Coronavirus – supporting the vulnerable

Basingstoke council issued the following advice on 20 March:

Supporting the vulnerable and elderly in our communities

You may have had people in your areas asking you how to volunteer to help vulnerable and elderly people while they are following advice to self-isolate or reduce social contact.  The borough council is partnering with Basingstoke Voluntary Action (BVA) to co-ordinate support for vulnerable residents during the COVID-19 outbreak.

BVA is bringing together a community network to support community organisations and understand where additional support is required across the borough.  The partnership seeks to enhance the significant community work already taking place across the borough and provide a source of further information and guidance.

Working closely with BVA, the borough council will also support residents with the latest advice and help match suitable volunteers to community groups across the borough. This includes answering queries around offering your services as a volunteer, setting up your own group, operating effectively and how to support volunteers.

If you know of any groups that are setting up in your area please let them know to visit www.bvaction.org.uk/coronavirus-volunteering or call 01256 423852 to register and find contact details for accessing guidance and support.