The community of Stockbridge Village and the whole of Knowsley have rallied around with amazing strength, commitment, and hard work.

The impending Covid lull is not to be taken lightly but very seriously. We have right to tell the person in the queue next to us to Keep Your Distance  and be prepared to queue if you want to go to Tesco.

There is a hidden story within my dairy, my head ruled my heart on many occasions when to take an emergency food parcel to a lady of 86 who has but a tin of soup in her cupboard. Yet before covid she was a volunteer for the local food bank, but stopped because of her age once we went into lockdown

So she is isolating for 12 weeks. She had family but they too are isolating so she is alone. No phone call of support  from anyone and she has a weekly phone call from the vicar “ oh yes I am fine thank you “. Clearly she is not.  That day alone we had a chain reaction of 15 people who were isolating right across the estate for help, from a guy on the 14th floor of the tower block who has not eaten for 2 days, to an old lady who again is struggling with limited food. This is the Year 2020 for God’s sake; it should not happen but it does right in front of our eyes but behind closed doors. Look Out for the vulnerable.

We have a social landlord who closed but did contribute to the list and their efforts were to phone Tenants over 70 and sign post to support line I am aware they are tied to GDPR but this is a Pandemic for God’s sake.

We compiled the list of 100 plus vulnerable and shielded people. We, as a community, did this.

The landlord has a young vibrant community development officer who was there to keep us informed and also was the area SV coordinating the Knowsley covid volunteer line plus keeping us updated on the funding opportunities. Not enough from a social landlord looking after 9000 Tenants.

Today what have I learnt:

Well, MS Teams, Zoom, FaceTime, online Banking- I hate it! Online shopping is extremely tempting and also a necessity at this time of crisis .

Family is so important- cherish them.

Community is our family. Support them, watch out for them, but don’t disable them and make them too reliant on your help.

Lock down with a 19 year old who is shielded with Autism is extremely hard.

My washing has been pyjamas for a long time, only dressing in outside clothes to go for a walk or shopping.

As a community champion stuck indoors there are new ways to have a meeting and keep connected with the other side.

The opportunity for continued involvement for ARC has been a life line if I am honest.

Taking part in lots of online surveys re my experience of Covid.

I have found ways to keep my mind active and not eat so much cake

I have no routine but I crave it

It has effected my mental health and that of my son greatly

We have lost our only source of income in my hubby losing his job

Signed onto Universal Credit- what an experience that is

I have had an antibody test to see if I have Antibodies. YES I have them so I have had Covid

Beautiful things that happened too:

VE Day, delivering food parcels to tower block,  beautiful weather and Vera Lynn playing from the balcony upon balcony “There’ll be blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover”- how wonderful

Outside karaoke parties, games of bingo in the streets , and neighbours chatting over the walls with their neighbours.

Clapping for the NHS (but no claps for the carers who have no respite for months)

Online zoom with family and ordering too many cupcakes from Amanda from Facebook!

This is my journey of me, Covid, and helping my community.

“We compiled the list of 100 plus vulnerable and shielded people. We, as a community, did this. ”