Council looking for volunteers to help out in a number of roles

East Ayrshire Council is looking for volunteers to help out in their communities as the coronavirus pandemic continues.

Whether you can spare an hour a week, a day a week or more, the Council would like to hear from anyone who thinks they could offer help either from their own home or out in communities.

Volunteering from home can involve helping neighbours who are shielding, self-isolating or socially distancing from others. You can look out for your neighbours and offer help with shopping, dog walking, taking bins to the kerbside or other errands where you can socially distance and keep yourself well while helping others.

You could also volunteer via the phone or online, for example, by befriending those who are lonely and isolated, offering reassurance and sharing information from the Scottish Government.

Community resilience networks are continuing to organise help and support for the most vulnerable and the Council can link you to your local resilience contacts who will be able to let you know how you can help. Volunteers are particularly needed at the moment in the Shortlees and Dalmellington areas.

The Council also currently has opportunities for volunteers to get involved in the following roles:

• Walking buddies – supporting people who have been shielding to get back outdoors
• Telephone befrienders – making regular telephone calls to those who are shielding or experiencing loneliness and isolation
• Dog walkers – dog walking for people who are shielding or self-isolating
• Catering volunteers – helping with the delivery of free school meals and emergency food parcels
• Children & young people’s befrienders – supporting vulnerable children and young people in our communities

To help the Council link you with the people who need your support, anyone interested in volunteering is being asked to complete a short questionnaire at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/Covid-19_Volunteering2020/

Councillor Douglas Reid, Leader of the Council, said: “My thanks go to every single one of our volunteers for their incredible efforts over what has been almost a year now. We would love to have even more people to help us deal with the challenges that we still face and I would encourage anyone who is interested in volunteering to fill out the questionnaire and see how they can help the more vulnerable members of our communities.”

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