Setting up a local support group
Starting from scratch setting up a new support group in response to CORONAVIRUS?
Here is how one Central Bedfordshire group has put a robust system in place for their local community, in less than a week.
“Our group was set up in the middle of last week – there is a Facebook page which is a public group, and then a private Facebook group which is for volunteers to sign up to. We also have a central telephone number. We delivered leaflets to the whole of the village over the weekend.
We have a team of 5 or 6 people who are taking the calls, and about 50 volunteers so far, who will do shopping, collect prescriptions, walk dogs, etc. The volunteers provide their contact details to our administrator, and say when they are available and what they are prepared to do.
The call handlers have a prepared script to follow (attached), to obtain the necessary information from the person asking for help, and to ask for their consent under GDPR for us to hold their personal data. The call handler will then contact one of the team of volunteers and check if they can provide the support. If they can, the call handler rings the person back to say they will be contacted, naming the volunteer. The volunteer then rings the person needing help and arranges with them what is needed, agrees how any payment will be made (eg for shopping), etc.”
Toddington COVID 19 Help has kindly agreed to share the following resources:
Guidance notes to group helpers
Please note - the above resources were up to date as of 23 March 2020. Please follow government instructions at all times.
Community Voluntary Service resources for community groups, alongside links to local authority and national resources are available here.
