Freephone helpline to support the more vulnerable in Manchester
A new freephone helpline to support the more vulnerable people in Manchester during the Coronavirus pandemic will go live on from 8.30am from Monday 30th March 2020 offering support to
• People over the age of 70 who are self-isolating and have no support network
• People who have received a letter from the NHS advising they are at higher risk or are medically vulnerable according to government criteria
• Those who are self-isolating with no support networks (ie. friends or family).
Help will also be available, but not limited to, other groups such as carers, care leavers or young carers.
The primary needs that call handlers can help with are:
• Delivery of food
• Delivery of medication
• Combating loneliness
• Managing fuel top-up payments
The freephone number is: 0800 234 6123 and lines are open Monday to Saturday, between 8.30am and 5.30pm.
You can also goto: www.manchester.gov.uk/coronavirus where people can access up to date information immediately.

The Inspired Taskforce will help by
– providing a freshly cooked meal every day to a group of 50 targeted older or vulnerable people
– delivering food bags on Fridays to all those who would normally get food bags from The Bread & Butter Project.
– working with Levy Corona Helpers to mobilise a team of around 30 delivery drivers
– organising a ‘telephone tree’ to support 150 older people with a phone call each week
IF YOU KNOW OF ANYBODY WHO MIGHT NEED SUPPORT OR IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE A DELIEVRY VOLUNTEER OR PHONE VOLUNTEER THEN PLEASE CALL KATE ON 07459626955

Spotted on Slade Lane, Lev

For those in need call 0300 365 3101 or goto:

www.feedmycity.org

The government has issued guidance saying that community centres should be closed other than for “essential voluntary and public services” and cafes are permitted to be open for “food delivery and takeaway”. Following this guidance, and in discussion with other community partners, the Inspire Centre is now closed to the general public.

However, Inspire staff and volunteers will continue to work to provide services to the community in three ways:

1. Support for older and vulnerable people

• Inspire will provide a freshly cooked meal every day to a group of 50 targeted older or vulnerable people (these are not expected to be in the ‘shielded’ group but who still need support).
• It will also deliver food bags on Fridays to all those who would normally get food bags from The Bread & Butter Project.
• It will work with Levy Corona Helpers to mobilise a team of around 30 delivery drivers to do this.
• Inspire will also organise a ‘telephone tree’ to support 150 older people with a phone call each week through a team of 30 call volunteers.

2. Meal production and deliveries

• To the cohort of 50 older and vulnerable people identified above;
• To employees at Asda Longsight supermarket who have requested this service;
• To other customers if there is the capacity to do so.

3. Community support and online activity

• The Inspire Centre phoneline (0161 850 5717) will remain open for people to call if they are looking for advice and support. Many of our regular visitors are often in need of a chat or some informal advice and signposting. This is not a formal information, advice and guidance service but we do wish to remain ‘open’ to those who will be missing visiting the centre.
• Alongside this, we are planning some simple online activities including a weekly ‘Inspire Community Online’ drop-in where people will be able to Zoom in for a community conversation.
• We will also look to support other local residents who are organising other community activities such as access to ICT equipment, provision of local information and other online fun and we will work in close partnership with Levy Corona Helpers, Levenshulme Good Neighbours and other local partners as best we can.

• £5 will pay for a take-away meal that can be distributed to an isolating older person

• £10 will pay for the extra cleaning we are having to do each day to keep the centre safe
• £25 will keep the Inspire Centre with light, heat, water and insurance for a day
• £50 will keep the café kitchen open for a day to prepare take-away meals for distribution
• £100 could be seen as ‘suspended room hire’ for a whole room for a day to ensure we will be able to open again when the crisis is over

Many thanks for all your support.

Here’s a couple of website that may help

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/52042919

• For help and support in Whalley Range, or if you know of an older or vulnerable person who might need some help, please contact your local councillors:

Mary Watson, tel: 0161 860 5523

Angeliki Stogia, tel: 07901 528 750

Aftab Razaq, tel: 07799 560 244

• Barlow Moor Community Association have a  package of support in place, including

A remote Befriending Service

Referral’s to other organisations such as those helping with Emergency Food Packs, grass roots community/church groups

Those volunteers who are eager to offer their time will be signposted to grass root community/church groups

• Online delivery of courses will continue with remote tutor support

They are registered to issue Foodbank Vouchers Electronically

Holding a virtual Youth Club at the times youth provision would normally be on

Providing online play activities and packs for children

Offering remote services and staying in touch with all our parents and carers of Nursery Children

Tel: 0161 446 4805 or 07985 740 669

• Levenshulme Inspire For telephone befriending support, food deliveries, books and DVD sharing and more please contact Kate Williams, tel. 07952 178 459.

• Burnage Good Neighbours have able bodied volunteers willing to do shopping for anyone over the age of 55 and living in Burnage (all DBS checked) also daily/weekly phone calls if required Tel: 01614317220 or 07395958649
• Wythenshawe Good Neighbours have decided to extend their telephone befriending service to any self isolating person who feels that a “how are you” phone call would benefit them. Please get in touch if a member of your family, friend or neighbour would like to receive a regular phone call. If you would like to volunteer there’s plenty of telephone befriending opportunities and you could make that difference. Contact Marie on 07875286866 or Sam on 07816960025 for more information.
• LGBT Foundation if you are feeling worried, isolated or alone do pick up the phone and reach out to us on 0345 3 30 30 30

·         Books to go

Books to Go provides a home delivery service for Manchester residents who have limited mobility, a visual impairment or any difficulty leaving their home.

