Remember charities at this time
Many mutual aid groups are going ‘hyper-local’, which is great for being close to those who are most in need and helping to bring our neighbourhoods together in spirit. Grassroots approaches like this will benefit from being well-coordinated to make sure they aren’t duplicating efforts and that safety is always a consideration.
Many of these roles have been taken up by volunteers, who are vetting volunteers to make sure they have the necessary police (DBS) checks, finding available training and professional advice from others who are qualified in safeguarding the young and vulnerable and making sure people’s personal data is protected. Ward-level WhatsApp groups are also keeping in touch to gather so-called ‘road leads’ – finding similar problems in different parts of a wider area and working together to find the best answers to common challenges.
Existing charities can also form part of a ‘whole of society’ response. Charities have invaluable knowledge about delivering services, working with vulnerable people, sensitive data handling and safeguarding the vulnerable.
They can be a trusted source of advice when fake news can quickly spread on online channels and as older people are more likely to be self-isolating, charities who already provide crucial services may be losing a pool of their most valued volunteers. You can help fill this gap — be sure to check out your favourite charity to see if they need help.