show and the Harborough Carnival have announced the events will not be held this year due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

The Carnival was due to take place in June and the County Show in August, at the Market Harborough Showground.

Leicestershire County Council has taken the decision to close all of its recycling and household waste sites until further notice, including the tips in Market Harborough & Kibworth – sites across Northamptonshire are also being shut.

A £1m fund is being set-up to support Leicestershire’s voluntary and community sector during the coronavirus outbreak.

The County Council’s hardship fund will be available for local groups who will be impacted by a fall in income, because of things like reduced café sales, room rentals and donations.

Bosses want to ensure they can keep on providing essential support, particularly to people who are isolating and reducing social contact.

More details are expected later when councillors meet to discuss the initiative.

Leicestershire Council is extending the times people can use bus passes.

It’s responded to supermarkets opening earlier for older and disabled people, in allowing people free travel before 9.30am.

Social distancing measures are in place at Harborough Market from today.

Only the Food Hall is open, where queuing lines have been put down on the floor and customers asked to queue two metres apart.

There are also restrictions in place on the number of people allowed in the Northampton Road venue at any one time – Waitrose has also brought this into force at its supermarkets.

Harborough District Council has closed its front-facing Customer Services area inside the Symington Building, to protect residents & staff. You can access our services at harborough.gov.uk ,by email at customer.services@harborough.gov.uk or by phoning 01858 828282.

Market Harborough’s Foodbank is thanking people for their continued support at the current time.

Stock levels remain good, but there could be greater demand on the service in the coming weeks so people are being encouraged to continue donating.

Volunteers are also appealing for donations of hand sanitiser for them to use while sort and preparing food parcels.

Children across Harborough are placing rainbows in the windows of their houses to help keep others entertained during the coronavirus outbreak.

Youngsters are colouring in templates or drawing their own as part of an initiative dubbed ‘The Rainbow Trail.’

It’s designed to entertain them, while they are off school and spreading a message of hope.

See more pictures HERE

Please post any pictures of rainbows on our Facebook Page and we will add them to a page on our website – or send them to news@harboroughfm.co.uk – detailing the name of the child who made it and the area where you live!