Activity packs are ‘smash hit’ with children
SURVIVE Together, the Leek and Cheddleton based Covid-19 mutual support group has reported an ‘exceedingly busy’ time over the last week.
As well as their daily work of collecting shopping and prescriptions for the isolated and vulnerable, the group’s volunteers put in a huge effort to produce children’s activity packs and distribute them around the area.
These were intended to bring a little colour into the lives of local children whilst giving hard working parents a break from entertaining their children.
The group produced five different kids’ activity packs for different age groups and distributed them by hand. In total they successfully delivered 350 packs to 172 different addresses in the space of four days. Reaction to the packs was very rewarding for the group.
Erika Fowler from Leek said: “This is a great idea and will be greatly appreciated, especially on a wet day. It’s a great idea to bring the community together and show some team spirit in these times.”
The Survive Together Facebook page is a constant source of community spirit.
Katie Brown, a group member, had a surplus of seeds from her allotment and offered them free of charge.
Kate said: “We just wanted to help people to grow their own vegetables and to give people something to do during this time and keep people active.”
Demand was huge and Survive Together volunteers took up the task of delivering them as part of their daily exercise. Everyone received their seeds in one afternoon.
A community production line has sprung up from the group making free facemasks for key workers and vulnerable people.
Organiser Sharron Quaile said: “I dusted the sewing machine off and ran up a mask for my elderly neighbour Wilf two weeks ago. It has now ballooned and now I have 71 orders!
“When people heard about me on the Facebook group I immediately received offers of help, one lady donated a lovely bundle of material while another is cutting the masks ready for sewing. It’s amazing how this is bringing out the best in people.”
The group has many more ideas for projects to run over the coming weeks and urges anyone interested in helping to keep an eye on the Survive Together Covid-19 Leek Facebook page.
At the same time, they are not forgetting their original purpose and urge anyone struggling to collect shopping or supplies, to contact the Staffordshire Moorlands District Council helpline on 0345 605 3010.