Cornerstone House Centre Statement on Building Closure and Service Status During COVID-19 Level 4 Restrictions

Visitors to Cornerstone House Centre are asked to read the below important information in relation to all upcoming planned visits to the organisation’s community-owned building in light of Scottish Government’s announcement that North Lanarkshire will move into Level 4 coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions as of Friday 20 November 2020.

The health and safety of those who normally visit the building is of paramount concern to Cornerstone House Centre. Hence, the below information is provided by Cornerstone House Centre following First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s statement of Tuesday 17 November 2020 regarding coronavirus (COVID-19) protection levels in Scotland.

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IMPORTANT STATEMENT FOR VISITORS TO CORNERSTONE HOUSE

Cornerstone House Centre’s building at 1 Esk Walk (Town Centre, Cumbernauld, G67 1BZ) will be closed from Friday 20 November 2020 at 4.00pm until Friday 11 December 2020, with the exception of each Thursday from 5.00pm-6.30pm when Bethlehem House of Bread Food Bank is open.

As such, visitors or service users of any organisation operating from the building other than Bethlehem House of Bread Food Bank are instructed to not to visit The Centre during this period. Those visiting the Food Bank are asked to read the below information before assessing whether they should visit or not.

It is intended that the building will reopen on Friday 11 December 2020 if, as planned by Scottish Government, North Lanarkshire is reduced from Level 4 restrictions on this date. This is subject to change in response to Scottish Government announcements in the lead up to this date.

The team at Cornerstone House Centre thanks everyone for their patience and understanding in relation to this matter and apologises for any inconvenience that may be caused.

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CURRENT OPERATIONAL STATUS OF KEY SERVICES NORMALLY PROVIDED AT CORNERSTONE HOUSE CENTRE

Bethlehem House of Bread Food Bank

Bethlehem House of Bread Food Bank remains open at this time because it provides an essential service for people experiencing food poverty living in the Greater Cumbernauld area. However, there are some important restrictions on who is able to enter the building at the time the Food Bank is open.

Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of being unwell, including those with a cough, runny nose, fever, a high temperature or difficulty breathing, MUST NOT visit Cornerstone House Centre’s building under any circumstances.

Older people and those with underlying health conditions that are not showing symptoms are also asked not to visit The Centre during this period.

If this affects you but you would like to have attended or dropped off items for the Food Bank, please contact Bethlehem House of Bread Food Bank via Facebook or on 07737 999104 and alternative arrangements to visiting the building can be discussed.  

For those attending the building during Food Bank opening hours, please be assured that extra measures are being taken at this time to ensure standards of building cleanliness are maximised.

People visiting the Food Bank are asked to be extra vigilant in washing their hands and personal hygiene when they do attend.

Cornerstone House Centre

The Cumbernauld CHaT (Community Help and Talk) Service, which was launched earlier this year by Cornerstone House Centre to provide a range of free practical supports, interventions, advice giving and chat options for Cumbernauld citizens during the pandemic, is still fully operational at this time.

A telephone helpline, open from 9.00am-9.00pm every day, and email support service can be accessed free of charge through Cumbernauld CHaT. Independent of statutory agencies, the service aims to act as a first stop shop for advice, guidance, signposting, social contact and practical assistance for local people in need of help at this challenging time.

Cornerstone House Centre also continues to provide Cumbernauld Family Hub, Cumbernauld Community Health Information Hub, Cumbernauld CAN (Community Anchor Network) and other key services remotely during the period of the building closure.

Cornerstone House Centre’s Community Space facility, located at Unit 14 of Antonine Shopping Centre, has only been opened for specific events since the onset of the pandemic. This facility will be fully closed between Friday 20 November 2020 and Friday 11 December 2020.

The best way to contact the organisation at this time is through telephoning 07940 569527 or emailing admin@cornerstone-house.org.uk. Latest updates can also be obtained by visiting the organisation’s website, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages.

Cornerstone Cafe

Cornerstone Cafe, which has been opening every Tuesday-Saturday in recent months, is included in the building closure and will be closed after Friday 20 November 2020 until Friday 11 December 2020. Latest updates can be accessed by visiting the Cafe’s Facebook page.

Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Services

Weekly Sunday worship services provided by Cornerstone Christian Fellowship have not been taking place since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020.

However, a worship service is currently being streamed online every Sunday at 11.00am through the church’s Facebook page, with an open invitation extended to all. Further updates can be obtained by visiting the organisation’s website.

Other Services Operating from the Building

Weekly activities organised by ACH Dance Company and Musical Theatre, VMJ Acting Academy, Phoenix Futures, Extravadance Academy, Slimming World, Partners in Play, Abronhill Credit Union, C.EMM Dance, Caroline Jane Dance Academy, Cumbernauld Traditional Taekwondo Association, GTF Cumbernauld Taekwondo, XS Taekwondo Cumbernauld, Tigers Training Initiatives, Cumbernauld Gaelic Choir, Rhythm Time Cumbernauld, Safe Space Counselling and Cancer Research UK will not take place in the Cornerstone House building during the three-week lockdown period.

Service users are asked to contact these organisations directly for further information and updates regarding their service provision and contingency plans.

Unfortunately, all scheduled room hires planned for during the closure period require to be postponed given Scottish Government’s statement. To reschedule, please contact Cornerstone House Centre on 07940 569527 or email admin@cornerstone-house.org.uk.

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LEVEL 4 RESTRICTIONS: WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR CUMBERNAULD CITIZENS?

On Monday 2 November 2020, Scottish Government set out a new structure of COVID-19 protection levels (sometimes known as tiers or tier system) for local authority areas across the country. There are five different levels, with 0 being the lowest level and 4 being the highest level.

North Lanarkshire has operated at Level 3 during most of November 2020, but will move to operating at Level 4 from 6.00pm on Friday 20 November 2020 until Friday 11 December 2020.

To understand what this means for Cumbernauld citizens in terms of meeting others indoors, meeting others outdoors, socialising, shopping, travel, transport, public buildings and schools, download Scottish Government’s Level 4 Measures Information Sheet.  

Earlier this year, to assist people in the Cumbernauld area during lockdown, Cornerstone House Centre published The Cumbernauld Coronavirus 101 Directory. This details 101 organisations, services, supports and resources across the public, voluntary and private sectors which may be of benefit to Cumbernauld citizens during the coronavirus pandemic, consisting of a mixture of local, regional and national provisions.