The Wokingham Borough Community Response group is striving to meet the needs of the community during the coronavirus crisis.

Charities and organisations working together to form the group include Wokingham Borough Council, First Days Children’s Charity, Citizens Advice Wokingham, Link Visiting Scheme, Wokingham Foodbank, the Wokingham Volunteer Centre and Involve Community Services.

Over the last 11 weeks, Citizens Advice have helped more than 2,030 households through One Front Door, which signposts people in the appropriate direction to get the help they need.

Of those households, 607 are classed as extremely vulnerable.

The organisation, which has 85 volunteers working from home, offers guidance and support on a range of issues from benefit and employment enquiries to food and prescription requests.

Jake Morrison, the charity’s chief executive, is encouraging people to contact Citizens Advice if they are in need and emphasises that their core service is still available, as well as One Front Door. 

The charity is continuing to work with the council to map out plans to support people when lockdown is eased further.

The council has agreed that the One Front Door service will be available until the end of July at the very least.

Mr Morrison said: “We are continuing to deliver a high level of service.

“Anyone who needs help should still get in touch with us.”

Citizens Advice have also created a supermarket list – available on its website – detailing opening times, when the dedicated slots are for specific groups of people, limits on purchases, and more key information.

And Wokingham Borough Council has compiled a list of meal delivery services, also available on the Citizens Advice website.

Anyone who needs support should contact Citizens Advice on 0300 330 1189 (entering 0118 978 7258 if prompted) Monday to Saturday 9am to 5pm.

Alternatively, email [email protected] or visit citizensadvicewokingham.org.uk/coronavirus/ and complete the online form.

Wokingham Volunteer Centre

The Wokingham Volunteer Centre is helping vulnerable people get their prescriptions from pharmacies. With approximately 20-30 active volunteers across the borough, the organisation is working hard to ensure clients receive their medication as quickly as possible.

Staff report the centre has seen a reduction in requests to only five or six a day, as more people are turning to their local Covid-19 groups for help.

The service has delivered more than 799 prescriptions since they started and volunteers are now doing between one and two drives a week.

In addition to delivering prescriptions, the Volunteer
Centre is slowly reintroducing other ways of supporting shielded individuals.

Last week its gardening service, Green and Tidy, started back up again. In small teams of two to five, volunteers worked on approximately 20 gardens over the week. 

Helena Badger, volunteer development coordinator at The Wokingham Volunteer Centre,

said: “It was really positive, the volunteers really enjoyed being out and about and the clients really appreciated it.

“Just being about to look out of their window and see the volunteers in their green t-shirts working in their gardens.

“They’re able to have a little chat through the window. They really look forward to our visits.

“One garden had grass at shoulder height so they had to tackle that.”

Discussions are currently taking place regarding starting up their transport scheme.

“Staff report they hope to be on the road again in two or three weeks and that drivers will be provided with PPE.

The centre is working together with Wokingham Borough Council and reports that most referrals come from Citizens Advice, with some from the council, The Link Visiting Scheme and others through self-referral.

A number of charities are in need of help in the long-term, Mrs Badger said: 

“We’ve got a lot of charities looking to get long-term volunteers on board, we’ve had a really good response to Volunteers Week.”

For updates on specific roles that are needed, visit: wokinghamvolunteercentre.org.uk.

The Link Visiting Scheme

The charity is currently running a telephone buddy system offering social support and friendship over the phone, and is encouraging anyone who is feeling lonely to give them a call. The organisation currently has more than 1,900 people on their records for a fortnightly call and 315 on their telephone buddy system for calls two or three times a week.

Staff at The Link have said they will still need many telephone volunteers in the coming months, DBS checks are required.

Volunteers making fortnightly welfare check calls have said how appreciative shielded individuals have been. 

One volunteer said: “I’m really enjoying chatting to my welfare clients. All calls have been well received and I have been told that they are very grateful for all the time and services we are providing at this challenging time.”

Staff at the charity are coming up with alternative ways to help ease loneliness in the community. Various local groups have set up virtual gatherings online and Link is encouraging anyone who is feeling lonely to sign up to one and get involved. If you are aware of an online group that welcomes newcomers, please contact the charity, details below.

The charity is in need of help with its Goody Bags, introduced to help cheer people up.

The Wellbeing Goody Bags are being put together for vulnerable older people and families who seek support during social isolation. People can support their community by putting together a bag of goodies and treats in supermarket bags for life.

Anyone can nominate someone to receive a Goody Bag by visiting the Link website.

Donations can be delivered to the Wokingham Borough Community Hub in the outside bins at St Crispins Leisure Centre Monday to Saturday, 9am to 3pm and at Lower Earley, Twyford and Woodley libraries on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 10am and noon. They will then be safely distributed.

The charity asks that those donating make up a full pack and label the type of household it’s most suitable for, such as a family, lone person, older couple, teen household or new baby.

Suggested donations for older people include hand wash, sealed hand cream, puzzle books, jigsaws, magazines, handwritten notes/letters, wool, colouring books, pencils, hamper style goodies and sweet treats.

And for families: Hamper style goodies, colouring books, pencils, jazzy pens, magazines, drawing paper, sketchbooks, sweet treats including gluten free and vegan treats, puzzle books, educational books and little games.

To refer someone for support or to apply to be a Link volunteer visit linkvisiting.org or call 0118 979 8019 on weekdays from 9am until 5pm. 

Wokingham Community Hub

The Wokingham Community Response’s distribution hub, which is run by First Days Children’s Charity, has fed more than 2,300 people, making over 4,000 deliveries to 886 households over the last 11 weeks.

They have 438 households on their repeat delivery books, with 165 staff and volunteers working six days a week on this service.

Based at St Crispin’s Leisure Centre, London Road, the hub is taking donations of both fresh and non-perishable food, toiletries and other living essentials and delivering them to people unable to leave their homes.

Staff report they are currently running low on: cereal/porridge, tea, coffee, pasta, rice, noodles, long life ready meals/tins, custard, rice pudding, tinned vegetables, tinned tomatoes, tinned fish, biscuits, shop bought cakes, snacks, cat and dog food, cat litter, soap and washing up liquid.

Any food donated must be unopened.

The hub is currently in need of the following for their Wellbeing Goody Bags:

Puzzle books, sealed hand creams, wool and magazines. Due to high volumes, the hub cannot currently accept books or DVDs.

Donations can be left in boxes outside St Crispins Leisure Centre, Monday to Saturday between 9am and 3pm and at Lower Earley, Twyford and Woodley libraries on Monday, Wednesday and Friday between 10am and noon.

To contribute financially to the response visit the Justgiving page: www.justgiving.com/campaign/WokinghamBoroughCV19

All money raised will go to fund food parcels and any funds left over once the food hub has closed will be distributed to the voluntary sector organisations involved in this combined response.

For more information and the latest updates visit: www.facebook.com/wokinghamcommunityhub

And the Wokingham Lions Club, who have raised more than £3,500 for the Wokingham Community distribution hub, hold a virtual pub quiz every Thursday at 8pm, visit facebook.com/Wokingham Lions/ for more information.