Support provided during CO-CID 19 Pandemic
We were unable to reach all of our members as unable to access secure locked away records, so social media and word of mouth was used.
• March - June onwards:
• Whats App options made available to older age group
• Weekly texts sent to members
• Weekly youth group postings on facebook
• Food parcels provided to known families
• Fareshare collected weekly; volunteers set up to collect from Chard and Yeovil as well. We were being offered up to 5 donations of food weekly initially before other groups had been set up and running, we were able to fill this gap.
• Letter and picture idea set up in March encouraging yp’s to write to someone in two identified care homes, working in partnership with them, the idea was initiated in our initial home learning kits. This led to us working with some staff at BIBIC who helped with letter writing.
• Gifts of large boxes of chocolates from youth group members given to staff at the 2 local care homes
• A flag competition resulting in a flag hanging up in support of all key workers.
• YP’s and families enlisted to help make up packages for others, volunteers enlisted to help deliver these safely.
These consisted of home learning aid kits given out in March 2020 and delivered safely the night prior to lock down to approx.
• Spring Surprise Boxes given out
• Well Being Packages given out
• SAS packages given out (slime and snacks)
• Family packages given out after paid for by Tescos Bags of Help
• July/August onwards:
• 1-1 outdoor sessions given
• Outreach provided
• Summer Holiday cooking at home packages given out from donations from Morrisons in Wells and Langport Tescos ( containing of a selection of healthy foods and a competition we offered to make a meal included)
September onwards:
• Year 7 transition Day took place outdoors over a whole day
• Opened for 2 club sessions a week in small invited numbers
• Employment along with opportunity given to two local young people who have been involved with the youth group since 2012 approx.
• 1-1 walking sessions continued
• Outreach carried out and litter problem on Cocklemoor car park and graffiti issues addressed
October:
• Continued to prove twice weekly sessions
• Funding granted (covid emergency fund) to provide an additional outdoor weekly session, outdoor trips & 1-1 sessions for identified young people.
• Half term activities provided with 2 sessions to Wilderwoods.
• Outreach continued, litter problem on Cocklemoor car park has ceased.
• Lots of new children & young people have been asking to join the youth group and year 7’s are currently toppling over 40. To put this into context, we are working with 6 different age groups in very small sessions of up to 8, including adults.
• Food packages given out
Help during pandemic from
• The whole Selwood family who volunteered their time and collected items and made up the kits
• Kyla Baker and Mum Sarah for designing and colouring in lots of paper bags!
• Grace Green for the flag, with designs from Grace, Alice, Lilly and Lucy
• La Fleure for ordering bags at cost price for us during lockdown
• Tesco Langport
• Morrison’s in Wells
• Lloyds of Langport
• Langport Sorting Office
• Donations of materials from local people
• Our team of volunteers who collected and delivered and slaved away including special mentions to Karen Robjohn, Mel Waterfield, Grace Green, Marilyn Selwood & Nadine