Please Give To Support Donations Of Food – Covid19 Elmbridge Facebook Group
Many kind locals are doing an excellent job within the Covid-19 Elmbridge Support Group, working very hard to help elderly and vulnerable people with their shopping and providing other help.
Although in many cases it is possible for the elderly to pay for their own shopping, there are others who can not pay, or it makes the ability to help them very complicated.
To help those who can not pay and to make the help more effective, many people are donating food or giving money to buy food.
A JustGiving page has been set up to enable the public to contribute towards this essential aid.
JustGiving: Covid-19 Elmbridge Support Group
As most of you know for the past week the 5 of us have been supporting our elderly and vunerable community members in the Elmbridge areas.
We have been working most of the day and night to arrange and distribute essential supplies to the most elderly & vulnerable members of our society.
We have had an unbelievable amount of food and vital supplies kindly donated by members of the public but some have asked for a channel to be able to donate towards vital food supplies, essential items and fuel to be able to keep keep delivering.
We need to expand as demand has been surprisingly high and donations are going out as fast as they’re coming in.
Thanks guys and girls for everything you have done to support us in our joint fight against this awful virus.
Please keep yourselves and your families safe. God bless our amazing community and NHS staff who work tirelessly.
Karen Harland
Member of Covid-19 Elmbridge Support Group
Local Volunteers Offering Help, Mostly On An Informal Individual Basis
Covid-19 Elmbridge Support Group on Facebook
Anyone can join this group, which has over 1,300 members, to provide help to people who need it or are organising assistance. This page includes news, suggestions and resources.
It is also open for people who need to ask for help, for themselves, a neighbour, friend or family member.
Many kind people are participating, offering to shop and deliver food, medication and essential supplies. Also donations of food and a crowdfunding page to raise funds for this cause.
Many offers of volunteering, news of food availability and shortages, and people passing on their local knowledge. It is a place where there’s fairly quick reponsiveness to situations as they arise, so potentially very helpful.
The organiser is creating a road list so that people can most effectively help their neighbours or people living nearby as far as possible.
Want to donate to help provide food to the vulnerable and elderly?
Crowdfunding Page for Coronavirus Elmbridge Group
I am convinced that this is a reputable group and that most, if not all people who are offering assistance here are genuine. However, since in some parts of the UK, there are some unscrupulous people taking advantage of the vulnerable. So please be cautious and I’d suggest you read the advice from Elmbridge Borough Council below.
Here’s a link to the Facebook group: Covid-19 Elmbridge Support Group
Advice From Elmbridge Borough Council
How can I volunteer and provide support? And what should I consider?
We know that a lot of people are offering help and support to our communities, those who are self-isolating and those who are ill at the time. This could include support such as:
- Befriending
- Information sharing
- Drivers to support with shopping/ delivering medication
- Support with errands and day to day tasks e.g. post/ walking the dog
- Backfilling admin roles
- Boredom busters e.g. virtual reading groups
It is important however that this is done in a safe and coordinated manner. If you are volunteering to help someone, you should take steps to make sure you don’t contribute to the spread of coronavirus. These include:
If you feel at all unwell, do not volunteer to help others who are self-isolating
- Wash your hands regularly, especially before and after you deliver any items to a person in isolation
- If you make a delivery, stay 2 meters away from the person who is in isolation at all times. Place the items outside their door and then step away.
Other advice
- Be careful about how you share personal information about yourself and other people. Avoid sharing your or a vulnerable person’s address and other contact information in public groups or documents.
- Try to support people who live close to you so you don’t travel larger distances
- If you are visiting people and carrying out errands, take a look at the personal safety advice on the Suzy Lamplugh Trust website.
How can I get involved?
If you would like more information on volunteering and to register your interest, please visit Central Surrey Voluntary Action.
