Coronavirus Update January 2021

The new variant of Coronavirus (COVID-19) is now spreading quickly over much of the country, helped in part by 1 in 3 people being asymptomatic, and also being much more transmissible.  As with previous lockdown restrictions, volunteers supporting vulnerable people can continue to work providing they follow the guidelines. However, with the local cases rising sharply, we do need to take extra care.

We intend to offer telephone befriending calls in place of some home visits, and to collect shopping rather than take members to the supermarket.

We will continue to offer collection and delivery of prescriptions and also to provide transport to medical related appointments where volunteers agree to continue.

The continued safety of volunteers and members alike is paramount.

Coronavirus update November 2020

Support to Vulnerable people can continue during Lockdown 2. Limited Home Befriending visits and Transport tasks will continue where both members and volunteers have agreed and follow the guidelines in place.  We are working alongside Helping Hands and the Baptist Church to provide help and support to people in the village.

Coronavirus advice update September 2020

Due to the recent government advice on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and social distancing for at-risk groups it has been decided that all of our services will be adjusted to enable us to continue to provide a service, albeit a reduced service.

Befriending tasks will now be carried out via a Telephone Befriending Service with volunteers contacting as many of our members as possible on a daily basis to chat, offer reassurance and confirm that they are well.

Some Home Befriending tasks will be restarted with a limited number of volunteers.  New safe working practices have been introduced to ensure all guidelines are being followed.

Transport tasks are also slowly being restarted with a limited number of volunteers and new safe working practices. We are still able to offer a service to collect essential shopping items.

Other tasks will also be considered on a task by task basis.

Coronavirus update March 2020

Due to the recent government advice on the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and social distancing for at-risk groups it has been decided that all of our services will be adjusted to enable us to continue to provide a service, albeit a reduced service.

Befriending visits will be replaced with more regular telephone calls from volunteers to keep our members company, confirm if they are well and provide an offer of further support such as collecting some essential shopping items.

Transport visits will also stop and instead will now be an offer of collecting essential shopping items.

Other tasks, such as garden tasks, DIY and help with IT and filling out forms, will also have to be put on hold and considered on a task by task basis.