Beaminster Community Resilience Team puts Coronavirus (Covid-19) Community Support plan in place.
Beaminster, Dorset, UK. The Beaminster Town Council’s Community Resilience Team are well advanced in implementing a Community Support plan to support and provide assistance to any members of the local community who may require additional help as the Coronavirus (Covid-19) unfolds in the United Kingdom.
Part of the initial planning has been to establish a network infrastructure of volunteers to help with extreme cases where emergency support is required from individuals in the community as well as local businesses who need assistance to get deliveries to those who are self-isolating. However, due to limited resource under increasing pressure, the plan is also aimed at encouraging individuals within the community to assist their own immediate neighbours, friends and families as a first solution and are advised to review official government & NHS guidance to ensure this is done is a safe manner.
Liaising closely with Dorset Council’s Emergency Planning Team, the Support Group, made up of representatives from local businesses, healthcare workers, community wardens, church groups, community initiatives and more, have started to identify critical areas of need that would need to be supported as groups of people start to self-isolate in a bid to protect themselves, and others, from the spread of the virus.
Those in need of help:
The initiative is urging anyone in the community who is in need of urgent help, to contact the Town Council directly who will then be able to liaise with the correct volunteers to provide the support required, or direct them to the appropriate healthcare bodies for further assistance.
Volunteers:
The Community Resilience team has been collating the contact details of a huge number of volunteers within the local community who have offered their time and support as part of this initiative. Working closely with the individuals and businesses, the team is coordinating efforts based on critical demand. Critical services identified so far which may be require assistance include collection or delivery of medication, distribution of food and supplies, dog walking services and more. Any volunteers who have already been in touch to offer assistance will be contacted shortly with further updates and requests to get involved where the need arises.
“We are living in unprecedented times and with a huge strain already placed on our National Health Services, we feel that as a community it is important to do what we can to support each other through these challenging times. The most important message that we’re aiming to spread is that there is emergency support available beyond friends, families and neighbours, and that nobody needs to feel isolated and alone. We have an incredible database of volunteers already putting their names forward to step in and help in any way that they can,” says Robin Cheeseman, Vice Chairman of the Beaminster Town Council.
For anyone who is looking to volunteer their services, or anyone who may need additional help, we would urge them to contact the Beaminster Town Council via email on [email protected] or on 01308 863634, or on 07377 435 186 for after-hours emergencies.
For anyone who needs further information about the Coronavirus, please consult the UK Government’s Response Page at https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response.
For further updates and more information, please visit www.discoverbeaminster.co.uk and follow our social media profiles for more.
