I was pleased to have been contacted recently by a number of individuals and businesses in my constituency who wanted to offer much needed assistance to those in need during this pandemic.
There are many inspiring stories of people coming together to meet the current challenges, including a group of 40 care homes in Bognor Regis who have created a Whatsapp group to support each other and to share resources. I want to thank everyone who is supporting the national effort against coronavirus and in particular our NHS and care workers who are the unsung heroes.
Following the Prime Minister’s announcement last month, West Sussex County Council, in partnership with local community groups, has set up a Community Hub to ensure residents get the support that they need and allows those who can to volunteer their services. A dedicated team is proactively contacting those who may be in need of support but fall outside the shielded cohort. Since going live on 25 March, over 2,300 contacts have been made through the Community Hub.
All volunteer offers are reviewed to establish specialist skills that West Sussex requires. As of 2 April, there have been over 225 offers of voluntary help received via the Community Hub.
West Sussex County Council are also establishing a partnership approach to source and distribute food, medicines and supplies to residents in need. Any businesses that want to offer their support should make contact via the Community Hub.
Visit https://www.westsussex.gov.uk/ for further information about the Community Hub or contact West Sussex Community Support on 033 022 27980. The helpline is open from 08:00 to 20:00, 7 days a week.