This is a difficult time for many. That’s why this week my Corona Heroes are Michele Pym, the Director of Solihull Samaritans, and all the volunteers helping her keep their vital service running.
Despite having a few members of the team forced to isolate, they are still managing to operate their phone lines 24/7 – perhaps because they have an outstanding 125 volunteers!
Samaritans are a really special organisation. Before Coronavirus hit, their 20,000 volunteers were answering a call for help every six seconds. Their helpline has helped save so many lives.
But as with so many other charities, the Covid-19 pandemic is putting them under a lot of strain.
With many of us suffering in these hard times, more people than ever will be trying to reach out to them, whilst at the same time as many as 30 per cent of their volunteers are self-isolating.
Even worse, the need to stay home and maintain social distancing hugely restricts their ability to raise the funds they need to operate. Local fundraising efforts are apparently completely on hold.
So if you have a little to spare and want to support this vital lifeline, please consider donating to the Samaritans Emergency Appeal, which is raising money to help re-recruit former volunteers, provide virtual training, and explore new ways of being there for those who need it most.
In other news, I’m sure that many of you have been enjoying the opportunity to meet up with friends and neighbours again following the new guidelines published on Monday. Up to six people from two different households are now allowed to spend time together, as long as you’re outside and maintain the two-metre social distancing rule.
This is only possible because the overwhelming majority of us have been responsible and followed the rules over the last few months.
As we start to re-open society, meet with friends, and return to work, the advice is going to be a bit more complicated than it was at the beginning.
But if we want to continue to enjoy the summer, whilst protecting ourselves and our NHS, it’s vital that we continue to do so. That way, we can all make the most of the sunshine.
