The Alcester Community Resilience Group (ACR) is a COCID-19 Mutual Aid Local Group set up independently by volunteers (around 50 active) to support vulnerable people in the Alcester area.
With support from Alcester Town Council and Warwickshire County Council, ACR has helped local people to run errands, shop, collect prescriptions and do dog walking etc., as well as offering a friendly ear and emotional support to those who were or are self-isolating or finding the pandemic overwhelming.
This support has continued beyond the initial outbreak and includes a couple who have been shielding since March 2020 due to being ‘extremely clinically vulnerable’. They had not been outside their front door since the start of the pandemic and would not be able to do so until circumstances changed considerably. They have been able to shop online shopping but have been totally reliant on the Group to collect their prescriptions for medication.
“We are so grateful to the group for collecting our medication on a monthly basis, and especially recently for sorting things out when there was a slip-up at the pharmacy. We do not know what we would have done without the Resilience Volunteers. We’re so grateful for its existence and continuation at this terrible time.”
As well as the support provided by ACR, the group now offer regular phone calls made by volunteers to residents who are feeling lonely or isolated. Over 40 residents now receive these calls each week.
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Support services
- COVID-19 Community Led Support Groups Directory has been produced to provide useful information about local organisations, groups and agencies that are providing activities, advice, and services to support people during the pandemic.