In response to the COVID-19 situation, DDCVS has refocused its work on supporting our member organisations and residents of the Derbyshire Dales through this crisis. Initially, we will be:

• Liaising with Dales Primary Care Network about how to best deploy our social prescribers to support primary care and other colleagues.
• Mapping emerging community responses to the crisis so that people can be signposted to these as a beneficiary or volunteer.
• Signposting people to organisations that can provide support.
• Working with Connex Community Support to co-ordinate the promotion of volunteering opportunities.
• Providing business continuity support to our member organisations to enable them to adapt their services to the current situation.
• Targeting particular communities that may need additional support.
• Working closely with our colleagues in the Dales Place Alliance and Health and Wellbeing Partnership to co-ordinate our responses.

This is a rapidly changing situation, and it is early days, so we will be working flexibly and responsively to meet the needs of our community.

We are currently maintaining a presence in the office, and you can contact us as usual by phone or e-mail.

You are receiving this newsletter as either a member of the CVS, or you have requested to receive our monthly newsletter.

This is to let you know that we will be sending out an email newsletter each week, from now on, just to update you all on any important news we hear about locally that we think might be useful to you as well as to update you on anything that we are doing.

We hope you don’t mind a more frequent ‘hello’ from us at CVS.

Also, if you know of anyone who would like to receive the CVS newsletter, please do share this with them and if they would like to subscribe please ask then to email enquiries@ddcvs.org.uk

Thank you

Connex Community Support continues to protect those who are most vulnerable during these challenging times. We have adapted and extended our support to the wider community who may be affected by self-isolation measures.

We will be delivering emotional and practical support to anyone affected by the COVID-19 virus through
• shopping collection & delivery;
• prescription collection & delivery and
• telephone/video calling befriending;
• postcard/letter befriending;
• signposting to other services;

We are also keen to work alongside other groups & organisations to help recruit and coordinate volunteers for anyone within the community affected by coronavirus but also urgently require more volunteers to support those needing to self-isolate.

URGENT: VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED!
Please contact us if you would like to help with any of the following:-
• Shopping – online or in person – and delivering food to those in isolation
• Telephone befriending – making regular phone calls to offer some friendship and company
• Writing letters/postcards to those isolated
• Collecting and delivering prescriptions

We are starting an emergency response volunteer list. To add your name to the list of people willing and able to help others at this serious time, please call us on:
01335 348600 (Derbyshire Dales area)
Dales@connex.org.uk

NB Connex Community Support also work in the High Peak – to contact them there please call 01298 23970 or email admin@connex.org.uk

Unfortunately, many of our member groups will have had to close up shop for the coming weeks.

We would like to know how you are getting on, if there is anything that we can help with, or if you have set up informal ‘telephone trees’ and the like to keep in touch with your members.

Please email us at enquiries@ddcvs.org.uk with any news.

Also, if you’re part of a group (newly formed or existing) which is offering support to your local community, we would love to hear from you.

Again, please send an email to enquiries@ddcvs.org.uk

You can also phone us on 01629 812154. The office is being staffed very minimally so you may get to speak to someone or you may need to leave a message.

Or – write to us – DDCVS, Agricultural Business Centre, Agricultural Way, Bakewell, Derbyshire, DE45 1AH.

This information is for groups in receipt of either a Better Derbyshire Dales Fund award or a small grant from the Five Ways to Well-being : –

Grants awarded in Sept 2019, Nov 2019, Dec 2019, Feb 2020.

Please note that whilst we would normally send you an evaluation form within 9 to 12 months of your grant being awarded, we will not be doing so this time, unless you request it.

We understand that for many recipients, if you have applied for your running costs, you may not spend the grant within the 12 month period, due to having to offer a reduced service or closed for an extended period.