LATEST ON VOLUNTEERING IN KINGSTON AND RICHMOND
We spoke with Kingston Voluntary Action today, who are working to coordinate actions by local voluntary groups in the Kingston. If you are able to assist in your community, please contact KVA by phone on 020 8255 3335 and register your details with them. There will be a meeting tomorrow, coordinated by Iona Lidington, Kingston’s Director of Public Health, to identify needs and determine how best to meet them.
Message from Richmond Council for Voluntary Service (CVS): Richmond CVS asks Richmond residents who are interested in volunteering to please register on their site, and specify that you are ready to help with COVID19. Volunteers who are already registered with them can update their volunteer profile to include this. The registration form can be found at: https://richmondcvs.org.uk/richmond-volunteering/
Both groups ask for your patience as they are currently working to identify local needs and priorities, so you may not hear back from them immediately. But volunteering opportunities will increase over the coming weeks, and they are grateful for all offers to assist.
DELIVERY SERVICES
I have been contacted by a number of my constituents about food delivery issues during the Covid-19 measures for self-isolation. I have also been contacted by a number of local small business owners who are worried about the impact this is having on the foot trade they depend on to survive. I am very concerned about both issues and hoping to help alleviate both of them by connecting the two groups to each other.
My office is working to compile a list of local businesses that are offering home delivery or other special services. I have reached out to the major grocery stores directly, and have asked our Lib Dem councillors and activists to feed through information from their neighbourhoods. I am also working with the chambers of commerce in both Richmond and Kingston on this, and local town centre managers.
I have started a list on my website at https://www.saraholneymp.org.uk/covid-19-resources and will add to it as more information arrives. If you own or know of a business in my constituency that is offering delivery or other special services, please email the details to me on office@saraholneymp.org.uk.
We are also asking people to let us know about businesses that are introducing designated early-morning trading ours for elderly or vulnerable customers, so those who need to shop in person can do so with minimized risk of exposure.