Your Leisure Kent working with local authority to connect resources
Your Leisure Kent LTD have been working with its local authority in helping connect resources where they are most needed.
One such example is connecting with one of its trusted partners, “Age UK,” and asking how they could help. Age UK’s greatest need was for volunteers to help their colleagues with shopping for and delivery of food to the most vulnerable in their communities. With that in mind Your Leisure put a request out to its furloughed staff, to share the opportunity. They were really proud of the response from their colleagues, with many offering help. This was now some 5 weeks ago, and needless to say the Your Leisure colleagues have provided that much needed help and have made a significant difference to the wellbeing of the most vulnerable.
But the Your Leisure staff’s initiative and support didn’t end there, they identified other ways to help, this included producing a home exercise booklet to pass out with the food deliveries to clients who didn’t have on line access and also using Your Leisure’s community contacts to source free product from the local B&Q DIY store for Age UK to redecorate its centre.
Emma White, Ramsgate Leisure Centre staff, said:
“We visited a lovely gentleman last week who is 99 and a half to drop Colouring pencils, books and a magnifying glass to. He has phone calls daily by the centre and also by another service user to keep each other’s spirits up and check in.
Age UK is greatly miss judged by those who believe it is purely for older people in a typical day room. It is a community hub that offers lots of different services and acts as a hub for those that may not be able to get out and about on their own and access services . They offer Assessments, pick up for the centre, Gardening, bingo, day trips out, music, befriending services, cafe, podiatrist, and many more services. They also work closely with social services and help to signpost users to varying different charities and organisations. A lot of younger groups also attend.
Since the lockdown has taken place they have adapted their devices to offer shopping, ready meal deliveries, pickup and delivery of other items, phone befriending services, welfare checks and buddy boxes of essential items that many vulnerable need and do not have access to. A lot of those users do not have access to a hot meal daily and this is a vital service.
A lot of the those that use this current service do not actively visit Age UK but have been recommended as they are High risk or vulnerable and unable to access the shops and other vital services they would normally. We also recommended people on social media asking for help for shopping, meals or someone to talk to.
It has been thoroughly rewarding being able to help out during this time and helping those that need it most. Some people cannot go out and do not see anybody and when we deliver the shopping, we are the first people they see. They also complete welfare checks. It’s nice to brighten someone’s day even if for a moment especially when they have not seen people and feel isolated.
We hope that at the end of this everybody remembers to be kind and to check in on everyone. We also hope it will bring more of the community together and every service does more to link up and offer more help and advice to other organisations. Community is key and what can we all do to help each other? This is a question we have asked ourselves many times over the last few weeks. If this has shown us anything it’s that we take life for granted and basic needs particularly if we are able bodied with full access to transport and shops.
We have thoroughly enjoyed volunteering for Age UK and continue to do so and hope to continue this on once the pandemic is over if safe to do so. The staff have all been very welcoming and all adapted to having us around.
Your Leisure colleague, PT instructor Gemma Girdler, said:
“I am helping with shopping deliveries. This means we get given a list, do the shop in Aldi and then deliver the shopping to the individual in need. Along the way we make additional welfare calls to those who have expressed concern with isolation or require additional contact as many are on their own. The first week was being shown the ropes, then out shadowing. Now I am in a good routine and we usually shop for the same people each time. I have found the whole situation very humbling and am really enjoying my time with the Age UK team. Maria, who I have been partnered with, is really friendly and even when I have expressed concerns about being of any use, she has been very patient and kind. The people we are delivering to are so grateful for the service that is being provided and many enjoy the 5 minute chat whilst we deliver to their doorstep, respecting social distancing guidance of course, some of them it is the only physical interaction they have.”
