Brent Council has put out an appeal for residents to support its efforts to help the most vulnerable during the coronavirus pandemic.
Last week Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre opened as a hub to get emergency food parcels to those who are self isolating and need them.
Now the council, working with the voluntary sector, is appealing for more people to join the individuals and groups already involved in the community effort.
Anyone wishing to volunteer should fill in the form found via www.brent.gov.uk/your-community/coronavirus/volunteering/ and CVS Brent will match people’s strengths, skills and attributes with the jobs that need doing now.
Councillor Muhammed Butt, leader of Brent Council, said: “We have already reinforced the safety net in Brent by redeploying council staff into different roles.
“For example, we’ve transformed Bridge Park Leisure Centre into a new food delivery hub, staffed by teams from across the council, which is delivering much-needed supplies to the most vulnerable, receiving things like pasta, cereal, fruit, tea bags and toilet rolls.
“But more community support would be very welcome and I urge anyone who feels they could give their time and energy over the coming weeks, or even months, to register their details on our website as soon as possible.
“Working with our partners, the faster we act now, the more lives we can save.
“Your help could make such a huge difference to the lives of so many people in Brent and from the bottom of my heart, we thank those that are already signed up, for making such a difference already.”
The council can a apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check for volunteers who do not have one.
On the website can also be found a form for existing groups which would like the support of the council.
In just a week, Bridge Park Community Leisure Centre was transformed into a fully operational Hub, with hundreds of parcels already delivered.
Drawn from across the council, the team has set up stations in the sports hall for picking and packing boxes of essentials, including pasta, cereal, fruit, tea bags and toilet rolls. Stations are set up so that social distancing can be observed at all times.
Working in partnership with the Brent Food Aid Network, the hub’s operations will soon be expanded to cover those who need additional support with food and other essential items such as sanitary towels, nappies and toothbrushes.
Visit www.brent.gov.uk/your-community/coronavirus/volunteering/.
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