Over the past few weeks of the CV-19 crisis it is very clear that communities will need to step up to assist Government and Local authorities.
In response, The Who Is Olivia foundation has built an entirely new website in the past week and have launched a W1 Volunteering Programme which is aimed at helping the elderly in the W1 area during the coronavirus crisis.
After the announcement from Boris Johnson on the new measures that people need to follow and for the at risk to self isolate for 12 weeks as well as the advice for the remainder of the population to stay at home action is needed to support this both digitally and physically in a responsible way. This is why this local initiative in London has been launched.
London, W1 currently is the 2nd most infected area in the country and it is therefore imperative that efforts are made to support the vulnerable during this time. It is hoped that this will help to relieve the pressure on the NHS and other support services.
As freedom of movement for many elderly people is now highly restricted and emergency services are overwhelmed fighting the virus on the front line, the charity has created an easy to use website where people can both ask for help and offer help to others.
The Who Is Olivia foundation is only a small organisation and is using volunteers and their network of organisations that already support wellbeing programs to assist where they have the capacity. They have taken the decision to help from within the location in which they live as this is both practical and the most efficient way they can operate and respect the self-distancing protocols in place whilst heeding the stay at home advice.
They are encouraging others to do the same by copying the website for their own use if they think it is useful to their community.
The assistance that the elderly or other vulnerable people might need as the virus spreads could be as simple as;
Picking up a prescription from the chemist
Delivering Essential Food Supplies
Walking the Dog
A simple phone call to have a chat – Which is going to be so important from a Mental Health perspective
For more information, or to see the website in action visit www.marylebonevolunteer.org and see what you can do to help others in your community in this time of need.
