Mahatma Gandhi said, “the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members.” Now, it has never been more important to pull together and ensure everyone is receiving the care and support they need.
Covid19 has tested the resilience of us all, but for some of our fellow residents it has meant total change, complete isolation from everyone and everything outside of their home. Everyday activities like getting food from the shops or a prescription from the GP aren’t an option because of the potential impact of being exposed to the respiratory disease Covid19. Thousands of people in Basingstoke and Deane have been identified by the NHS as ‘extremely vulnerable’ because of a medical condition or treatment they are receiving; others have been advised to ‘self-isolate’ for 12 weeks. Many of these people would not normally describe themselves as ‘vulnerable’, many will never before have relied on anyone to help them with their daily lives. A large number will be able to call on family, friends and neighbours for help and support but our community needs to be there to support those who can’t.
The NHS has been in direct contact with the sickest people and is providing them with direct support including food and medicine. This is the ‘Shielded group” and those included in this group are set out in guidance from the NHS. Local Councils like Hampshire County Council and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council are supporting those who fall outside of this group but are still frail and vulnerable, self-isolating for medical reasons.
The County Council has established the Coronavirus Hampshire Helpline on 0333 370 4000 which is available seven days a week, from 9am to 5pm, signposting people to practical help. Locally in Basingstoke that help comes from a network of grassroots community organisations forming a web of support across the Borough. Established local charities like Inspero and Spotlight have joined with Community Centres and local volunteers to form a group of 10 Covid19 emergency hubs across the town. Basingstoke Council have provided emergency funding for their work through the charity Basingstoke Voluntary Action. As a result an army of volunteers can now provide a wide range of coordinated services including shopping, food parcels and prescription collection for those unable to leave their homes.
It is astonishing to see what has been achieved in a month. This has been possible because of the bedrock of strong local charities already working in Basingstoke, who understand how to provide support to those who need it. It’s this group of organisations which the community has turned to in these difficult times. It’s this group of charities, along with the Hospital, frontline emergency workers and those working in our local councils to whom we owe a huge debt of gratitude for all they have done to keep our community going and demonstrating the strength of our community when times are tough. Thank you all.