SOUTH WILTSHIRE disaster response charity Serve On has been working with other agencies to check on the welfare of vulnerable residents across the county during the Covid-19 crisis.

Serve On has been working with six other organisations to carry out welfare checks across the county on behalf of Wiltshire Council and its Wellbeing Hub.

The council’s Wellbeing Hub has been working with partner agencies to provide additional support to residents who are ‘shielding’ or are highly vulnerable.

A team of redeployed council staff has been telephoning, emailing and writing to check on residents, who are shielding or vulnerable, and helping them access any additional support as well as responding to the needs of those contacting the hub directly.

If they have been unable to make contact, a number of partner agencies including Serve On, Team Rubicon, SARAID, SPEAR Search and Rescue, British Red Cross and Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service have been working with the Wellbeing Hub to carry out home visits, deploying their volunteers across the county to check on their welfare. So far 2,595 visits have been made.

In addition to making home visits these volunteers have also provided practical support in the home where PPE may need to be worn, collected and delivered prescriptions from pharmacies, and collected and delivered food and other supplies where access to the home is required by someone wearing PPE.

Operations director at Serve On Dan Cooke added: “Serve On volunteers have been privileged to co-ordinate the activities of Team Rubicon, SARAID, SPEAR Search and Rescue, British Red Cross and the Dorset and Wiltshire Fire and Rescue Service to carry out more than 2,500 home visits to vulnerable residents in Wiltshire.

“We’re grateful for the support provided by our partners and pleased that through these home visits our volunteers were able to help so many residents including a few who needed urgent assistance.”

Richard Sharp, Team Rubicon UK CEO said: “Our support to the shielded and vulnerable community in Wiltshire is incredibly important to us as a charity. This period has been extremely challenging for lots of people, especially those isolating. With this week being Mental Health Awareness Week, it’s an opportunity to be reminded of those who don’t have support networks around them and what a difference it can make to have someone check in on them.”

To find out more about Serve On go to serveon.org.uk or Team Rubicon go to teamrubiconuk.org