Partners support vulnerable people through Covid-19 crisis

A wide range of partners have been working with the Council to support local residents through the Coronavirus pandemic – and the Council wants to say thank you.

Over the last six weeks, the Council has been offering help through the BwD Help Hub to people who have no support networks around them.

Not everyone who contacts the Help Hub needs a delivery of food and household essentials. Handling a variety of requests for support requires a partnership approach to ensure individuals get the right support for them.

Calls and emails received through the Bwd Help Hub are assessed – even at weekends. Representatives from Care Network and Age UK are involved in the assessment process to help identify individuals to whom they can provide support.

James Hadleigh, Chief Executive of Care Network, explained:

We have been involved in the Help Hub from day one, supporting the Council team with assessing requests for help and making sure they are picked up by the best person to support individuals. It was a really steep learning curve at first to make sure that the process ran as smoothly as possible but the willingness and adaptability of all partners to get it right has been inspiring, and to be able to play a part in this was really rewarding. We are one big team!

Vicky Shepherd, Age UK Blackburn with Darwen’s Chief Executive, said:

Age UK Blackburn with Darwen is proud to have been involved in the work of the Help Hub from the beginning. We are pleased to be able to use our expertise and experience of supporting older people to work in partnership with the Council to provide the best support we can for local people during these very difficult times.

We have all been learning and adapting along the way, but to be able to work as part of the wider Blackburn with Darwen team has been a really positive experience.

Requests for help are dealt with by a team that includes the Council’s Neighbourhood officers who arrange support through the Help Hub or signpost people to local organisations from the voluntary, community and faith sector.

Organisations providing support to local residents include BwD Healthy Living, Blackburn Youth Zone, Masjid E Tauheedul Islam Community Care, Community & Business Partners, Benefit Mankind and the food banks in both Blackburn and Darwen.

Along with lots of other local groups and organisations, they’ve been going above and beyond the call of duty to help vulnerable people by providing hot meals and emergency food supplies, arranging shopping deliveries and offering transport to medical appointments.

Talha Mulla, a trustee of Blackburn-based charity Benefit Mankind, said:

We at Benefit Mankind launched a helpline in mid March to help the families who are self-isolating and to help the elderly by providing emergency food packs. On average 200 non-perishable food packs were packed and delivered daily across Lancashire, in total so far over 6,000 packs have been delivered. Working with Blackburn with Darwen Council and involving local mosques and communities has shown that the community is united at such a challenging time.

Councillor Mohammed Khan, Leader of Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, said:

We are blessed to have so many strong organisations within our voluntary, community and faith sector in Blackburn with Darwen. Without their support over the last month, we simply would not have been able to help the number of residents that we have – almost 3,000 people have contacted the Help Hub asking for support since the end of March.

It makes me very proud to see how everyone has pulled together to offer support to our most vulnerable residents, and I offer my sincere thanks to the organisations that have been supporting our Help Hub operation during this difficult time.

Sayyed Osman, Director of Adult Social Services and Prevention, said:

Our greatest assets in Blackburn with Darwen are our people and partnerships. This strength is visible in our community spirit, our kindness and our ability to work together. Undoubtedly, this is helping us to face this challenging time together and to ensure that those people who might otherwise struggle are getting the support they need. To the many organisations and unsung heroes, I would like to say thank you to you all.

The BwD Help Hub is here for people with no support networks around them – they can contact the Help Hub for support with getting deliveries of food and essential supplies, information and advice, and to arrange regular telephone calls to keep their spirits up during periods of isolation.

Some voluntary groups are also taking referrals from the Help Hub, delivering food supplies and hot meals, collecting prescriptions, and lots more.

To contact the BwD Help Hub, residents can:

• Fill in this online form
• Call 01254 588111 – calls are taken 9am – 5pm Mon to Fri, and 9am – 12pm Sat & Sun