Want to help those self-isolating or at risk but don’t know where to start?
From donating to lending a hand to local charities, or from bolstering the efforts of the NHS to offering your expertise in a particular field, there are many ways to get involved.
I’ve put together a list of charities, business enterprises and local community support groups that are all rallying together to ensure our most vulnerable people in society receive the support they need during this difficult time.
Providing Food
Food banks have seen a shortage of donations in the wake of shoppers stockpiling. In addition, many people have already lost their jobs and the need to isolate among those of us who are aged 70 and over means there’s now a greater dependency on food banks.
There are over 2,000 food banks in the UK where you can offer your support. Together we can reduce hunger and tackle the UK’s food waste problem. According to the Waste & Resources Action Programme (WRAP) it is estimated that UK households spend £15bn each year on food that could’ve been eaten but ends up going to waste, and UK supermarket waste is estimated to be 10.2 million tonnes of food and drink, and worth around £20bn.
The Trussell Trust is the UK’s biggest foodbank charity who aim to erase hunger. They run a network of food banks across the UK which provide emergency support and food parcels to those in crisis.
Ways to help: Check with your local food bank what items they need the most here. The Trussell Trust also make donating easier by offering different drop-off points for collection at selected supermarkets.
Ways to help: At the moment they are in need of drivers and donations. Find out more on their website.
Lina Stores is a well-known Italian restaurant that closed its sites in Soho and King Cross in response to the government Covid-19 guidelines. Wanting to help, and realising they had resources that could make a difference to people’s lives, they created a donation page in order to provide free food for Londoners hardest hit by the current crisis. On their website it says,
The sum we have raised so far translates to roughly 8,000 meals, which will be able to help so many people in need. Essentially, for each £10,000 raised, we can provide around 4,000 extra meals. Each meal kit contains enough food to make 10 separate meals consisting of fresh, handmade pasta, accompanying sauces and extra cheese on top.
Ways to help: Donate to their Go Fund Me page.
Providing Accommodation
Last year there were almost 30,000 people estimated to be homeless across the UK and this figure is growing. Self-isolation is key to prevent the spread of Coronavirus but this is not feasible for people living on the street and in many shelters. These are deeply distressing times for those who already live under the strain of constant uncertainty.
Fortunately, the government have pledged to temporarily relocate homeless people into hotels. Charities have hailed this ‘a landmark moment’ and are now working around the clock to coordinate it. They urge people to contact StreetLink if they are concerned about someone sleeping rough, or to call 999 in a health emergency.
St Mungos houses 2,850 people each night and supports around 30,000 each year. Their goal is to support people to move off the street into safe accommodation and it’s now more than ever essential for self-isolation.
Ways to help: They welcome donations and you can read more on their website about the steps they are taking to assist people who are homeless during Coronavirus.
Centrepoint is the country’s leading youth homelessness charity which supports more than 9,200 young people aged 16-25 in London, Manchester, Yorkshire and the North East of England.
Ways to help: See their volunteer section to see what positions they’re looking for or you can Sponsor a Room for £12 a month which helps provide a young person a safe place.
Helping hospitals and staff
Thousands of doctors, and their NHS colleagues, are bravely standing between the virus and the most vulnerable in our society. Reports from doctors around the world express being overworked and that they cannot meet patient needs due to a severe shortage of equipment and staff.
We cannot simply rely on the government and the incredible NHS to fight Covid-19 alone. It’s vital that we help in any way possible so they can continue saving lives.
NHS Volunteer Responders is a new volunteer scheme set up to support the NHS during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Ways to help: Using the new Good SAM app, people can sign up in a few minutes to take on one of the following roles:
- Community Response Volunteer
Many people are, rightly, self isolating but don’t have anyone to help bring them essential food and medicine supplies. This role involves helping out those self isolating in your community by being that person to bring them essential supplies.
- Patient Transport Volunteer
This role helps the NHS by getting medically fit people back to their homes from hospital and making sure they are safely settled. Own car required.
- NHS Transport Volunteer
This role requires transporting equipment and supplies between NHS sites, it could also mean assisting local pharmacies with deliveries. Own car required.
- Check-in & Chat Volunteer
Due to self isolation some members of our communities will be at risk of loneliness, we need people to provide short term telephone support to those vulnerable individuals. This role can be done from home.
Royal Medical Benevolent Fund is a charity that provides support for doctors and their families through all stages of their career and beyond. Covid-19 has already claimed the lives of far too many doctors around the world. And hundreds of doctors in the UK have said they are less likely to return to the frontline or increase their hours to fight Covid-19 because they fear their families will not be properly compensated if they die. RMBF is established to protect the health, wellbeing and financial situation of doctors and their families in times of crisis.
Ways to help: Most volunteers will need to come from a medical background, if you think you can offer your service in this way please see their volunteer page, for other support donations are greatly received.
Join a local support group
It’s heart-warming to see the community efforts that have sprung up in response to Covid-19. Social media has been a powerful tool in getting the message out and connecting people with those who need assistance with shopping, collecting medicine and ways to alleviate loneliness.
The groups can cover a single street or ward as well as whole towns and follow a simple template: people who feel capable of helping those in need register as volunteers, normally on a Facebook page.
Covid 19 Aid Groups on Facebook, are an invaluable resource for practicing solidarity and kindness in these challenging times. Take a look at Hackney‘s, which bring together volunteers to those needing support.
Set up a WhatsApp group for your street or building which is an easy way to keep in touch with each other should anyone request help.
Leaflet with information about what help is on offer as well as contact details including a telephone number and a message of hope and support. Those in self-isolation can then request the help. See below at the leaflet my neighbour posted through my door as a template:
Lastly, the Mayor of London also has a page where you can register.
Stay safe and happy helping.
