THE amazing teamwork of a number of friends In Teignmouth, who set up the Teignmouth Covid-19 Mutual Aid Group, has been praised.

The organisation grew organically very quickly, over a handful of days, from ringing stores that would take payment by phone, to gathering volunteers across Teignmouth, Shaldon and Bishopsteignton through existing and growing contacts. People couldn’t wait to help.

Local resident and group co-ordinator Jackie Jackson said: ‘I was persuaded to start the group, by a colleague in Newton Abbot, who set up the same there, and as other mutual aid groups popped up around the country, we also developed between us, very useful guidelines to keep volunteers and those in need of help safe.

‘The service offered was to pick up and collect orders of food that had been paid for by phone, and deliver it safely to the person who had ordered it, including prescriptions, and other essential items for people who for the variety of reasons caused by Covid 19, could not manage this themselves.

‘It was an amazing response to a crisis.

‘The amazing kindness and community that has grown is what I want to thank, publicly, everyone involved in the Covid 19 Mutual Aid Group for.

‘The first job was to find a way to share the information about who to ring to get help.

‘This service was going to be even more essential to those who were elderly, frail, or didn’t have internet, or use social media, although there is a Teignmouth Mutual Aid Group Facebook.

‘Various wonderful volunteers spent the first two weeks leafletting.

‘In Shaldon, my husband and I, and George the dog took advantage of our daily exercise time to ensure everyone knew what numbers they could call and what we did.

‘In Teignmouth, firstly a few strong walkers, and a running club, feeling the frustrations of lockdown took leaflets for us, and delivered.

‘Then we ran out of paper and printing ink, and volunteers printed more, and delivered in their own areas. This grew, with others printing hundreds of leaflets and delivering, until 90 per cent-plus of Teignmouth had been leafleted.

‘As the leafletting grew, so did the response, both for volunteers, and for those in need of help.

‘We were saddened by how this virus situation has exposed such vulnerability, and lack of social safety net, and has also shaken the independence of the just managing; those in their 90s, including a wife caring full time for her older husband with dementia; those with mental health issues, and those who simply had to self-isolate because of health conditions; those with a disability; a young mum isolated with a new baby, alone in a flat.

‘Just some examples of the many, wonderful people, feeling alone, fearful and quite desperately wondering how to get food and essentials.

‘Our volunteers, of which there are over 90, have, safely and efficiently, been dealing with as many as 20 requests a day, without a grumble, and with cheerful kindness.

‘For our isolated mum, they found baby clothes and equipment, for our older, lonely people they provided chat phone calls and for those with dogs, they provided dog walks.

‘The coordination of such wonderful volunteers has been heart-warming for the four of us taking the phone calls.

‘The other people I want to thank are the local shopkeepers, the Spar in Higher Coombe Drive, Ashleigh Way Post Office, Luders, The Shaldon Village Shop, Orsman’s the Butchers, and the Shaldon Bakery.

‘Others such as The Teignmouth Farm Shop, and the Healthy Pet Shop, and Lloyd Maunders, have all played their part. They have come to the fore. These local shops quickly organised payment by phone, accepted orders and worked overtime to fulfil them.

To find out more email [email protected] or call 07917428680 or go to the facebook page, look up Teignmouth Covid-19 Mutual Aid group, or paste https://www.facebook.com/groups/206563777360701/.