We wanted to share with you our Director’s (Aaron) regular update he’s sending out. Just to keep you in the loop!
If you need anything during this difficult time then please get in touch with us on
020 7223 2845 and [email protected]
As the second lockdown kicks off today, I wanted to get in touch and let you know what we’re up to. We’ve made the difficult decision to suspend our face-to-face services again and resume our ‘virtual’ support (over the phone, online, by text and WhatsApp and through the good ol’ fashioned post). It’s a not a decision we’ve taken lightly. But we believe it’s for the best (for the time being).
There are a combination of factors we’ve included in reaching this decision: our members (their needs/wants/vulnerabilities), staff and volunteers (their health, wellbeing and capacity), work that other local support groups are doing, as well as government guidance; and we’ve drawn upon our experience from the first lockdown. Saying that, we may do some face-to-face work with our most vulnerable members during Lockdown 2, but we are going to review these on a case by case basis (and as more guidance is released by the government) over the next few days.
So, in essence our work with local children, young people and their families, elders, women and refugee communities continues, just through a different medium.
As does our partnership work.
This week we’ve revived ‘Battersea Coronavirus Angels’ – local volunteers supporting local vulnerable residents by picking up shopping, medicine and prescriptions. We also provide a telephone befriending service. We’re running this in partnership with St Mary’s Battersea Church and Sacred Heart Church. During the first lockdown 450 volunteers supported more than 530 vulnerable residents. More here.
I’m chairing the ‘Wandsworth Covid Food Providers Group’ – a network of 30+ charities, community and faith groups providing food and support for local people. I’m pleased to report they are up and running to support residents during Lockdown 2. More here.
I’ve also set up and am leading ‘Wandsworth Digital’ – a new local partnership of 70+ organisations and individuals, working together to make Wandsworth the most digitally inclusive borough in London by 2024. It is made up of charities, community organisations, schools and colleges, independent funders, businesses and the Council. It’s arisen out of the first Covid lockdown.
We are working towards enabling our most excluded residents to have access to affordable devices and data; to have the skills and training to access local goods and services; and the support necessary to incorporate ‘digital’ into their everyday lives. This is a work in progress so do join us on this journey. It will take us working together as one community, each playing to our strengths, to make Wandsworth a truly digitally inclusive borough. More here.
Stay in touch
And we’re doing so much more… To keep everyone up to date we’re posting 2-3 updates/stories/reports/opinion pieces each week on the news section of our website. Do check it out regularly: more here.
Finally, we’re kicking off our ‘Christmas Fundraising Campaign’ on 1st December. It’s another ‘double your donation’ opportunity to support our education work during lockdown. I do hope you can help. Our staff are putting together a short film with one of our families about their experiences during lockdown. We’re hoping to preview this film w/c 23rd November. We’ll be sending out invites nearer the time.
Contact
If we can help you in anyway during this second lockdown (and beyond) then please contact us on
020 7223 2845 and [email protected]