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An Update on Neston's Local Virus Response and Volunteer Army
| Author: Gareth Prytherch, Neston Community Youth Centre | Published: 17th April 2020 08:34 |
A Message from Gareth Prytherch, Neston Community Youth Centre (Your Local Charity)
Gareth Prytherch, manager at NCYC, who, with Zaria Shreef, is co-ordinating Neston's virus response with an army of volunteers and other local organisations.
Over the past four weeks, Neston Community Youth Centre has been working closely with partners to respond to local needs as they have developed. We know we haven't been very active on social media but there is one simple reason for that - we have been very, very busy. With the Government announcing this week that lockdown will continue for at least three more weeks, we are not expecting any let up any time soon.
To put things into context, in the past two weeks we (two staff) have taken more than 1200 telephone calls, registering 490 people who require help to #StaySafe #StayAtHome and #ProtectTheNHS. The incredible volunteer drivers from Ellesmere Port and Neston Community Transport co-ordinated by Neston Town Councillors Pat Kynaston and Christine Warner (who is also a CWaC Councillor for Ledsham and Manor) have delivered in excess of 500 prescriptions; our staff and volunteers have delivered more than 200 lots of shopping equating to almost £2000 in value.
Cllrs Louise Gittins, Martin Barker and Andy Williams have all been in touch to offer their support, whether that be financially, physically or emotionally. At times the whole process has been Joyful - chatting to people who are scared and lonely and just having a laugh, Stressful - finding out that one of our elderly clients was stranded in a hotel that was closing with no food and no idea how to find accommodation, Upsetting - finding out four times already that people we have only just got to know and one that we've known for many years have passed away and, Uplifting - putting a call out to volunteers and being literally inundated with offers.
We are certainly in new, different and changing times, but mostly incredibly positive.
None of this can be done on our own. We have relied heavily on the incredible networks of people we have worked with consistently for a number of years: Cheshire West and Chester Council, the Voluntary Sector Leadership Group, Ellesmere Port and Neston Community Transport, our very own Neston Angels volunteers who are ringing people on a daily basis to check they're OK, local pharmacies, local GP practices. All are already working under very challenging circumstances, but every one has asked 'What do you need?' and then gone out of their way to deliver.
As time goes on, we are hoping to be able to share more of what we're up to but it has been really important over the past weeks to just get on and do it. Having said that, it's easier to do that when you know you have AboutMyArea and Neston Life being AMAzing at getting information out to people. Had we had to do that too, I think we might have broken by now.
Finally, we keep being asked ‘What Can I Do to Help?' and that is lovely to hear. Right now we have more volunteers than demand for what we are doing so there are a couple of things you can all do yourself. Stay at Home! Check on your neighbours and if you can't help them put them in touch with us, be kind to each other and look after yourself.
I've always thought that Neston was a lovely place, full of lovely people - the current crisis has done nothing to change my mind.
- a weekly emailed snapshot of everything that is happening locally
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Comments
Rob WardIn 2010 we had Neston Youth & Community Achievement Awards. You can read about it at
https://www.aboutmyarea.co.uk/Cheshire/Neston/CH64/News/Local-News/168692-Neston-community-champions-rewarded
When we can eventually get together, let's have a similar celebration.
JSStatueYou need to log in before you can do that! It's only a quick registration process to join the AMA network and completely free.
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