Firstly, thank you to everyone that has offered to help in any way they can in the face of the current COVID-19 outbreak. The Newton Abbot response has been unbelievable!

We know many of you are keen to help but have found it difficult to find out how best to do so.

Councillors also are working together to see how best we can help coordinate any efforts to assist those who are vulnerable, provide useful information from the council or government, and help in any other way we can. There is much useful information on Teignbridge District Council’s webpage  https://www.teignbridge.gov.uk/coronavirus-covid-19/

We are sure everyone is aware of how quickly the situation is evolving, and therefore what we say today may no longer be possible in 24 hours.

How you can help others

If you would like to help your neighbours, our community and those vulnerable, we recommend the following in the first instance:

• Let your nearest neighbours, maybe the nearest 5 – 10 know your contact details so that they can call you if they need help. You will be someone known to them, a familiar face rather than a stranger. (Sadly we must still be aware of safeguarding concerns even at this time).
• Set up or join street level or Resident’s Association level WhatsApp groups, Google Groups, Private Facebook Groups or email chains to help connect those offering help with those needing help at a micro level. Some have already done this (particularly Residents’ Associations), and they are the optimum way of turning offers into action.
• Some of the existing facebook groups we know of are Our Fairways, Hele Park Community, Jetty Marsh Residents Group, Orleigh Cross Residents Group, Buckland Estate and Proud of It, and Newton AbbotCovid-19 Mutual Aid
• Do not buy too much produce or goods. Those that are most vulnerable are left even more vulnerable if our stores are bare of the essentials. Several supermarkets have over 70’s only shopping hours, check their websites.
• Donate to foodbanks. Panic buying has led to a reduction in the number of donations to local foodbanks when they need them more than ever, so please do donate what you can. Many people on lower incomes or zero hour contracts are likely to struggle more now than ever. If you are self-isolating and wish to help you can donate online to both foodbanks.
• HITS Foodbank https://hitsfoodbank.org/contact-us/  info@hitsfoodbank.org   Tel 01626 906371  (Hits Food Bank are looking for more volunteers especially evening drivers)
• THAT Foodbank https://www.thatfoodbank.com/  mailto:thatfoodbank@gmail.com
• 01626 437310  (THAT need more volunteers and donations)

Helping us to help you

As councillors we want to assist in facilitating resources where we can, by putting together a resource list, but we need your help to do so. Teignbridge Community and Voluntary Services is coordinating the response of established and new support groups responding to the Coronavirus outbreak https://www.teigncvs.org.uk/

Please send us details of the local street/community communication group or mailing list you have setup, as well as a primary contact for this group so that we can direct people that contact us or known vulnerable residents to it if they are in your area.

Contact us if:

• you are a community or volunteer group and would like our support in any way;
• you are a local business or trader that is helping as part of your business, such as with local deliveries.
• Please let us have any information about the community response to the coronavirus, that you would like us to share in our next email newsletter. Please share this email with others.

We cannot cover everything in this post, so will try to answer any questions on things we have missed as we can, however, please appreciate that some of our councillors are already, or are likely to be self isolating themselves as well.

Please do always take the NHS and Government’s advice as the primary source of information and recommendation for how to act in the coming weeks:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/coronavirus-covid-19-uk-government-response

Other help can be found at,

CAB   citizensadviceteignbridge.org.uk      Tel 0344 411 1444

Federation of Small Businesses  https://www.fsb.org.uk/    Tel  0808 20 20 888

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