Are there still volunteers doing shopping etc?

[Lemons1571]

Just wondering what we’d do if we had to isolate. We literally don’t have anyone who could go shopping etc for us, and my elderly father is in a bubble with us but lives separately, he’d also need help and care.

Is the NHS army of volunteers still in place and ready to go with shopping, collecting prescriptions etc? Or are there equivalent groups to help that are coordinated by the local councils / charities? I am worried that if we needed help and called the numbers on the various leaflets that came through the door in April, we’d find they’d all been dissolved because all the volunteers had been unfurloughed and are now back at work themselves.

Couldn't you order your shopping online? Supermarkets have massively increased their capacity for this since March.

There are loads of shopping delivery slots available now. You can get one delivered directly to your dad and if you tell them you're self isolating they do a contact less drop off.

Online is hit and miss around here. Sometimes there are slots, other times there are none. Presumably availability will drop if cases rise. We couldn’t do this for father anyway as he couldn’t carry it in to his house on his own.

Are you in a vulnerable group?

I will be making myself available again soon, got a lot going on at the moment but hope to be volunteering on the NHS Sam App by Oct/Nov

Yes the NHS volunteering programme is still running and will be through the winter

There’s a number to ring, open 8am - 8pm. Can take a few days and depends if there are volunteers in your area. Otherwise ring your local council as they have been given extra funding to assist people with this.

@Enough4me both me and DH are probably a bit vulnerable, have a couple of health conditions each that have been talked about in the news as pre existing conditions, but not shielding.

(I can send you the links but they’re on google )

I'm still volunteering for shopping/prescription collection with a local group :)

If you're worried why don't you plan ahead? Get in the basics so if you're stuck for a few days you'll be fine. The preppers board is great for this but really just paracetamol, long life milk, pasta, tinned veg, loo roll ...

Look on Facebook for a Covid mutual aid group in your area. At least some of the members are hopefully still in a position to help.

I am on ours and still not working so could help you

Thank you there are 5 of us including teenagers so our shopping haul is huge despite already having supplies hoarded.

All our groups have stopped except for a couple of volunteers providing long term provision for the very vulnerable.

How can an elderly person get a shopping delivery from the doorstep to their kitchen? If they use sticks and can’t carry it? If they are isolating presumably no one can go in to help.

Our MA group is mothballed but ready to go if needed.

Op, the NHS Volunteer Responders "army of volunteers" programme is still running with volunteers on duty to help with shopping, prescription collections or just for a chat.
Just call 0808 1963646 if you need support.

@Lemons1571 you could see if a volunteer group would do this, but you’d want to make sure they are a reputable group with DBS checks etc.

Or in this situation with your father I would ring social services at your local authority and get their advice too.