While shielding ended on the 1st August, it is still recommended that clinically extremely vulnerable people stay at home as much as possible. This means that many people in our community continue to be at risk of social isolation and may need support with essential activities including shopping and dog walking.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, lots of people have been stepping forward wanting to help, demonstrating the Spirit of Salford and we want to thank them for giving their time.

When giving your time, make sure you remember the priority is to keep yourself and others safe and follow physical distancing and infection control guidance at all times.

We’ve put together some tips on the best ways you can offer your support safely. You can also read advice on how to help safely on the NHS website here.

Be a good neighbour

You can be a good neighbour without face to face contact. The majority of the actions below can be done on the phone or virtually:

• Connect and reach out to your immediate neighbours -  a conversation may be a lifeline and will help people feel less lonely
• If there is a neighbourhood social media page you could help them connect with this
• Encourage others on your street to take part in positive community activities from their homes - e.g. rainbow window decorations 
• Help your neighbour put together a contact list of useful numbers e.g. their personal emergency contacts, local advice lines, etc.
• Practical support such as picking up prescriptions, helping them with online shopping, walking their dog, etc.

General rules

• Don’t enter people’s houses – unless you absolutely have to
• Stay on the doorstep and keep 2 metres apart
• Follow government guidelines when offering practical help and comply with any local COVID-19 restrictions that may be in place. Updates on guidance for local restrictions can be found here
• Be kind and courteous
• Respect everyone’s privacy, helping vulnerable people requires mutual trust e.g. don’t share any private information
• Follow infection control advice and physical distancing – with coronavirus (COVID-19) the situation is fast evolving so follow the latest advice from trusted sources e.g. Public Health England (Find them on twitter: @PHE_uk) or visit the PHE website.
• Only help if:
  • you are well and neither you nor anyone in your household has symptoms 
  • you are under 70
  • you are not pregnant
  • you do not have any long-term health conditions that make you vulnerable to coronavirus
• Carry a mobile phone and let someone know where you are going

If someone is in need of more help than you can give please direct them to Salford City Council’s Spirit of Salford Helpline on 0800 952 1000 or complete the form at www.salford.gov.uk/spiritofsalford

Emergency Response Volunteering

If you would like to be part of Salford’s Emergency Response Volunteering initiative, please register here.

Emergency Response Volunteers support residents and communities affected by an emergency and it is a diverse and varied role. In relation to the coronavirus (COVID-19) response, tasks may be as follows:

• Staffing a phone line; taking calls from local residents, finding out what help they need and recording this - Stay In Touch role description
• Distributing and delivering goods e.g. food and toiletries - Logistics role description
• Walking dogs for people who are self-isolating - Dog walker role description
• Preparing hot and cold food for NHS workers and at-risk Salford residents - Food preparation role description

You can also get an idea of what is expected of you as an Emergency Response Volunteer by reading this Welcome Pack.

Please note that there is currently a wait before you can start volunteering while we process those already registered. Volunteers will be an integral part of the recovery phase as well as the immediate response to COVID-19. Your support now is appreciated and we will need you more than ever in the coming months, thank you for your patience, we will get back to you.

If you have any queries about being a good neighbour or emergency response volunteering please contact our team on 0161 787 7795 or email volunteer@salfordcvs.co.uk

Volunteering Portal

If you are interested in volunteering you can use our Volunteering Portal to browse volunteer opportunities and find roles that fit your needs and interests using the simple search function. We know that lots of people want to volunteer during the COVID-19 pandemic and the portal features roles that are part of the coronavirus response as well as opportunities that support good causes.

Go to the portal.

Mutual Aid Groups

Across the country, people are organising into informal groups of volunteers in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in order to help and support people in their local area.

These groups are often called ‘mutual aid groups’. A mutual aid group is a group of local people who organise informally to support one another and the needs of their local community. They are independent of any organisation or official body, are led by local people who volunteer their time and often organise online.

View a list of all the mutual aid groups in the UK here.

Advice regarding Mutual Aid Groups can be found on Macc's website here.

You can also be a good neighbour by donating:

Donate to the Salford 4 Good - Emergency Response Fund (COVID 19) fundraiser.		You can support your local foodbank at supermarket donation points or by donating money online.
Download our guide on 'How to be a Good Neighbour in Salford' here.