The Peterborough Evening Telegraph
How city’s ‘inspirational’ voluntary sector is united during pandemic
The challenges of tackling the coronavirus pandemic have been immense, but the mobilisation of voluntary and community groups in Peterborough has been “inspirational” according to the chief executive of the city’s charity network.
Leonie McCarthy has seen first-hand just how much effort has been made across Peterborough to deliver vital food and medicine supplies to the most vulnerable, not to mention the social effects the crisis has had on so many.
The chief executive of the Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service (PCVS) was probably expecting a morerelaxing way of celebrating the organisation’s 40th anniversary this year, but despite the immensepressuresofhelping to tackle a once-in-a-generation global health pandemic shehasbeenenthusedbyhow the city has risen to the challenge.
“Initially, we set up a small group which soon became a largegroup. Inthoseearlydays we were getting 50 to 60 calls adayatPeterborough’s (co-ordination) hub and they would send on the calls to us they couldn’t deal with,” she told the Peterborough Telegraph.
“It was incredibly busy with people out and about from first thing in the morning until late at night delivering food parcels, making sure people had their medicine, checking in on people.
“Over time and with the changes in lockdown things are starting to quieten down. People are able to have their families’ support them more than they could in their early days.
“It’s been very unifying for the sector. When we work together we are much stronger than the sum of our parts. That’s been very refreshing, it hasbeenexciting, andit’sbeen inspirational in thesenseIfeel
it has demonstrated what can be achieved whenweworktogether towards the same outcomes.
“The interesting thing was our diversity and our difference is what made it so effective because we had lots of lenses to look at issues.”
PCVS is the umbrella organisation for the voluntary sector in Peterborough, but, like most charities, it has had to adjust to a more challenging financial picture during a period of austerity.
I t c urrently re c e i ves £40,000 a year from the city council which it uses to draw in money from outside funding pots and provide support for volunteers across the city.
Its 25membersofstaffcurrently deliver around £2 million of projects, with PCVS workingwithmorethan5,000 groups across Peterborough.
This can range from local neighbourhood watch and refugee community groups to people workingonenvironmental projects or organisations assisting young people.
PCVS currently has more than 500 voluntary groups as members.
Leonie sees PCVS’ roles as formed. For instance, nonUK nationals were unable to gain access to IT equipment, so a group wasset uptolook at ITaccesswhichthenincluded older people.
A sub-group to look at getting ITequipmenttopeoplein thecity sprungupafterwards, while there were also groups for domestic violence and mental health due to a spike in individuals suffering from both.
PCVS was then able to successfully apply for funding to get specialists in to provide support, the result being that counselling is available for anybody in the city.
A tackling poverty group was also formed, and people seeking help for one problem encouraging the volunteer were then able to be referred sector to “flourish” with comto a range of support. munities able to: “reach their It is this system which Lepotential”. onie wants to see operated
This certainly became the across Peterboroughinthefucase during Covid-19 where a ture, and there is excitement range of different issues had that PCVS has been selected to be tackled, while at times for a ‘Gestalt-based interventhere was confusion from tion’ scheme in the voluntary different groups providing sector which Leonie said will similar services, such as food be the first of its kind internabanks popping up across the tionally. city . According to The Gestalt
Fortunately, everyone was Centre: “Gestalt practitioners soon able to work together to help people to focus on their provide a more cohesive sysimmediate thoughts, feelings tem of support. and behaviour and to better
Leonie explained: “We set understand the way they reup a forum for everybody that late to others. This increased was doing food in the city to awareness helps people to come together so we could find a new perspective, see reduce the waste, direct food the bigger picture and effect whereitneededtogo, andanychanges.” bodywhowantedtorunafood Leonie hopes this form of provision wouldbeabletoask intervention during a time everybody who came in for a of increasing differences will foodparcel:‘Didtheyneedany help to: “make a difference to other support which we were theresilienceandwellbeingof missing?’ those volunteers whosupport
“We could then provide individuals andlocal commudebt advice, benefits advice, nities to flourish”. advice for families where She added: “I truly believe there would be support for it’s possible to effect that kind them, advice for youth proof change in humanity where grammes.” we begin to accept ourselves
Anumberofgroupstolook and others, without judgeat specific issues were also ment but with love.”