Responding to Covid-19 in Kintore
/A recently formed community group, Lend a Hand (LAH) Kintore, is now regularly responding to local requests for help during the COVID-19 pandemic.
LAH Kintore was set up in mid-March 2020 when Kintore and District Community Council, Kintore Parish Church, Kintore Community Church and other concerned citizens independently saw the need to help the community and joined forces to offer a coordinated approach. Since then, over 100 volunteers have signed up and over 700 have become members of the Facebook group.
Requests for help
LAH Kintore is receiving requests directly through a central phone number and through the Grampian Coronavirus Assistance Hub.
Requests can go out [anonymously] on the Facebook page to take advantage of trips that are already planned but some are targeted to volunteers because they're geographically close.
(Laura MacGill, LAH Kintore Volunteer Coordinator)
Local supermarkets have been offering the group food that would have otherwise gone to waste, to distribute to those who need it. Funding received through the Aberdeenshire Community Resilience Fund will also go towards assisting those most in need.
Community magazine
Volunteers have distributed a magazine to every household in Kintore to keep the community informed and aware of their options if any assistance is required.
We knew that not everyone in Kintore would have access to our Facebook page, so we had the idea to produce a special edition of the community magazine. This contains lots of useful information like local business details and about how health services are operating.”
(Emma Davies, LAH Kintore steering group member)
Neil Meyer, minister of Kintore Parish Church and chair of the LAH Kintore steering group, organising the delivery of the community magazine with help from his daughters.
Community safety
Alcohol hand sanitizer and facial coverings have been donated for volunteer use. A volunteer information pack has been created along with step-by-step guides for commonly requested activities such as shopping and collecting prescriptions. The image below shows the cover of the most recent volunteer pack.
It covers basic information on COVID-19, preventing spread of infection, safeguarding and data protection. These continue to be modified as the wider situation changes and further community resources become available.
Collaboration and support
Positive feedback has been received through phone calls, emails and cards.
Lend a Hand Kintore has been a Godsend to me.
(Isobel, recipient of assistance through LAH Kintore)
Strong collaboration and volunteer support have been key to LAH Kintore’s early success. The steering group is made up of individuals with differing skills, knowledge and networks and this has been put to good use. Volunteers have been incredibly willing to help and in numbers where, gratefully, capacity is far exceeding demand.
More info
For useful resources, guidance and funding for community groups responding to coronavirus in their communities visit our dedicated Covid-19 page on Communities Channel Scotland.
See more news and stories from community groups, including responses to Covid-19, on our spotlight page.
