COvid-19 Support & Information

Ashton Volunteer Team & other volunteer organisations

Who are we?

We are probably your neighbours or friends! Together with the Parish Council, we are helping to support anyone in the village who might need it during this challenging time. We have dropped this flyer through all your letterboxes.

If you are over 70 and/or with underlying health issues and are in self isolation, we can collect your prescriptions and your shopping, have a chat on the phone or anything else we might be able to safely do to help you.

Even if you are not in those categories, but live alone and are missing the company of others, we will be looking out for you.

Our numbers are on this page in case you have mislaid your flyer. Give us a call!

Advice for getting through lockdown

This helpful advice was written by a local surgery where one of the nurses in our village works.

Scrubs & Masks updated

One of our fellow volunteer coordinators around the hill has asked whether anyone can donate any 100% cotton fabric, any pattern, any colour, providing it is colourfast and ideally cut into 40cm x 20cm pieces, for making masks.

Fabric details

* The best fabric for homemade masks is a tightly woven, 100% cotton fabric.

* Things like bed sheets, curtains and woven shirts are good options if they’re made entirely out of cotton.

* Avoid knit fabrics (e.g. jersey T-shirts) because they create holes when they stretch, which the virus could get through.

* Ideally make sure to prewash fabrics using hot water to kill germs and to pre-shrink the material so it doesn’t change shape after healthcare workers wash it themselves.

* Once pre washed, cut into 40cm x 20cm pieces if possible.

If you would like to check fabric requirements or need other advice, we are sourcing points of contact, but in the meantime, please contact us and we will pass on your enquiries.

Please drop cut fabric to Geoff May Bird at no 1 Willow Close or uncut fabric to Becki Quilter, 26 Cornfield Way.

These masks are already being put to excellent use, e.g. for key workers such as Cotteswold Dairies who are supplying some local hospitals. They are also used by NHS workers going off duty who need to go shopping and want to protect the general public (as below, this NHS worker has a mask on her lap ready to wear when she finishes her shift)

Local volunteers are also working on sewing local authority authorised scrub kits. The issue is that scrubs from usual suppliers are now delayed 2-3 months and cost £50-60 a set. Volunteers can make these for £10 set using good seamstresses.

As well as any fabric as above; donations welcome to two fund-raising pages. Details below. Thanks everyone.

opens in a new windowhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/cotswoldscrubs
opens in a new windowhttps://uk.gofundme.com/f/helping-dress-medics
opens in a new windowhttps://www.gofundme.com/f/faceit-save-your-granny-wear-a-m…

Volunteer Team contact details

Main contact details

Sarah Hewitt, PC chair

Tel: 01386 881070

Mobile: 07770 942144

Karen Rowley, PC deputy chair

Tel: 01386 882466

Mobile: 07976 906653

Some volunteer home numbers for those who prefer calling a landline

Geraldine: 881416

Kathy: 881256

Jo: 881061

Dave: 882408

Alison: 881548

Judy: 882661

Lynn: 882218

Sheila: 881715

Ashton Volunteers Just Giving Page

After many residents asked how they could repay our brilliant Volunteer Team for their support during this time, the Social Centre have set up a Just Giving Page for donations.

The team have said they do not need payment! So, any funds raised will be used for deserving causes during or after the current situation. Over £300 has been raised so far, so thank you everyone. Here is the link if you would like to donate.

opens in a new windowAshton Volunteers Just Giving site

Prescription Collection & Deliveries

As you know, our brilliant volunteer team will collect prescriptions for you, to minimise trips to surgeries. We understand that Merstow Green are now doing all prescription deliveries themselves. Riverside are doing deliveries for the most vulnerable. We will still do collections and deliveries for Riverside if necessary and any other local surgeries. When you request your prescription collection from your volunteer* could you include the following information, please:

Name, address, contact number
Surgery
Number of items
Date your prescription will be ready
Latest date you need your prescription by
If you are exempt from paying or not

*You hopefully should all have your volunteer’s contact details by now, but if you don’t, call one of us below.

Sarah

Tel: 01386 881070

Mobile: 07770 942144

Karen

Tel: 01386 882466

Mobile: 07976 906653

Thanks everyone!

Help with shopping

We can also collect shopping for those in self isolation, either from The Star (who will also deliver) or from a supermarket.

We can also pick up your click and collect orders. We just need your name, address and order numbers.

Again, the fewer trips we all make in and of the village, the lower the chance of the virus making its way amongst us. If those of us who aren’t in SI can pool shopping trips with friends and neighbours, this will really help too.

Bredon Hill Bags & other volunteer projects

Local volunteers are busy doing great things. Tracy Shipton, a nurse in the village, wanted to thank ‘Bredon Hill Bags for NHS’ whom she said “have kindly given me some lovingly made uniform bags, head bands and have donated hand creams, lotions & potions and socks for all the staff and residents where I work as a nurse. It is very much appreciated ❤“

More news coming soon about the various projects that are underway in our local area and how you can get involved. There is a lot of information to extract, contacts to establish, etc! Until then, here are links to some of the volunteer facebook pages.

opens in a new windowCotswold Scrubs

opens in a new windowBredon Hill Bags for NHS

opens in a new windowWorcestershire For The Love Of Scrubs

opens in a new windowSave your Granny Wear a Mask