The Powys Community Sector Emergency Response Team (C-SERT) and PAVO have worked together to distribute small grants to help communities respond to the Covid-19 emergency. The C-SERT Emergency Fund is drawn from the Welsh Government Integrated Care Fund (ICF), allocated by the Powys Regional Partnership Board (RPB).
Llangors Together applied for a grant from the C-SERT emergency fund to help them with the publicity and volunteer costs of their group.
They have 55 volunteers altogether, assisting residents living in the eight villages around Llangorse lake with tasks they would normally carry out independently but because of Covid 19 are unable to do. This could be anything from collecting prescriptions and groceries to walking dogs or checking livestock. They’ve also been working to keep their community connected through social media and online events, and offer a Check in and Chat telephone befriending service.
Llangors Together member Ann Bayham said, “We’ve been able to be very flexible in responding to the needs of residents. Supermarket deliveries are great but not they’re not always suitable for everyone, not always possible to arrange, or need a minimum order. The project has filled gaps for people.
We’ve seen unintended benefits too. New residents to the area have described feeling more involved and having had an opportunity to get to know people online and by phone. We’ve been able to hold community events like ‘care-crow’, limerick and sunflower growing competitions, which have been judged online. Social media interaction has been informative and ‘feel-good’, having a positive impact rather than the negative one it can be.”
Feedback from residents is that the service is greatly appreciated, and many would like to see the community continue to work together in this way after the current crisis.
“I am in my 70's, now living alone, with no family living in the area; they are mostly living in West Wales, or in England. The Llangors Together Team have helped me from the outset, when I first contacted them, by delivering groceries and medical prescriptions on a regular basis. I email my grocery list to my local volunteer, who delivers them on a date convenient to us both and keeps me informed. Nothing is too much trouble, and it is an excellent and much appreciated service.”
“It’s good to see the community supporting each other, it’s been a ‘get to know folks experience.’ I hope from this a continuing system will be in place for those who need help locally to call on.”
More care-crow pictures can be seen on their Facebook page!
