Don’t struggle - seek help from Sandy Good Neighbours volunteers

Sandy Good Neighbours (SGN) is helping members of the community who are self-isolating or shielding, making sure they have everything they need, as well as support if they are lonely.

Although several groups in Bedfordshire were quickly established during March as a response to the pandemic, SGN was already up and running long before the first lockdown.

Stephen Ralph, chairman of Sandy Good Neighbours, said: “The service we are offering at the moment is quite different to what we would normally offer. We used to get involved in giving lifts to doctor’s appointments, the supermarket etc, but we have had to curtail that. At the moment we are predominantly shopping for people, delivering prescriptions, collecting medications and delivering them back to people. We are also doing dog walking for clients.

“We are so grateful to all of our volunteers because without them we would not be able to continue helping those in need in Sandy and Beeston.”

SGN also runs a befriending service, which sees its volunteers call lonely residents to provide a listening ear.

This is particularly important because the group is currently unable to run its Monday morning Friendship Club for the elderly, meaning its members can seek comfort in a friendly phone call.

Stephen added: “Some of our regular clients are now looked out for by their families, so we haven’t seen a dramatic increase in numbers. However, there has been an increase overall because a number of clients have been passed to SGN by the Bedfordshire Rural Communities charity.”

Prior to the first lockdown in March, SGN had about 40 volunteers, but numbers were then reduced to just four because many members needed to shield for medical reasons or because they were over 70.

However, Sandy All In Together (SAIT) and Sandy Town Council came to the rescue and helped SGN recruit another 19 volunteers.

Unable to fundraise in the usual way, such as via raffles and tombolas, SGN is also very grateful for the grants it has received: one from Sandy Town Council at Christmas, so SGN could buy presents for the Monday morning club members; one from the Bedfordshire Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund; and one from Central Bedfordshire Council. (Both of these allowed SGN to provide PPE for its volunteers.)

SGN also wishes to say a thank you to SAIT, which is another hardworking voluntary organisation in the town offering prescription delivery/collection and food shopping services. The two help to publish each other’s news and notices, and SGN can also pass on a client to SAIT if it is unable to help with a request, and vice versa. If in need of assistance, residents from Sandy and Beeston can call the following number from Mondays to Fridays: 07810 213 935.

SGN would also love to welcome new volunteers on board. Please call the number above if you are interested.

The newspaper will also be promoting the following groups over the coming weeks (please contact them if you need assistance): SAIT 07523 339193; Biggleswade Good Neighbours 07771 104255; Arlesey Good Neighbours 01462 732210; Blunham Covid Response Group blunhamresponse@gmail.com; Potton Community C-19 Support Group search ‘Potton community help’ on Facebook.