Osob Elmi
BBC News

Image source, The Steppes

Residents at The Steppes care home in Nailsworth, Gloucestershire, were left in “tears of joy” when a local opera singer volunteered to entertain them.

Megan Strachan said she would sing for the elderly residents after it was shut due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Families have not been able to visit their loved ones since.

The residents sat by their open windows and doors, wrapped in coats and blankets, to hear the singer from Gloucestershire.

Carer Amelia Webb, 21, said: “they feel a bit forgotten so they were moved to tears when they were told someone came especially for them.

“It was the thought that someone was thinking of them.”

Image source, The Steppes

Police are investigating after the sudden death of a woman at a bus stop in Swindon.

Officers were called to Cricklade Road in Gorse Hill at 7am and say the cause is "unexplained".

Great Western Hospital says it is involved in trials looking into treatment options for coronavirus (COVID-19).

"It is important we do all we can to help prevent this situation from happening again, and are asking for patients with confirmed COVID-19, who are currently being cared for at Great Western Hospital, to take part in this trial," a statement said.

"There are currently no treatments for COVID-19, but the trial will seek to research the outcomes of a number of different treatment options.

"If this is something you, or a loved one, would be interested to take part in, please speak with the doctor treating you or your family member... the doctor will get in touch with [our] research and innovation team who will assess your eligibility for taking part in the trial.

Google is to publicly track people's movements over the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

The tech firm will publish details of the different types of places people, external are going to - the list for Bristol is below.

You can see retail has dropped by 87%, people going to workplaces are down 57% and visits to grocery stores are down 47%.

The plan is to issue regular updates with the figures referring back to activity from two or three days prior.

Read more about the story here.

Image source, Google

Bristol-based gin distillery, 6 O’clock Gin, have been producing hand sanitiser for local authorities, hospitals and nurseries during the coronavirus pandemic.

But late yesterday the gin brand made the hand sanitiser available to the public, on its website.

The company said it will match the volume of every 250ml bottle sold to customers with a donation of the now-valuable substance to the NHS.

The entire batch of 175 bottles sold out in under two hours.

Southmead Hospital in Bristol has already been in touch and will benefit from a bulk shipment in the coming days.“I am extremely proud of my team and how they have rallied together to create a product that is very much needed at this time,” said Michael Kain, the managing director, who is currently recovering from coronavirus at home.

Image source, 6 o'clock gin

People are going above and beyond in the BBC's Make a Difference campaign.

Thousands stood outside their homes and clapped to thank NHS workers for their selfless roles in fighting coronavirus.

At Beechen Cliff School in Bath, staff, two pupils and a parent took two hours and 348 chairs to create this tribute:

An extra 1,500 beds will be provided across two new sites in Bristol and Harrogate, the NHS says.

The pay rise was intended for the victor of the recently postponed Bristol mayoral elections.

The unofficial lines were painted in Bristol amid claims runners do not practice social distancing.

Image source, Kenton Cool

Adventurer and mountaineer, Kenton Cool, will discuss his many expeditions in a series of live-streamed conversations, beginning this evening (2 April).

He will be in discussion with the artistic director of Cirencester's Barn Theatre, Iwan Lewis, and it can be viewed on the Gloucestershire venue's Facebook, Youtube and Twitter channels.

The first 30-minute episode of Cool Conversations with Kenton Cool will launch this evening at 18:00 BST.

Kenton who lives in Gloucestershire, holds the British record for the most climbs to the summit of Mount Everest and, in 2013, became the first person to climb Nuptse, Everest and Lhotse in a single push without returning to base camp.

Aaron Finn is a third-year student, studying broadcast journalism, at the University of the West of England in Bristol.

His final year has been abruptly interrupted due to coronavirus.

The university ended all face-to-face lectures a fortnight ago.

But Aaron has been using his broadcast skills to make and send us this film about his new routine.

Image source, James Campbell

A former international athlete spent his birthday running a marathon - in his 19 ft-long back garden on April Fool's Day.

James Campbell spent his 32nd birthday running the 26.2-mile marathon course on Wednesday and took five hours and five minutes to complete more than 4,000 shuttles of his garden.

Mr Campbell promised to undertake the challenge if he got 10,000 retweets to his initial post on Twitter, having become bored while in lockdown at home in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

He set up a fundraising target of £10,000 but this has more than doubled with donations still being made - even after he finished it.

Mr Campbell celebrated by jumping in the air and swigging from a bottle of beer.

More than 80 families in one Bristol tower block have access to just two lifts and one laundry room.

Sharon Alcock
BBC News

Image source, Kelly Shellard

Thousands of people across the west are expected to come out onto their doorsteps again tonight, in order to show their appreciation for NHS workers.

The now-weekly event has brought communities together in their wish to express gratitude to all those working within hospitals, the emergency services and their partners, fighting the coronavirus crisis.

Some have gone to great lengths to light their properties blue in support.

Walking home after a 12 hour shift last week, Bath Health Care Assistant, Kelly Shellard, expressed what it meant to her, on Facebook;

"The cheers and the claps I can hear make us keep going and the fireworks were great. What a great community we live in."

Sevim and Rob Sangwell, who live in Coombe Park Road, own a lighting company that usually works for events and have seen all of their contracts cancelled. They decided to use their kit to create a "blue tunnel of thanks" instead.

"Last week we had three or four houses," said Sevim, "this week there will be around 13, on both sides of the road. We want to create a blue tunnel of thanks for any NHS staff going to or coming from work, and for the ambulances that enter the hospital from here.

"It’s just nice to thank the NHS staff who are doing such an amazing job and hopefully bring a smile to their faces at this time."

Bath's RUH Forever Friends appeal have launched an appeal for more volunteers to help them.

They have also begun a recruitment drive for cleaners, kitchen staff and clinical staff health care assistants to help them cope.

Image source, Geograph/ Gareth James

A heritage railway which was forced to suspend operations two weeks ago has received £30k in public donations.

West Somerset Railway was forced to shut down on 17 March before it had even opened for the season and launched an appeal to safeguard its future.

Chairman Jon Jones-Pratt said: “I’ve been both humbled and pleasantly surprised by this great show of financial support, especially when the minds of many people will naturally be on just getting themselves and their families through the Covid 19 pandemic crisis safely.

“It shows just how much people care about the WSR and what it means to so many of our friends."

The railway has opened up its Turntable Café in Minehead to the community via the ‘West Somerset Food Cupboard’, and is also sourcing and donating suitable rubber gloves from its workshop as PPE to the local hospital.

The answer is, very different for different people, says health worker and doctor Anna Chiles of Stow Surgery in Gloucestershire.

She and her whole family have had coronavirus... with varied symptoms.

It is a reassuring message, but highlights why we must #stayhome to be sure of not spreading the virus:

The performer, who was 78, found fame as part of the double act Little and Large.