Please volunteer to support the UK as we face Covid 19

Fire

I'm getting rather fed up with everyone's moaning about how bored they are at home. We have more learning opportunities to hand than at any time in human history, free and online. If you would like to help someone else, there are a great number of ways to offer phone support to elders in isolation that need a kind ear and a friendly voice. Great swathes of the nation are caught up in anxiety and depression, exacerbated by worries about the virus. Lots of people all over the country could use your help. Don't twiddle your thumbs.

This article gives links to phone support volunteering.

Jason-3

@Fire

I'd be starting with teachers and anyone else getting paid by the government who at home but not working. I work at a council and they are currently desperate for assistance with vulnerable young children. Seems somewhat daft when we have 10000s of thousands of teachers currently sitting at home. Whilst their school is shut or running on a skeleton staff. This isn't meant as a slight on teachers BTW. 

Similar with self employed trades people who will be receiving a wage from the govt. With the erection of temp hospitals and morgues

Topbird

Just so you know - the ‘official’ government ‘Support Your NHS’ volunteer scheme is currently suspended for new recruits because it is so heavily subscribed. There are, however, other opportunities out there.

I did also wonder if it was worth some of our trained chefs etc contacting local care homes putting themselves on standby in case their own cooks are unable to work.

Fire

I was thinking more of all the lovely gardeners here who may have retired and have time and gentleness. There was a thread a month ago on how many of us face loneliness and isolation, especially in later life. Now the problems are even more acute with lock down.

Most of my friends are teachers and they are working flat out trying to shift to classes online or going into dangerous situations to teach the children of key workers.

There is a huge need for an army of workers to help the country - in building and testing and picking. We face an acute food security crisis, with nobody to harvest our fields. 

Tulip18

Most of these thousands of teachers are working from home On a daily basis providing work, communicating with children and parents and teaching online classes. 

That’s when they’re not in school working to look after vulnerable children and NHS staff children. 

This also includes making phone calls and if required home visits while staying the required space from the families in order to ensure families that may have difficulties but don’t qualify for a space at school are coping. 

So although your comment may not be a slight on teachers it is also not a true reflection of the real situation for teachers. 

Fire

Topbird said:

"There are, however, other opportunities out there."

There are indeed a lot of organisations that need phone support. The beauty with that, is that it doesn't need to be local. The article signposts various ways to volunteer by phone.

Jason-3

@Tulip18

I'm glad that is what is happening in your local area. This is how it should be.
But I can tell you this isn't the case in other areas. Thus the drive to upskill local authority workers to assist with vulnerable kids where their is little school provision. Three of my best friends are teachers two been fairly senior in their trusts. I can assure you all three have the current capacity to assist a little more. 

My little one has been home for two weeks and wasn't sent a single worksheet. Their has been no contact from the school. Families have setup a chat group to share home schooling lessons plans in the absence of anything from the school. 

Away from teachers my brother in law is an engineer at JCB he is receiving a full wage (80 % paid for by the govt) and has no work. Surely their must be something he can do assist? 

Whilst volunteering absolutely has its part to play. I also honestly believe their are enough people currently receiving wages from the government ( whether that's because they are a public sector worker or getting your wages subsidised) to assist with a whole host of crucial areas. Whether that's building hospital wards, ventilators , producing ppe or delivering food parcels, helping vulnerable children and adults or coordinating volunteers at the hospital. 

Posy

All the teachers round here are working their socks off producing, sending and marking work where they can. It's harder with very young children who cannot work independently but my daughter has been busy making up learning packs for her reception class and she has to go into school for part of the week to care for the children of key workers, thus exposing herself and her family to risk. I do dislike this broad-brush approach where thousands of people are condemned, usually incorrectly, by people with very limited knowledge. It certainly won't help morale.

Posy

Also, people have to eat. Do we want people to go to work and spread the virus? Apparently not. So if they stay at home do we wish them to starve? I wouldn't have thought so. 

Dovefromabove

Many people have been sent home and are being paid to stay there because that’s exactly where they should be ... to slow the spread of COVID 19 ... the last thing we need right now is folk leaving their homes and going out ‘trying to help’ because they’ve been made to feel like scroungers by people who should know better. 

This isn’t WW2 ... it’s a pandemic. The last thing it needs is a load of Corporal Jones thinking they know what’s needed, going off at half cock, clogging up the systems and spreading the virus. 

Also, with my former social work hat on, we should bear in mind that ‘volunteering to help the vulnerable’, children, vulnerable adults or the elderly, is an abuser’s charter. There will be some out there even now, trying to use this situation to their advantage. Don’t forget, abuse can start online. 

The government and NHS have asked for help from those will appropriate skills. If others are needed I’m sure they’ll let us know. What the rest of us have to do to play our part is to STAY AT HOME!!! 

Lyn

Well said Dove. I can imagine Corporal Jones, ‘I’d like to be the one to volunteer.’
the government asked for 250,000  they’ve got over 600,000 on their lists. 

Thats worse than the postie delivering letters😉