​Thank you to the volunteers who support our community during the Covid-19 crisis

An army of volunteers who have supported their local communities during the Covid-19 crisis are being thanked by Bury Council in National Volunteers Week.

Hundreds of people came forward to provide a lifeline to vulnerable people and their neighbours when the lockdown began on 23 March.

Many of these volunteers were enrolled by Bury’s five community hubs to help deliver food and prescriptions for people unable to leave their homes.

Volunteers have also been making regular phone calls to help combat loneliness and pick up any issues where further help is needed.

Councillor David Jones, cabinet member for communities and emergency planning, said: “The Covid-19 crisis has been so difficult for so many people, but it has also brought out the best in our local community across the borough.

“The stories we hear in our community hubs of how people are giving up their time to support each other are heart-warming.

“Volunteers have been helping people they have never met before and binding our community together more strongly. Both the volunteers and the people receiving help are benefiting.

“In national volunteers week we pay tribute to them and thank them for all their hard work."

Here are some examples that volunteers have agreed to share:

Julie and John Southworth

When the lockdown started Julie Southworth, chairperson of Greenmount Community, and her husband John organised a group of around 20 helpers from her community association to hand deliver leaflets to 1,500 homes in the village offering help.

They also made up lists of local food suppliers that had a collection or home delivery service.

She said: “It’s been mainly bringing shopping and prescriptions but we have done some other jobs too like making masks and organising foodbank deliveries.

“When the helpers make the deliveries people often like to have a chat, so it's also helped to create some new friendships and a deeper sense of community. 

"People have become much more neighbourly. I would want that to continue in the future, to know that people can be assured that there is someone looking out for them.”

Richard Grace

Richard Grace, from Prestwich, used to work part-time in escorting learning disabled children onto their daily school bus.

Unable to do this during the lockdown he has instead been volunteering to collect people’s shopping and prescriptions.

He said: “There are people who are finding things pretty tough. My mum always had good neighbours to help her but many people don’t have that. People are stuck in on their own and they are very grateful for someone to help them out. They like to have a chat too. I’m just helping out.”

Netta Hymanson

Netta Hymanson, from Prestwich, has been helping people in her local community through a regular phone call.

She explained: “I have six people who I ring regularly, usually once a week. It has been fabulous, thoroughly enjoyable.

“I used to deliver parcels and I remember seeing people who obviously didn’t speak to anybody from one week to the next.

“So when the lockdown started I thought, this is going to be terrible for those people, and they will be frightened of the virus too.

“It’s so important for people’s mental health to have someone to talk to regularly.”

Russell Bernstein

Russell Bernstein, from Radcliffe, has been doing shopping trips for people who are shielding from the virus and collected a replacement nebuliser for one person.

He said: “I was referred to a man who normally got his relatives to collect his replacement nebuliser, but his relative had family who are shielding so that wasn’t possible.

“I have four regulars that I get shopping for. People are really happy and grateful, and you build up a relationship with people as a result.

“I have volunteered before, with groups or organisations, but this is different because it’s with an individual. I think that’s helped to create a greater community bond.”

Alex Williams

Alex Williams, from Ramsbottom, said: “I normally volunteer at Ramsbottom United Football Club and at the Met, and I worked in the public sector for 40 years, so I wanted to help my community during this time.

“I’ve been doing shopping for shielded people and it has been very positive. I’ve had to explain a couple of times that the items people wanted weren’t available, but they didn’t mind. It’s nice to know you are appreciated.”

Colleen Donovan-Togo

Colleen Donovan-Togo, from Prestwich, has been making deliveries to older people on her bicycle.

She said: “Most of the ladies live quite close to me but they are not people I knew before, so

it’s been nice to connect with my neighbours in a way that I would not have done before.

“Some of the shopping was just at the corner shop, but they wouldn’t have been able to get even there, so people have been very pleased and grateful.

“We cannot be physically together but this has meant we can still stay connected in our community.”

Janet Taylor

Janet Taylor, from Woolfold, Tottington, has been unable to leave the house to help other people because her husband is in the “shielded” group. However, she has been supporting her local community in many ways, including:

• -Writing three letters a week to the residents of three local care homes, to share her week’s experiences of gardening, pets, hobbies, food and baking.
• -Making crochet ear protectors that prevent the chafing caused by face masks used by health and care staff
• -Running an exchange library of books and DVDs from outside her home

Janet said: “I signed up to be a volunteer but I can’t get out because I can’t mix with other people. However, I have still been able to do many things to support my local community.

“I write my letters without mentioning Covid - it’s just about a normal life so as not to make people anxious - and I’ve been told they are going down a storm at one of the care homes.

“I started with 30 books and DVDs and that has grown to more than 200 now as people come regularly with more. People have left thank you notes to say how much it helps.”

ENDS

Picture: Three of our wonderful volunteers: Netta, Russell and Colleen.

Issued: 4 June 2020.