While the whole of the UK struggles to come to terms with the impact of Coronavirus, everyday Welsh people and business owners in Bridgend are stepping up with acts of kindness to lighten the load both for sufferers/those in isolation and those in self-imposed lockdown, especially those over 70 who have been found to be at higher risk of developing complications from the virus.

Bridgend Coronavirus Support Group

Prospective AM Candidate Sarah Murphy responded to the crisis by setting up a Facebook support group for the Bridgend area, where local business leaders and members of the public sought to mobilise help and supplies for those in need, sharing information from local doctors surgeries in one place, letting members know where hard-to-find supplies (like toilet roll) could still be found locally and helping local people connect with each other to reduce the isolation for the elderly, disabled and housebound.

Sarah said:

“This is not in any way a political group, that has been clear from the start, it is simply an online place to share local information and direct volunteers to BAVO (Bridgend Associtiation of Voluntary Organisations)  to support those most in need during this crisis.  Coronavirus is a cross-party issue and as a humanitarian, I want to make sure that nobody in our community feels isolated without anyone to contact.  The group has really shown how many kind and generous people live in Bridgend and are willing to support the less fortunate.  I’ve been incredibly humbled by the generosity of members from all areas of Bridgend and am hoping we will emerge from this as a stronger community.”

Bridgend residents can join the group and access support here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/BridgendCoronavirusSupportGroup

Bridgend Holiday Hunger

Charity Worker Kerry-Lynne Pyke, one of the Bridgend Holiday Hunger team took the opportunity to launch a petition to persuade Parliament to support parents whose children currently receive free school meals, saying:

“With talk of a possible 4 month lockdown in days to come, I’m concerned we will see children who are eligible for free school meals going hungry.  We know that in the Summer holidays, which last only 6 weeks, poorer families struggle to feed their children that extra meal a day, and any prolonged schools closure will have a similar impact.  By ensuring that funding is in place to support these parents ahead of any lockdown, we can ensure that children are adequately fed during the crisis.” 

You can sign the petition here: https://www.change.org/p/uk-parliament-give-children-their-free-school-meals-if-when-schools-close-due-to-coronavirus?recruiter=100680890&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=psf_combo_share_abi&utm_term=tap_basic_share&recruited_by_id=7ed8e7fc-2f82-4b7c-961d-664c7d6237aa&utm_content=fht-20839354-en-gb%3Av2

Driven Taxi Service

Meanwhile, kind-hearted taxi drivers working for Porthcawl, Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cornelly Taxi Company, Driven, said they would offer free shopping assistance to elderly people in need.  Roger Bridge, owner of Driven said in a statement:

“We know that the highest risks are for the Elderly residents of our surrounding areas.  We don’t want them to have to go out and expose themselves to a potential life threatening virus, so our drivers have offered to pick up essential shopping in ASDA Pyle for any elderly resident in our catchment area between 10am and 2pm all this week.

“To access this, please call our office 01656788887, wait to speak to an operator, let them know that you need us to go to Asda on your behalf, and give your address and age.  We will then come to your residence and collect a shopping list of up to 10 essential items.  

“Our drivers will then collect the items on your behalf and return with the receipt, you then pay us for the shopping only.  It means we can ensure that elderly residents of our community don’t find themselves without essentials.  We’re happy to play our part in supporting people through this crisis, and I really want to thank our drivers for supporting this.”

To learn more about Driven Taxi Service, please go here: https://www.driventaxis.co.uk/

One2One Therapy

Local Physiotherapy and Wellbeing Centre, One2One Therapy, are keen to play a pivotal role in supporting wellbeing, recovery, healthy lifestyles and exercise within the local community.

The team created a What’sApp group where the multi-disciplinary therapy team could come up with ideas to support the local community, and as a result decided to launch a health and wellbeing community support group during the coronavirus crisis.  Clinical Director and Physiotherapist, Rhian Davies, explains:

“While Public Health Wales are doing an excellent job of providing clinical care to the seriously ill, the social isolation measures are being implemented as needed, and our concern is that this could have a detrimental effect on our mental and physical health. We felt the best way to tackle this was to expand our outreach and services so we can encourage and support everyone, not just One2One clients.”

“We have set up a new Facebook group to share wellbeing information and provide support during this challenging time. Our physiotherapists will be giving advice on how to stay active, our Dietitian will post nutrition advice and our psychotherapist and mindfulness teacher will give tips and techniques on how to stay calm and look after your mental health.    We have also introduced Video consultations for physiotherapy, counselling and mindfulness. Our team are also happy to chat to anyone of any age who just feels isolated and wants a human conversation.  

“We will be sharing exercise videos for all ages and abilities to keep everyone moving, our Dietitian will be sharing tips on the best foods to eat to keep your immune system strong and our mindfulness teacher will post some meditation techniques.”

To join the One2One Coronavirus support group, click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1294850350707546/

To book a Video consultation via Skype, WhatsApp, Messenger or FaceTime, please click here: https://www.one2onetherapy.net/