April 2021:
In recent weeks, and over the next few months, restrictions are slowly being lifted across the country. We will all be able to see more of our friends and families, and visit places that have been closed for months. This is likely to have an impact on the support we are requested to provide, as well as the amount of time that our volunteers can offer.
Home visits are still currently being replaced with either garden visits or walks around the village where possible. Safety measures for limited indoor visits will still be required for a number of weeks.
We will continue to offer free prescription collections from our local pharmacy to anywhere in the village where people may still wish to isolate, and we will try our best to provide transport for medical appointments.
Other tasks will be considered on a task by task basis.
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.
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.
September 2020:
Some Home Befriending visits 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.
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.
Last Updated. 02-May-2022 By Keith