Community hub in Wealden offers extra help in coping with coronavirus

The hubs provide online forms and phone lines for the vulnerable who are isolating, didn’t get an NHS letter and don’t have family or friends that they can call on. Volunteers and staff from councils and the health service will then ensure they try to get the right assistance to the people who need it most, including arranging food deliveries, medical supplies or mental health support. Community hubs are operating in every part of the county and are in addition to direct help which has already been arranged for people with urgent medical conditions who are being asked to shield themselves at home for 12 weeks. These people are being contacted directly by their GPs and can have food parcels delivered directly to their doors through the Sussex Resilience Forum which brings together emergency services, health services, local authorities and other partners across East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove. The community hubs will focus their help on people who do not have an extreme medical condition but may be vulnerable because they are isolated from help, too unwell to buy food or have other pressing difficulties because of coronavirus. The hubs will also bring together volunteers, donations and projects to co-ordinate East Sussex’s community response to the virus. John Routledge from the East Sussex Voluntary Sector Alliance said, “The hubs are here to make sure everyone who needs some extra help, gets it. Voluntary organisations are working with local government and the NHS to help those who need help get access to our specific services and the volunteer groups who can help pick up food or medicines or have a chat. If you need help, ring or email so that together we can ensure no one in East Sussex feels left on their own to cope. We can all face coronavirus together.” County council leader Keith Glazier said, “No one in East Sussex should feel they are on their own in these difficult times - community hubs will get help to our neighbours and friends when they need it most urgently. People in all our communities are already supporting each other and these hubs are a way for us help them with people, resources and organisation.” Jessica Britton at the East Sussex Clinical Commissioning Groups said, “Ensuring that vulnerable people in our communities have access to the information, advice and support they need in these extremely challenging times is a top priority and we are working together with the voluntary sector and local government partners to enable community hubs to be rapidly established and resourced.” Contact details for the community hub at Wealden Online: https://www.wealden.gov.uk/news-and-events/coronavirus-covid-19-latest/community-support/ Phone: 01323 443322 People who think they are extremely vulnerable and have not been contacted by their GP can register here https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus-extremely-vulnerable If people are unwell or worried about contracting coronavirus, follow the latest NHS advice https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/ A message from the Editor, Gary Shipton: Thank you for reading this story on our website. But I also have an urgent plea to make of you. In order for us to continue to provide high quality local news on this free-to-read site and in print, please purchase a copy of our newspaper as well. With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on our town centres and many of our valued advertisers - and consequently the advertising that we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you buying a copy. Our journalists are highly trained by the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ) and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the most rigorous standards anywhere in the world. Our content is universally trusted - as all independent research proves. As Baroness Barran said in a House of Lords debate this week on the importance of journalists: “Not only are they a trusted source of facts, but they will have a role to play in rallying communities and getting the message across about how we can keep ourselves and our families safe, and protect our NHS. Undoubtedly, they have a critical role.” But being your eyes and ears comes at a price. So we need your support more than ever to buy our newspapers during this crisis. In return we will continue to forensically cover the local news - not only the impact of the virus but all the positive and uplifting news happening in these dark days. In addition, please write to your MP urging the Government to provide some additional financial support for local newspapers and their websites like this one and ensuring that supermarkets continue to stock them. I cannot stress enough how important such an intervention would be. We thank all our readers and advertisers for their understanding and support - and we wish YOU all the best in the coming weeks. Keep safe, and follow the Government advice. Thank you.