PENALLT SUPPORT NETWORK
Requests for Help
and
Offers of Assistance
NEW! VILLAGE LOCKDOWN PAGE lists “lockdown” info relevant to Penallt.
In anticipation of the challenges many of us will face with Coronavirus and the Government’s recommendations for social distancing and self-isolation, the Pelham Hall Committee has set up a village support network, its initial members being residents Jan Harrhy, Amy Jenkins and David May.
Over 50 residents have volunteered their help by the beginning of April so we have sufficient help for the moment.
Do you or your neighbours need help?
• Collecting food or medicine
• Exercising pets
• Delivering or collecting parcels
• A friendly phone call to check how you are
Call 0115 888 3090.
The phone line is manned between 10 am and 12 noon, 7 days a week.
Thank you in advance for any help and support you are able to offer, we know this is a worrying time for everyone. As we receive both requests for assistance and volunteer details we will co-ordinate the appropriate response. We will also liaise with local GP surgeries should this be necessary.
The Penallt Support Network so far… (April 27 update from Jan Harrhy)
Following the last Pelham Hall management committee meeting on 16.03.2020 it was decided to offer a good neighbourhood service to villagers in our parish who would need assistance during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The Penallt Support Network was quickly set up by Amy Jenkins, Jan Harrhy and David May to offer help with errands such as shopping, prescription collection, posting parcels/letters, dog walking and a friendly chat.
Requests for volunteers were advertised through Penallt.org.uk, the weekly village email and Facebook for phoneline support and general volunteering with over 40 villagers willingly offering their help. Amy Jenkins collected the volunteer responses, set up the WhatsApp volunteer group and the call rota and manages the e-mails. David May set up the webpages for the Network and collaborated with Amy and Jan on the IT set up.
The phone line and email went live on 19.03.2020 with the first request for help coming in the following day and Jan Harrhy taking calls during the first week and Amy dealing with email requests. A 7-day rota was set up with different village volunteers taking calls from 10am-12 noon every day and has been running for just under 6 weeks now.
Initially, the Network was receiving a couple of requests a day but now this has reduced to a couple of enquiries a week. Some volunteers have linked up with villagers who need regular errands and villagers have been signposted to the various local delivery services that were already available or have come online since lockdown on 23.03.2020
The phoneline and email support will continue for as long as necessary and is ready and waiting for you to make contact 7 days a week 10am-12noon Tel 0115 888 3090 or email [email protected]. (If you want to volunteer, please use the email address).
If you know of someone who is not online, please let them know about the Network.
Don’t be embarrassed or think that you’re causing a nuisance! You’re not and all the volunteers are more than happy to help out! Stay well, stay safe!