PORTHCAWL

Send Your News To: 42 Suffolk Place, Porthcawl, CF36 3EB. 01656 451844 davidn-w@homecall.co.uk

Porthcawl Covid-19 Strategy Group: The Strategy Group now has more than 400 volunteers and 20 managers working across Porthcawl.

It has been working closely with the medical centre, social services, local pharmacies and businesses, South Wales Police and BCBC to ensure a multiagency approach to dealing with the emerging issues of the pandemic.

Porthcawl has its fair share of older people with no relatives or indeed who live alone, or care for another older person or a friend even older than they are and this is the section of the community that is most vulnerable.

The C19 Srategy Group set themselves the task of contacting these older vulnerable residents and they also set up a website https:// porthcawlc19s.weebly.com, a Facebook page Porthcawl Covid-19 Strategy as well as delivering leaflets throughout Porthcawl.

As a result the older residents started contacting the group, and the group provided the volunteers to help with shopping, collection of medication and just as importantly provide phone buddies.

The aim was to reduce the footfall of vulnerable residents visiting pharmacies and shops in Porthcawl town centre and this seems to be working well.

Working with the Co-op senior management the group has arranged a system of over the phone to order and make payment with delivery by volunteers.

Additionally, the C19 Strategy Group, working with Nadia Locke of Facebook page We Deliver – Porthcawl local businesses, has developed a similar order and payment system.

This strategy is providing reassurance and assistance to the older residents, and the ‘phone buddy’ scheme which provides a regular phone call being made to elderly and vulnerable residents has been a great success.

In this scheme the group is being supported by other professional groups dealing with mental wellbeing, etc.

It would be nice to think that this could carry on when all this is over.

I know we all value our independence and rightly so, but if you are over 70 and need the assistance of the group, then please register on https:// porthcawlc19s.weebly.com.

Shout Out For The NHS: The number of people now joining this nationwide Shout Out is growing week by week in Porthcawl and the means of making a noise is becoming more and more varied; from simple handclapping and shouting their appreciation of the work being selflessly carried out by the NHS and many other essential workers, to the use of good old fashioned saucepans and spoons or other musical instruments.

The area round Suffolk

Place is getting louder and louder and more importantly neighbours stay on talking when the noise has stopped.

So next Thursday night at 8pm – hopefully there will be more of you again on your doorsteps making even more noise and hopefully then having a chat with your neighbours – at a safe distance