Wotton Area Mutual Aid Volunteer Newsletter WAMA NEWSLETTER #719th May 2020 We know that many people will look to family and friends for assistance during the Covid-19 outbreak, and Wotton Area Mutual Aid group is here to make sure that no one is left alone, by connecting people in need, with volunteers who are available to help out. THE BIG WAMA QUIZ To raise much-needed funds for our WAMA boxes, we are holding a virtual quiz on Sunday 24th May at 7pm. All you need to do to take part is go to our GoFundMe Quiz Page and make a minimum £5 donation per screen. We will then be in contact with all the information you need to join in on the night. We will be using a mix of Zoom and Kahoot, which makes it a fun, interactive quiz. There will be a chance to log in before the quiz to test your technology, but it's all really easy to use. To make it even more fun, we have asked a selection of Wotton's Community Groups and Organisations to "host" a round each. These being: Wotton Rovers, Wotton Walking Festival, Wotton Dramatic Society, Wotton Baptist Church, Wotton Hockey Club, Under the Edge Arts, Wotton Lions, and the Loud Crowd. Do you have any friends you could invite along/share the flyer with? SOME UPDATES.. Obviously no one knows how long our community will be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, but we're still here continuing with our work at the moment. 588 people have signed up to volunteer. We know that there is sometimes a shortage of jobs to do, but there have also been some jobs that haven't been "taken". If you are still able to help, we would really appreciate you continuing to check the spreadsheet . Packing WAMA boxes on a Mon/Tues and Thurs/Fri is a particularly important job, and appears on the request spreadsheet on Sunday and Wednesday. If you have lost the link to the "Request For Help" Spreadsheet it is here: https://buff.ly/33CEHLl If you have signed up to volunteer but are unsure about how to sign up for jobs, or what to do when you get one, please contact us on this email. The boxes have been well received and in our first 4 weeks we have delivered boxes to 118 households - supplying food to 413 people. We continue to fundraise for that work through GoFundMe and donations from local businesses, individuals, and organisations. We are still working with Wotton Baptist Church and a local chef, and together we are delivering around 70 portions of soup a week. Our WAMA Gown team is busy making gowns and laundry bags for local healthcare workers in addition to their required PPE. This ensures that they can work safely. Our prescription team is still happy to collect prescriptions for those who are unable to get them themselves. So far they have delivered 345 prescriptions. Our volunteers are regularly making deliveries for our local shops to allow them to continue to supply those who are self-isolating. A number of people have continued to support their neighbours who they "met" through the WAMA spreadsheet. Thanks for all that everyone is doing! To find out about all things WAMA, and view our first 6 newsletters, have a look at our website: SAFEGUARDING/SUPPORT In our last newsletter, we let you know about our safeguarding policy, that you can read here. If you have any concerns about the people you are meeting through your role as a WAMA volunteer, please get in touch with our Safeguarding Lead. It may not be a safeguarding issue but just something you want to talk through. This may be someone who you've been helping out for a number of weeks. In the same way, if you've been receiving help from a WAMA volunteer and want to tell us about your experience, please don't hesitate to get in touch. For more information on safeguarding as a community volunteer, click on the link below Reminder to share with friends and neighbours: The way to contact Wotton Area Mutual Aid for help is to:
PLEASE REMIND FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS (AND YOURSELF) THAT THESE SERVICES ARE FOR ANYONE IN OUR COMMUNITY WANTING SUPPORT AT THIS TIME |