Help a Gosport resident in need

24/09/2020

Would you like to help Gosport residents in need during the C-19 situation? We are recruiting volunteers to either make regular friendly phone calls from their own home to residents who are isolated, or volunteers to undertake shopping on behalf of residents who are vulnerable.

Our National Lottery funded Community Response project has been helping local residents since March and we are now needing to build up our volunteer team so we can continue through the winter. Being able to help the same resident on an ongoing basis and building up a relationship, is one of the most important parts of the support and both residents and volunteers have found the experience both positive and heart warming.

Jagjeet, C-19 Volunteer said: “helping the community, and seeing people’s faces as they open the door and enjoying a chat as I drop off shopping, makes it all worthwhile and I’m pleased to be able to help.”

Volunteers are needed for the following roles:

Telephone Befriender – making weekly phone calls to an older Gosport resident. Read more and apply.

As little as half an hour a week is all it takes and all from your own home! We are in desperate need of volunteers to join the Befriending team and are also now looking for volunteers who would be happy to take part in a ‘Virtual Befriending’ pilot project, where video calls are made on a weekly basis.

C-19 Support Volunteer – undertaking regular shopping on behalf of older/vulnerable residents. Read more and apply.

Some IT skills, own transport, internet access and DBS/police vetting check is required. For safety reasons and inline with government guidelines, volunteers need to be between 18 and 70 years old and have no underlying health conditions. Briefing, ID badge and PPE will be provided and mileage will be reimbursed at 45p/mile.

Your support will be invaluable

There has been an outpouring of gratitude from Gosport residents helped by the dedicated C-19 Community Support Volunteers, with often the most important part of the support being the ongoing relationship that developed with the volunteer.

One resident Suzanne commented, “I would like to give huge thanks to David, your volunteer who collects prescriptions and shops for us. He has proven to be such a treasure, not only carrying out his duties but so bright, cheerful and happy it has made a world of difference to us.  He has made us feel a great deal more positive about the future. To have David as our volunteer has made a big improvement in our lives, has eased my anxiety of not being able to go out and get necessities for fear of bringing home the virus to my husband. So our grateful thanks to GVA, David and of course GBC for their help.”

One of the many letters received from a resident, shows the difference the support has made:

The project so far

Gosport Voluntary Action in partnership with Gosport Borough Council, have been helping Gosport residents since lockdown began, with a team of dedicated volunteers who have been undertaking shopping, prescription deliveries and regular friendly phone calls. More then 9000 tasks have been completed for over 560 households across Gosport. The project allows residents to keep their independence as much as possible, and have their chosen shopping and prescription delivered to them when needed, and before crisis point. The weekly friendly chats have helped ease anxiety, reduce loneliness and helped people feel connected to the outside world.

The Mayor of Gosport, Councillor Zoe Huggins, gave her thanks to the dedicated volunteers over Zoom in July, with a short clip of this shown below. Councillor Huggins herself was one of the very first C-19 Volunteers and helped a number of Gosport residents throughout lockdown.