The theme for Volunteers’ Week this year is ‘A time to say thanks’ and members of Safer and Supportive Salisbury (SaSS) want to use this opportunity to do just that – to recognise the contribution of local volunteers in Salisbury during the coronavirus pandemic.

SaSS Chair Anne Trevett said: “From the moment the first lockdown was announced back in March 2020, members of the Safer and Supportive Salisbury network were both heartened and humbled by the extraordinary response from people all over the city, offering help and support to the most vulnerable in our local community. Now that we can see light at the end of this very long and dark tunnel, it seems timely to use the theme of Volunteers Week as a chance to say a big thank you to everyone who was part of that effort.”

SaSS members send thanks on behalf of everyone who needed help and got it – whether it was a prescription that needed collecting, groceries picking up or just a friendly face at the window or voice on the phone to ease the loneliness of lockdown. Salisbury volunteers got busy making scrubs and scrub bags for healthcare and care home staff and masks for mask trees for free public use. Local people generously baked goodies and made gifts for the Christmas stockings distributed to unpaid carers by the Salisbury Carers’ Champion. Volunteers baked cakes and other items for the two Silver Salisbury afternoon tea distributions organised by Salisbury Older Person’s Champion. Local people who were feeling particularly isolated without internet connections were helped to ‘get connected’ through the work of local volunteers to distribute tablets and IT support. Volunteers also did a great job in collecting information for the SaSS newsletter which kept everyone informed of developments in the guidance with local implications and important updates.

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