4111.Un groupe Whatsapp pour organiser les achats, Milverton, UK, 26.3.2020

4111.Un groupe Whatsapp pour organiser les achats, Milverton, UK

Gwil Wren, EuCAN, coordinator of the Forestry working group, 26.3.2020

A Whats App group to deliver shopping, prescriptions and general social support was formed quickly. We have worked up a support structure so that the volunteers can carry on for up to 12 weeks.
Currently we have 100 volunteers which is fantastic but we do need to keep them going.
Basically there is a hotline which you call if you need help.
The call handler passes shopping/newspaper orders to the shop.
The shop calls the customer back confirms the order, what is available and takes a card payment over the phone.
When the shop shuts (14:00 - 18:00) the staff put the orders together and volunteers on a roat collect and deliver between 18:00 and 19:00

Medical prescriptions are dealt with by the surgery. Patients phone with orders which are delivered by volunteers.
For pastoral and social care we have established a separate network of volunteers working with the Church and the Parish Council. We have a lot of elderly who should not go out and these volunteers will be able to telephone people and give them someone to talk to if they are worried or upset.
Our structure is
A leader - Me !!
An Advisory Group - 3 people
An group of 5 Operations Supporter looking after the Call Handlers and provide administration.
17 Call Handlers on a rota holding the hotline phone for 2 days at a time taking calls and relaying requests.
50 signed up volunteers - doing the delivering and other tasks
Its been quite intense setting it up and we are just about ready and seeing how it all goes.