Community help and volunteering

The measures designed to combat the spread of coronavirus will have an effect on many people in our communities - especially the elderly and sick.

The Cumbria County Council website has a wealth of information on community efforts to tackle coronavirus. This includes a regularly updated Newsletter and Directory of Community Support (click on the link and you will find the latest versions under the "Allerdale" tab).

Lockdown easing

Read the government's full recovery strategy.

 The latest guidance from the government after the lockdown was eased from July 4

Emergency support line for vulnerable people needing urgent help

There is a new emergency support service for people at high risk of becoming seriously ill, as a result of COVID-19, and who do not have support available from friends, family or neighbours. 

The Emergency telephone support line is 0800 783 1966

Or you can email your request for help to: COVID19support@cumbria.gov.uk

Or you can make a request by online form

The telephone ‘call’ centre will operate Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm and 10am to 2pm at weekends. The service will also accepts referrals from members of the public who may be concerned about people in their community 

The helpline is there to support those at ‘high risk’ and include people over 70 years old, pregnant women and those with underlying health conditions who should be protecting themselves by staying at home.

The majority of these people will already be receiving support from family, friends or local voluntary groups with tasks like shopping or collection of medicines if they require it. But we know that a small number of people will not have this support. If they have no alternative, these people will now be able to call the Freephone number to request help with getting food, medicines, essential supplies and home deliveries.  

Safeguarding children

People can report concerns about children in the following ways:

• Call the Cumbria Safeguarding Hub on 0333 240 1727
• Call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000
• If a child is at immediate risk of harm call 999.
• Children can contact childline.org.uk if they do not feel safe on 0800 1111 

Protecting against domestic violence

If you are suffering from domestic violence you do not have to suffer in silence. 

If you need to leave your home contact our homelessness team on 0303 123 1702. You can also call the police on 101 or in an emergency 999.

There is more information in our news release on domestic violence.

Being neighbourly

With more people at home, there is the chance that people may see and hear their neighbours more. Please respect each other. 

There are some simple things you can do to be a better neighbour, such as discussing with them (from more than 2m apart of course) your requirements if you need some quiet time for work. Loud music late at night is also likely to cause trouble.

And if you can't resolve the issue, then give us a call on 0303 123 1702.

Volunteering in your community 

Vulnerable people and elderly people in your community who are staying at home, self-isolating or shielding may need the support of volunteers - could you help?

If you want to help and volunteer your services, register with the GoodSam app online.

Food Bank support

If  you can't make it to any of the Food Bank drop-off points, you can donate money direct to them via their give.net web page.

Advice for volunteer groups

The latest government guidance for staying at home and away from others says people may leave home 'to provide care or to help a vulnerable person' - we hope this will reassure people that it is still OK to shop for neighbours, friends or family members. We would advise volunteers to make themselves familiar with the guidance below and the latest guidance on gov.uk.

Download the CVS Coronavirus Volunteer Handbook

Download volunteer guidelines produced by Cumbria CVS

More advice is available via these websites:

• Supporting others in your community during COVID-19 with shopping
• Access resources from Cumbria CVS at cumbriacvs.org.uk/coronavirus and cumbriacvs.org.uk/coronavirus/covid-19-volunteering
• Community groups and COVID-19: what you need to know about data protection

Hospitals message service

A new service has been launched offering people the chance to send a message to loved ones so they can stay connected during the pandemic. The messages can be sent to patients on the trust's inpatient wards. The Patient Experience and Involvement Team and PALS can support relatives to send a message.

Relatives need to email or phone their message in and include: their loved one’s name and date of birth, the message with a photograph included as an email attachment (if you wish).

Contact: 0800 633 5547 or 01228 814008 or email PALS@ncic.nhs.uk.

The service is available Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm.

Together we can

Cumbria #TogetherWeCan is a campaign bringing you positive stories and information from across the county, lifting morale and showcasing the efforts of people responding to the outbreak of #COVID19 #Coronavirus.

So why not send stories and snippets to them by email or via their social media channels: 

• Twitter: @TogetherCumbria https://twitter.com/TogetherCumbria
• Instagram: @TogetherCumbria https://www.instagram.com/togethercumbria
• Facebook: @TogetherCumbria https://www.facebook.com/TogetherCumbria

We are using the hashtags #TogetherWeCan and #TogetherCumbria and hope that you are able to share your support for the campaign through your social media.

The themes are:

• Together we can…. Stay fit and healthy at home
• Together we can … Keep our minds healthy
• Together we can – share our fab food stories
• Together we can – educate our kids at home
• Together we can – cooks great recipes at home
• Together we can – shop local and support our businesses
• Together we can – learn new skills
• Together we can – celebrate our public sector heroes
• Together we can – stay indoors, support our NHS, save lives

Other groups that offer help and assistance

Cumbria County County is coordinating efforts to help communities. There website has a wealth of information for residents.

Go to the Cumbria County Council website

The are many established community and volunteer groups such as Cumbria CVS, as well as Cumbria Community Foundation (CCF) who may be able to provide financial help.

Go to the Cumbria CVS website

Go to the CCF website

People First, in conjunction with other agencies, has put in place a Covid-19 support service for people with learning disabilities or autism. Called Keeping People Connected, it includes check and chat calls to understand and assess their current situation, including issues such as health and well-being and food supplies. The contact is Chris Tolley by email

Keswick Lions and Rotary has a fund to help local people facing financial difficulty.