“We are very, very grateful to all those volunteers, including Councillors, who have come forward to help.” said Mayor, Mervyn Hall when thanking everyone for the response to the call for community volunteers to help the town’s elderly and vulnerable as Marlborough comes together to protect its residents and beat Coronavirus.
More than two hundred local residents stepped forward to answer the Town Council’s call. All were issued with information packs, including guidance on social distancing, washing hands, etc. as well as latex gloves and hand sanitizer before setting out to deliver special contact cards to every household. These now familiar cards give the name and contact details of a volunteer offering help with shopping, collecting prescriptions, walking dogs or just being available at the end of a phone.
The Town Council is the central coordinating point. Marlborough has been split into 16 different zones, each with a lead coordinator working with other volunteers to cover their neighbourhoods.
The Council is fielding enquiries from those needing help locally, from others living far away and worried about elderly relatives as well as handling questions from more volunteers coming forward. There’s liaison with the surgery, pharmacists, supermarkets, social services and care homes too, all working together to meet some inevitable challenges. A small emergency fund has also been created to help those in most need.
The situation has changed dramatically over the past two weeks and the Town Council and its volunteers may also be involved with the national scheme to shield the most vulnerable, high risk groups in the community. Already, parcels are being delivered to Wiltshire for onward distribution around the county and the Council and army of volunteers will be ready to help out with this too.
Town Mayor, Councillor Mervyn Hall added: “It’s not just the Town Council, there are many local groups all working to protect our communities – LINK, Marlborough Area Poverty Action Group, Manton Residents Association and more. We are thankful too for generous contributions put forward to help make sure that our most vulnerable are looked after.”
If anyone has not received a contact card, it’s been mislaid, or would like to join Marlborough’s growing band of volunteers, e-mail Assistant Town Clerk, Clare Harris at charris@marlborough-tc.gov.uk or call 01672 512487.
“This is the Marlborough community at it’s best” said one elderly resident in self-isolation when contacted recently by a volunteer. Our Prime Minister, Boris Johnson probably never uttered truer words than he did yesterday (Sunday 29 March) from his Coronavirus sick bed in Downing Street when he stated: “There really is such a thing as society”, and this, is society in action, in Marlborough.
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