Dereham Cares support scheme needs your help

March 23, 2020

District Councillor Alison WebbDistrict Councillor Alison Webb is leading a new scheme, Dereham Cares, together with District Councillors Hilary Bushell and Phillip Duigan. The Dereham Cares project is designed to provide help and support to people who find themselves isolated with no friends and family nearby to help them during the Corona Virus emergency.

This scheme is separate to the “community hubs” that Breckland Council is setting up to provide food aid to people identified as at risk by the NHS. Those at-risk people include those with specific cancers, severe respiratory conditions and people who have received organ transplants. 

Volunteer Appeal

In the first stage of the Dereham Cares scheme, the Councillors are appealing for people to come forward as volunteers.

The District Councillors are appealing for volunteers from across the whole of Dereham and Toftwood to come forward to provide support to people who are isolated for whatever reason and have no family nearby to provide the food and other essentials they need.

Councillor Alison Webb says, “No-one likes to think that people could be isolated at home and unable to get essential supplies. We don’t yet know exactly what will be required of us, but I know that many people want to help in this terrible situation. It could be leafleting, collecting prescriptions, or delivering basic food stuffs to the doorstep. We also need people who can answer the phone to identify people at risk and work from their own home to co-ordinate volunteers.”

Commenting on the need for a volunteering group, Alison said: “It’s so important that in these uncertain and worrying times we do what we can to help our elderly and vulnerable residents, particularly those who may not have family or friends locally to help them. Please do what you can to help them cope with the impacts of self-isolation.”

You can register as a volunteer at the aboutDereham Partnership website at https://aboutdereham.org/dereham-volunteers/

Information on Coronavirus and its symptoms – visit NHS 111 online