Garth Harkness

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Saddleworth North Ward on Oldham Council Learn more

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Community response goes live today to help the most vulnerable

by Garth Harkness on 26 March, 2020

https://www.oldham.gov.uk/coronavirus

The Council, Oldham Foodbank and Action Together are working together to coordinate the delivery of emergency food and other essential personal and household basic items to people in need.

This offer will be for people who are unable to leave the house and don’t have a trusted friend, neighbour or family member to help them. This could be someone of any age.

A new hotline will go live later today on 0161 770 7007 for people to call for help. The hotline will be open from 9am-5pm on weekdays and 11am to 2pm on weekends.

After calling the helpline we aim to get back to people in 24 hours and a package will be coordinated in the following days.  The food will be a basic package of items and other essential such as sanitary products and basic toiletries.

The offer is for people in the local community who are genuinely in need as they are self-isolating and don’t have any friends or neighbours who can support them or are unable to leave the house to shop for these items.

The Council, Oldham Food Bank and the voluntary sector led by Action Together are asking people to use this resource responsibly so that it doesn’t become overwhelmed and that is can give help to those who need it most. 

Hubs are being opened across the borough where supplies will be co-ordinated. This will link into an emergency food offer which will be run by the Council, Oldham Foodbank and Action Together.  The hubs will also be able to link people to people to mutual aid, co-ordinate emergency response volunteers and act as a source of local intelligence.

The hubs will be led by our Districts teams in partnership with Action Together and will be supported by staff from other parts of the council, partners and the community and voluntary sector who have good knowledge of the local community.

The hubs will build on the fantastic work already being done in the community to make sure those in need can access emergency supplies including the fantastic work of Oldham Foodbank and by Age UK Oldham’s Shopping Service.

The hubs will need help from volunteers and many people have already come forward https://www.actiontogether.org.uk/volunteer/search-for-opportunities

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