Open Collective
Open Collective
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Volunteer Update 14 June 2020
Published on June 15, 2020 by Erika Wakid

As we wrap up the third month of lockdown, restrictions are slowly loosening. Though it is easy to fall back into our normal habits, please remember to be diligent about maintaining social distancing and protective measures.

We'd like to thank those of you who completed the short survey we circulated about the future of this group and the wider KC Mutual Aid organisation. Please send us an email if you'd like a summary of the results. The key takeaways are:

  • the vast majority of respondents would like to continue supporting their neighbours in some form (95.6%, or 43 out of 45 respondents)
  • 76.7% would continue to volunteer if we began formally working with other organisations, with another 23.3% supportive but depending on the organization
  • additional ways respondents believe they can volunteer once lockdown measures are lifted include gardening, driving, friendly visits, going for walks, and more advocacy for neighbours with the council or other organisation
  • suggestions for other needs this group can expand to meet post COVID-19 include developing links between members and the community, creating a centralized knowledge bank from our experiences to be ready for future crises, tutoring and mentorship, wider support for vulnerable groups (elderly, homeless, single parent households), and wider befriending services

Your suggestions are excellent, and it is hugely encouraging to see how engaged people are willing to be post COVID-19. We have shared your thoughts with the wider organisation and are working with other area admins to develop a path forward. We will keep you all updated as things progress. As always, please don't hesitate to share your thoughts with us directly.

As at 14 June, you've completed 250 unique resident requests and are additionally providing regular support for 120 residents through our resident-volunteer matching program. As restrictions change and some of you go back to work or move houses, please let us know if you can no longer volunteer with us, can only do certain hours or prefer ad hoc tasks. We are happy to say we have now contacted 99.5% of you who live in our zone for a task at least once, and we will continue to try our hardest to keep spreading out tasks so all of you have a chance to volunteer.

We have received donations of £2,364.49, which allows us to safeguard our residents and volunteers and fund some hardship requests. Any fund left over when things go back to normal will be donated to local charities.

Finally, a huge round of applause to each of you for exemplifying the best of our community. We continue to receive heaps of praise when we speak to residents, and it's all down to the kindness you've shown throughout this crisis.