Coronavirus Kindness

1. Start with family and friends, then look to people in your street
2. Deliver some food supplies
3. Use prepaid virtual volunteer cards to pay for shopping
4. Collect and drop off medicines
5. Tackle loneliness by staying connected
6. Use trusted sources and online help
7. Join experienced volunteer groups

How are you being Coronavirus Kind? 

Tell us about the small things you’re doing to help people in need by emailing  communications@staffordshire.gov.uk or posting on social media using the hashtags #CoronavirusKindness and #DoingOurBit, so that we can inspire others to do the same.

Start with family and friends, then look to your street

Do

• Always follow the advice about keeping your distance and washing your hands
• Keep it small, if you just look after the people in your street you will be staying safe and making a huge difference
• Stick to a patch you know well
• Keep to where people will recognise you and trust your offer is genuine
• Contact people by phone or through their letter box to offer support.
  • Put postcard type notes through the letterboxes of the people you can support. Use the Support Staffordshire template if you can
  • Ask people to send you a text or give you a call so that you have their phone number and know what support they need
  • Keep an eye out for fraudsters, and if confident to do so, politely (and safely) challenge any cold callers in your area
• Direct message the police on Facebook or call them on 101 if you suspect a neighbour is in danger because of domestic abuse.  If it is an emergency always call 999. 

 Don’t

• Put your home address on a public forum
• Put details about people on the internet or give them out to anyone you don’t know
• Share neighbour’s phone numbers or personal information with other neighbours without their permission
• Go into people’s homes
• Get into personal care or going into people’s houses – be assured that other agencies are looking at this

Do some food shopping

Do

• Always wash your hands before handling anything you will be delivering to others
• Shop regularly for small amounts, so that you are having regular contact and can check on anyone who is vulnerable
• Put shopping on doorsteps or in other arranged safe places
• Ring the doorbell and then step back – keep two metres (3 steps away) from the front door or chat through open windows
• Ask if your neighbour is well, check regularly on anyone who is vulnerable
• Use cashless methods to pay for shopping if you can. Asda, M&S and Waitrose all have digital volunteer shopping cards, which basically work in the same way as gift cards. Sainsbury's are promising to launch their own version in the next few weeks. The cards remove the security risk of sharing bank or card details with others. This is how they work:

1. 1. The person self-isolating signs up online
   2. They purchase a digital card/voucher online for a monetary value of their choice
   3. A barcode voucher is sent by email to the purchaser or their nominated friend, family member, neighbour or volunteer
   4. The voucher is used contactlessly in store to pay for shopping
   5. Some cards can then be topped-up online for the next shop

• Find out more or get started by clicking on the following links  Asda,  M&S,  Waitrose

Don’t

• Go into people’s houses
• Help if you or anyone in your household shows any symptoms of coronavirus – a cough or a high temperature
• Accept any payment for your support 

Collect and drop off medicines

Do

• Always wash your hands before handling anything you will be delivering to others
• Put medication on doorsteps or in other arranged safe places 
• Ring the doorbell and then step back – keep two metres (3 steps away) from the front door or chat through open windows
• Ask if your neighbour is well, check regularly on anyone who is vulnerable

Don’t

• Post medication through the letterbox
• Go into people’s houses
• Help if you or anyone in your household shows any symptoms of coronavirus – a cough or fever
• Accept any payment for your support  

Tackle loneliness by staying connected

Do

• Make regular contact with friends, family and neighbours to make sure they are ok and are up-to-date with what they need to be doing
• Help a person staying at home create an easy to read list of phone numbers of friends and family, which they can keep by the phone
• Start a FaceBook or WhatsApp group - Age UK have created easy to use instructions to help people who aren't used to using technology get started with different systems for video calling.
• Tell people about the free digital magazines, online newspapers, audiobooks and e-books they can get from Staffordshire Libraries
• Spread the word about the free ‘Stay in Touch’ telephone, video and postal service by Everyone Health.  It's  available to any adult (over 18) living anywhere in Staffordshire, who is lonely and isolated.  Activities include: telephone bingo, virtual exercise, telephone book clubs, quiz and puzzle groups, food tips and recipes groups, telephone chat groups and more!  For people without access to the internet, they also offer a postal programme.  Call them on 03330 050 095  or email them at eh.staffs@nhs.net

• Find other befriending services at Staffordshire Connects

• Find out more about help and support for daily living

Don't

• Post details of vulnerable people on the internet or to anyone you don't know
• Assume everyone has heard the latest about what they need to do
• Share content which could cause unecessary anxiety
• Go into people’s houses

• Visit the government’s website for the latest information
• Use the  NHS 111 Symptom Checker if you or anyone you're helpling has symptoms of coronavirus.
• Visit our Staffordshire County Council pages where you'll find information about advice, support and care for adults, as well as changes to council services.
• Use the onlineApp Finder on our Staffordshire County Council pages, to find health and wellbeing apps that have been reviewed and rated by the Organisation for the Review of Care and Health Apps (ORCHA).
• Use Staffordshire Connects - a directory of help and social groups, many of which meet virtually, at a local level

Join experienced volunteer groups

If you can offer your support, please do this through  Support Staffordshire. This is the most effective way of supporting your local community.

Many of Staffordshire’s voluntary groups already provide everyday support for vulnerable people. But these groups are often staffed by people who are in the vulnerable groups now being asked to stay at home.

Support Staffordshire are co-ordinating people who can volunteer to fill the gaps and support the vital work going on in their neighbourhood.

Visit  Support Staffordshire for details of how you can get involved.