Big Impact Day 2020

For Small Charity Week - #BigImpactDay2020 we wanted to share the big impact that our local volunteers and the valuable work the Volunteer Centre Sutton have had during the COVID 19 outbreak.  Take a minute to read about the incredible work that has been done in Sutton to support the community and help people feel less isolated during throughout the COVID 19 lockdown.

 

Small Charity Week - #BigImpactDay2020

One of our key partners Volunteer Centre Sutton has been heavily involved in coordinating the volunteer effort for Sutton during Covid-19. It’s a huge testament to Sutton's community that they were able to recruit over 1,700 volunteers in the first 8 weeks of lockdown. Not only did this ensure that the Voluntary sector has had a huge pool of potential volunteers to call upon, but they had been able to second 300 volunteers to Sutton Council to pack and deliver weekly food boxes to shielding and self-isolating residents.

Many of the Covid-19 volunteers have been supporting Volunteer Centre Sutton to deliver a number of Covid-19 specific activities:

  • They have made over 1,000 1:1 phone calls to vulnerable and isolated residents, to check in with them and offer support. 
  • They are co-ordinating weekly deliveries by volunteers of PPE equipment  to all 23 GP surgeries in Sutton on behalf of NHS Sutton.
  • They are ensuring that any resident who needs food in an emergency receives an emergency food parcel and there is a team of volunteers on stand-by every day, to collect and deliver food from the Voluntary Sector distribution centre.

Many people are currently unable to collect medical prescriptions so Volunteer Centre Sutton are working with several pharmacies to provide a collect and deliver service, supported by a team of volunteers.

Thanks to the amazing generosity of a Sutton resident, for the past 4 weeks they have been providing fish and chip suppers. Each week Volunteer Centre Sutton have coordinated their volunteers to deliver fish and chips to people and families connected with Sutton Carers' Centre, Age UK Sutton, Home-Start Sutton and their own programmes MAPS Mentoring and Sutton Befrienders.