Can we propose a better way?

[Lavalamplady2]

Long, long time lurker. Just made an account to post this.

Could we try and turn our discussions around and come up with a better way? I know there are local initiatives to help local friends and neighbours, perhaps someone in the know could link to them here.

Due to the nature of my work I am concerned about vulnerable families with children, so my contribution is-

Community premises (schools, village halls, churches) to be used for emergency childcare. Schools open to care for children of emergency personnel and those for whom taking time off work is not an option.
Community premises open to feed those children on free school meals, even if this were simply a takeaway service, breakfast/lunch in a bag.

I would commit time to this each week, anyone else? And yes, I realise it would be a logistical nightmare but what’s the alternative?

Any other ideas?

There’s a headteacher trying to organise supermarket vouchers for FSM kids.

Childcare wouid still need to conform to basic safety standards. Parents sharing DC and caring for them in their homes wouid be OK, but essentially opening new crèches might be problematic, unless parents stayed, which wouid defeat the whole point.

A local register of those prepared to help out from their own homes, possibly coordinated via PTAs, might be more realistic.

I'm on a WA group with others sharing ways we can help eachother with childcare, elderly care and other useful stuff. It's not massive, but there is practical help and we are keeping each other's spirits up.

RL local groups seem to be dealing with this better than larger SM platforms where people are being weirdly aggressive and angry.

True, perhaps schools opening in a limited way (once/if they close) using school staff? That would include me and I can’t be the only person out there that would step up? Even if we ‘just’ helped the emergency services it would be a start?

And yes, I can find the threads online, including here, difficult to engage with because of the anger. I understand that and tbh feel it too, but we aren’t getting anywhere are we? And I think this initiative would be better planned by those in charge, even if it was simply delegating to others?