They have books in both ordinary and large-print size, talking books and DVDs. Call 0161 227 3800 or email bookstogo@manchester.gov.uk

• AgeUK Manchester are setting up donation and distribution sites in Openshaw, Wythenshawe and Gorton to provide local older people with daily essentials.

They are particularly in need of: Paper products, e.g. toilet roll, kitchen roll, tissues, cleaning products, toiletries, non-perishable food items

Things to pass the time when in isolation, e.g. books, crossword books, jigsaws etc.

Donations can be dropped off Monday to Friday, between 9am and 5pm at:

Gorton Day Centre, Melland Centre, Mount Road, Gorton. M18 7QR

Crossacres Care Home, Reel Hall Road, Wythenshawe, M22 5DG

Openshaw Resource Centre, 10 Catherine Street, Openshaw. M11 1WF.

Ardwick and Longsight Foodbank need donations; food and money. So if you can help pls email info@ardwickandlongsightfoodbank.org.uk
or call 0161 273 3977, that 0161 273 3977

FareShare needs volunteers to help manage food redistribution to the more vulnerable . They’ll provide training and expenses.

If you are COVID-19 free ,not in a vulnerable group nor supporting someone who is, please call 0161 223 8200 option 6 or go to faresharegm.org.uk

• Take care of yourself at this time. Try and get enough rest, eat healthy food, do some physical activity, and stay in contact with family and friends. Avoid using tobacco, alcohol or other drugs. In the long term, these can worsen your mental and physical wellbeing.

Try and stay in contact with people when possible. Even when isolated, try as much as possible to keep your personal daily routines or create new routines.

Minimise watching, reading or listening to news that causes you to feel anxious or distressed. Get information updates at specific times during the day, once or twice. The sudden and near-constant stream of news reports about an outbreak can cause us all to get worried. Get the facts; not the rumours . Gather information at regular intervals, from places such as the BBC, Manchester City Council, NHS, ALL FM. Facts can help to ease the fears.

Assisting others in their time of need can benefit the person receiving support as well as the helper. Check-in by phone on neighbours or people in your community who may need some extra assistance. We’ll get there.

Hi everyone, we’re going to attempt an ALL FM daily update re CoronaVirUs and what’s on out there. Firstly, there’s a lot  people out there who want to help and support, so let’s try and stay positive. If you want to tell us about anything going on in your community please email ed@allfm.org

Let’s quickly cover the symptoms of CoronaVirus, these are:

• a new continuous cough
• a high temperature
• shortness of breath

If you have these symptoms, however mild, please stay at home and do not leave your house for 14 days from when your symptoms started.  You don’t need to tell the NHS you’re staying at home, and you won’t be tested. Get in touch with the NHS if:

• you don’t feel better after 7 days
• your symptoms are getting worse
• you feel you can’t cope with your symptoms at home.

You should do this by calling the NHS on phone number 111. Don’t go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital. The Government has advised us that we should try and avoid contact with other people in confined or social spaces such as cafes, pubs, cinemas and theatres. These measures are called social distancing. In practical terms, for many this means trying to remain at home if possible. There are some people who need to pay particular attention to this advice to stay at home and avoid contact with other people. These include:

1. People aged over 70
2. People aged under 70 with underlying health conditions, such as;

• Long-term respiratory disease, e.g. asthma, COPD and emphysema
• Heart, liver and kidney disease
• Diabetes

If you’re online, go to nhs.uk for more info.

You’re still able to go outside to exercise, or to get fresh air and it’s OK to go to the shops for essentials as long as you do not have any symptoms. Go to local shops if you can. Firstly they’re more likely to have the essentials. Secondly we need to support our local businesses, now more than ever.

You need to avoid coming into close contact with other people, and avoid gatherings with friends and family where possible.
One of the best ways of killing the virus and stopping its spread is by making sure you wash your hands frequently and thoroughly  with soap and hot water, or hand sanitiser if you have it

You should wash your hands:

• For at least 20 seconds
• When you get home after going out
• Before eating or handling food
• After sneezing or blowing your nose.

Local organization that need our support right now, include:

Ardwick and Longsight Foodbank need donations; food and money. As you can imagine foodbanks are having issues right now. So if you can help pls email info@ardwickandlongsightfoodbank.org.uk
or call 0161 273 3977, that 0161 273 3977

FareShare needs volunteers to help manage food redistribution to the more vulnerable . They’ll provide training and expenses.

If you are COVID-19 free ,not in a vulnerable group nor supporting someone who is, please call 0161 223 8200 option 6 or go to faresharegm.org.uk

AgeUK Manchester are setting up donation and distribution hubs in Openshaw, Wythenshawe and Gorton to provide local older people with daily essentials.

They are particularly in need of:

• Paper products, e.g. toilet roll, kitchen roll, tissues
• Cleaning products
• Toiletries
• Non-perishable food items
• Things to pass the time when in isolation, e.g. books, crossword books, jigsaws etc.

Donations can be dropped off Monday to Friday; 9am to 5pm at:

Gorton Day Centre, Melland Centre, Mount Road, Gorton. M18 7QR

Crossacres Care Home, Reel Hall Road, Wythenshawe, M22 5DG

Openshaw Resource Centre, 10 Catherine Street, Openshaw. M11 1WF.

For more info; please email terri.torevell@ageukmanchester.org.uk

We’re going to try keep this daily bulletin going, so tell us what’s going on in your area, big and small. Email Ed@allfm.org

Let’s stay calm and support each other.