Doncaster Council has launched a Community Hub in response to the COVID-19 crisis, to ensure the most vulnerable people across the borough will be supported during the coming weeks.
Doncaster Community Hub, is a partnership between Doncaster Council, Doncaster Culture and Leisure Trust (DCLT), Age UK and other voluntary, community and faith organisations across the Borough.
Mayor Ros Jones said:
“We have been planning for Coronavirus over the past month, In the last week we’ve been working closely with partners to pull together this Community Hub resource to help people in our communities.
“The Coronavirus ( COVID-19) pandemic has changed the way we go about our day to day lives and while we are all learning to adjust to these changes, for many people it will bring a great deal of uncertainty.
“Doncaster Community Hub will provide various levels of help and support for people who might not have access to support from other avenues. Phone, email and online support will be provided as well as on the ground teams who will be able to deliver food, pick up prescriptions and help with a variety of other tasks.
“I am extremely grateful and moved, but not surprised that partners and volunteers are seeking to help our most vulnerable families and residents at what are unprecedented times.”
Doncaster Community Hub will provide:
- A Helpline available 7 days a week from 8.00am to 8.00pm – anyone can ring this if they are vulnerable and have no other support or if they know of someone who needs help
- An email service to access and request support offering online signposting for people
- An online chat service that will be operational daily from 8.00am to 8.00pm and will be able to signpost people to the support they need
- Practical support such as urgent food supplies, shopping, collection of medication and checking up on vulnerable people
- Signposting and connecting people to others in their local community and ideas for ways to keep well during this difficult time such as exercising at home, keeping connected to friends and family or just finding someone to talk to
- A place for those who want to volunteer and help to co-ordinate this with existing voluntary and community organisations
This service will prioritise those people who have no one else to help and who are the most vulnerable, for example over age 70, have an underlying health condition, families struggling to cope and those people who have received a letter from NHS England stating they are in a priority group.
Mayor Ros added:
“We know that the next few weeks will be difficult for everyone and we will be working hard to make sure that we can help to ensure that everyone knows where to access the support available to them, we are all in this together, I ask for people to be kind and be patient through this difficult time.”
To access help and support from Doncaster Community Hub call 01302 430300, email enquiries@dncommunityhub.org.uk online chat www.dncommunityhub.org.uk