How to Help Others in Your Community
How you can help locally
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.
You should only leave the house for one of four reasons, and one of these is to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Even when you are doing this, you need to do so safely. You should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres (6 feet) apart from anyone outside of your household.
Some of the things you can volunteer to help with include:
This guidance below outlines how you can do this safely.
Can I help?
You can only provide support to people who are in isolation if you fulfil ALL of the conditions below:
Who can I help?
You can help households who are isolating. This could include friends and family members as well as your neighbours.
If you want to help in your local community, but don’t know how, further information can be found in the details below.
Always remember, you should only provide support in person where it is essential for the health or care of a vulnerable person.
How can I help safely?
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection and save lives. This remains the case when you are helping others.
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives.
You should only leave the house for one of four reasons, and one of these is to provide care or to help a vulnerable person. Even when you are doing this, you need to do so safely. You should be minimising time spent outside of the home and ensuring you are 2 metres (6 feet) apart from anyone outside of your household.
Some of the things you can volunteer to help with include:
- shopping for those that cannot leave their home
- collecting medicine on someone's behalf
- stay in touch, have a chat, and be a friendly voice over the phone or via social media
- encourage people to stay mentally and physically active
- share trusted sources of information
This guidance below outlines how you can do this safely.
Can I help?
You can only provide support to people who are in isolation if you fulfil ALL of the conditions below:
- You are well and have no symptoms like a cough or high temperature and nobody in your household does
- You are under 70
- You are not pregnant
- You do not have any long-term health conditions that make you vulnerable to coronavirus.
Who can I help?
You can help households who are isolating. This could include friends and family members as well as your neighbours.
If you want to help in your local community, but don’t know how, further information can be found in the details below.
Always remember, you should only provide support in person where it is essential for the health or care of a vulnerable person.
How can I help safely?
The single most important action we can all take, in fighting coronavirus, is to stay at home in order to protect the NHS and save lives. When we reduce our day-to-day contact with other people, we will reduce the spread of the infection and save lives. This remains the case when you are helping others.
- You should not go inside the homes of anyone you do not live with, especially vulnerable people or people who believe they may be infected and are isolating themselves. Breaking these rules could put you at risk of infection, or risk spreading it to others.
- If you are picking things up for others, try to limit the amount of time you spend outside of your home by picking up essential items for them when you do your own shopping or collect their medicines during the same trip.
- You should stay 2m or six feet away from anyone you do not live with at all times. Do not share a car journey with them.
- You should also regularly wash your hands with soapy water for at least 20 seconds.
- If you have offered to help other people, please do not place yourself in positions where you may feel unsafe, for instance helping late at night.
- You must also always adhere to our advice on how to stay safe.
- If you or someone in your household has shown symptoms, or if you are more vulnerable to coronavirus yourself, then you must stay home. You still play an important role but will need to do this from home.
How you can volunteer with Scotland Cares
A new ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign has been launched to encourage people to volunteer during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Those wanting to volunteer to support their communities have three options which are signposted from the Ready Scotland website:
A new ‘Scotland Cares’ campaign has been launched to encourage people to volunteer during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Those wanting to volunteer to support their communities have three options which are signposted from the Ready Scotland website:
- returning NHS workers will be directed to existing voluntary arrangements in NHS Scotland
- people wishing to offer their support to our public services, including the NHS and local authorities, will be directed to a site co-ordinated by the British Red Cross
- those looking for opportunities with other charities or community groups in their area will be directed to Volunteer Scotland for information
How your business can help
Your business may be in a good position to offer support to local residents, communities, local councils or the government.
The support needed ranges from things like:
If you think your business can help the government with any of these, please visit this website.
If you think your business can help on a local and informal level within Balerno, please consider reaching out and offering your services through Balerno Community Council, Balerno Cares, the Balerno Business Forum, or any other local resource or resilience group you're aware of.
Your business may be in a good position to offer support to local residents, communities, local councils or the government.
The support needed ranges from things like:
- medical testing equipment
- medical equipment design
- protective equipment for healthcare workers, such as masks, gowns and sanitiser
- hotel rooms
- transport and logistics, for moving goods or people
- manufacturing equipment
- warehouse or office space, for medical use or storage
- expertise or support on IT, manufacturing, construction, project management, procurement or engineering
- social care or childcare
If you think your business can help the government with any of these, please visit this website.
If you think your business can help on a local and informal level within Balerno, please consider reaching out and offering your services through Balerno Community Council, Balerno Cares, the Balerno Business Forum, or any other local resource or resilience group you're aware of.
