Kind-hearted and hard-working volunteer groups and other organisations are already putting Aberdeenshire Council’s £200,000 community resilience fund to use, helping those in need through the coronavirus lockdown.
In its latest budget, the authority set aside the sum to help communities across the north-east endure and overcome hardships brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
All manner of organisations, both newly-created to deal with the lockdown situation and those that are already well-established, have benefitted from thousands of pounds of council cash which they have used for the benefit of residents in dire situations.
From purchasing 3D printing technology to help create special masks to slow the spread of the virus, to offering safe journeys for vulnerable people to and from supermarkets, residents all across Aberdeenshire have banded together.
One of the organisations that has applied for cash is the online group “Coronavirus Community Care – Portlethen and Surroundings”, which was established by 23-year-old Sophie Stephen.
Miss Stephen, a masters student at Robert Gordon University studying international marketing and management, lives in Findon.
At first when she established the group on Facebook, she said she only expected to be helping a handful of others in the community to do shopping and other services for vulnerable residents.
But the project grew rapidly, and now has more than 650 members.
Miss Stephen and the group have split up the Portlethen area into 24 “zones”, where a team leader and volunteers give assistance to people who need it.
The group has requested funding from the council to help buy food, toiletries, and to cover utility costs for its new base at Portlethen’s Jubilee Hall.
Miss Stephen said: “I started it back in March when I noticed different people posting that they were offering their help or offering up spare things like pasta and toilet paper.
“I wanted to be able to help, maybe go to the shops for people who couldn’t leave their house. Simple things like that.
“I expressed interest to see if anyone else wanted to join me in doing this, and a few people showed interest so I made a group. Within 24 hours we had over 200 people.
“So, I created a plan and got together a number of people who I had noticed were really engaged on the page and asked if they would help me.
“We set up a meeting with key community members, like councillors, people from the Jubilee hall and people from the church.
“The Jubilee Hall was so kind as to offer their space as a base for the project, which is now open 9am to 5pm, Monday through Sunday, which is incredible.
“Originally, we thought it would be our job to just go and get shopping for people or pick up prescriptions.
“But we’ve been so lucky with people in the community wanting to donate that we have been able to reach a place where we’re helping people that may not even have the means to get the essentials in this difficult time.”
Miss Stephen said the grants her group has received, including from Aberdeenshire Council, are “incredible” and means they will be able to “continue to support people and help even more people”.
Councillor Jim Gifford, the leader of Aberdeenshire Council, said: “It is fantastic to see the Aberdeenshire Community Resilience Fund being accessed to help community groups carry out invaluable work supporting the elderly and vulnerable during the Coronavirus situation.
“I would urge community groups who are eligible to apply for these grants so that more help can be given to those in desperate need.”
Each of the six council areas in Aberdeenshire has been given a £20,000 allocation, along with an £80,000 balance which has been made available across the whole of Aberdeenshire.
Community groups, volunteering organisations and those than can benefit from the funding can apply for grants of up to £2,000 for community resilience work.
Answering the call for PPE
Due to soaring demand for personal protective equipment (PPE) all across the country, the Scottish Government put out a request for help in procuring the potentially life-saving gear.
Volunteer groups and organisations answered the call in their hundreds, include Joe and Nicki Skinner from Peterhead, who established a community group called Protecting Essential Workers in the North-East.
The organisation received funding from local businesses including JBS Fabrications and AM Campbell to buy 3D printers to manufacture masks for those on the frontline.
So far the group has produced 1,000 such masks to help prevent the spread of the virus.
Protecting Essential Workers in the North-East has also been supported by the Peterhead Area Community Trust, which has allowed its pavilion to be used as a base for producing masks.
The group has made an application to Aberdeenshire Council’s Community Resilience Fund in order to purchase four more 3D printers, to help in the manufacture of even more masks even more quickly.
An online fundraiser has also been established to help Protecting Essential Workers in the North-East to carry out their important work.
To donate and support their efforts, visit the website www.gofundme.com and search for the group.
Groups and community organisations across the north-east have also been rapidly changing their usual activities in order to help out those in need.
One such group is the Westhill Men’s Shed.
The workshop, like the hundreds of other Men’s Shed organisations across the UK, aims to reduce isolation and loneliness by providing a space for local men to meet, work together on projects and make their communities a better place.
The Westhill group’s men have put their crafty skills to use by making face masks to help frontline key workers carry out their essential services in as safe a manner as possible.
Already, the shed group has made 150 masks, but it is hoped that once their production is fully operational the team will be able to make around 600 per week, greatly benefiting essential workers as they deal with people who may potentially be infected with the virus.
With extra cash from the council’s £200,000 community resilience fund, the group hopes to be able to improve its ability to manufacture personal protective equipment such as masks and help even more people in need.
The Westhill Men’s Shed have agreed to supply the Aberdeenshire Health and Social Care Partnership’s joint equipment centre with 80% of the masks they have been producing.
The remaining 20% of their creations will go to help local businesses.
To apply, visit www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk and search for “Community Resilience Fund”.
