VOLUNTEERS for Melksham Community Support, who mobilised to help the local community during the Covid-19 pandemic, have been praised and thanked for their ongoing support.
Chair of Age Friendly Melksham, Jon Hubbard said, “Our amazing volunteers have continued to give their time and energy to Melksham Community Support and have been a great support for people who are isolated and unable to leave their homes.
“The ‘round up of our work’ since the beginning of the pandemic in March shows just how much we have been able to achieve with the incredible support of each and every one of our volunteers out there in the community, doing whatever they can to help those in need”.
Phillipa Huxtable, Age Friendly co-ordinator added, “Our small team have answered the phone 3,726 times so far, to people calling for help and support and we will be here for as long as the residents of Melksham community area need us. Our phone lines are available 24/7 and we ask people to leave us a message and we will call them back to arrange support.
“Feedback from people using the service clearly shows how valuable the service has been and we have all been very moved by comments such as, ‘you’ve really made my day’ and ‘I don’t know what I would have done without you’; ‘It’s a great service and has made me realise how important the small things that people do are’; and ‘I can’t thank you enough, I would give you 11 out of 10’.
“It’s hugely rewarding to feel we are making a difference to vulnerable people’s lives by making this difficult time a bit easier. Some practical help or one of the 1,400 friendly phone calls volunteers have made, can make all the difference to someone on their own.”
Phillipa is keen to recruit new volunteers to help and added, “The Melksham Community Support service is a great project to get involved in. It’s a chance to feel rewarded, valued and part of something special. Go to our website, agefriendlymelksham.org.uk for full details on how to volunteer.”
