On Sunday evening Her Majesty the Queen addressed the nation saying that despite everything “we have seen heart-warming stories of people coming together to help others, be it through delivering food parcels and medicines, checking on neighbours, or converting businesses to help the relief effort.”
Locally, one of the truly wonderful things to emerge from the Covid-19 crisis has been a huge amount of voluntary activity, stepping forward to support frail friends and neighbours. Brentwood Council continue to do an extraordinary job in the face of real challenges – and they find themselves supported by brilliant initiatives across the Borough. Over the past week I have been in touch with all manner of voluntary organisations big and small, new and old who have stepped up to help out the local community.
Brentwood Covid-19 Mutual Aid has been doing sterling work in the town, helping people who can’t leave home get food and prescriptions, walk dogs, or simply have chats. In Blackmore and Stondon Massey volunteers have delivered thousands of leaflets around the villages to let people know that there is a local support group should elderly or vulnerable people need it. Likewise in Ingatestone and Fryerning, a huge group of helpers has appeared to look after the needs of residents. Local churches, like St George’s in Pilgrims Hatch, Christ Church in Warley and All Saints in Doddinghurst, are offering support and advice – as are Parish Councils across the area. And, of course, across the country, three quarters of a million people have signed up to be NHS volunteers.
We are still not through the worst of this. There are some difficult days ahead. But the planning we have put in place – the increases in intensive care units, the large numbers of former NHS staff returning to help the health service in its time of need – will help cushion the blow.
These are extraordinary times – and they are bringing out extraordinary qualities in our country. Please do your part. Stay at Home. Protect the NHS. Save Lives.
As ever, please let me know if I can help with anything www.alexburghart.org.uk
For contact details of many of the voluntary organisations mentioned above, see the Brentwood Borough Council website at this address https://bit.ly/2RiwZkK
Pictured: at Brentwood Town Hall pre-coronavirus restrictions helping councillors with distribution of leaflets.
