Community support group in Peterborough keen to ensure ‘nobody is left behind’

The group was set up at the start of the pandemic in March by Hampton ward councillors John Howard and Mohammed Farooq as a way for anybody across the Hampton and Hempsted communities to access the support they need.

The Facebook group has proved a valuable place to link up those who need support and those willing to offer it.

This can take the form of delivering food, collecting prescriptions, creating care packages for young children or making donations to other projects in the city such as Garden House, who provide assistance to homeless people across Peterborough.

As many as 30-40 volunteers were willing to walk around communities checking in on potential vulnerable people during the height of lockdown.

Councillor Howard said: “It all started from a call I took from a resident who needed help with food delivering, Councillor Farooq ended up making the delivery and we decided that there was probably a demand for this.

“The idea is that anyone can post if they need help or if they can help and we’ve kept it non-political and free of advertising.

“It’s great to see so many people mobilised. it really restores the faith and in general, the pandemic has made me realise that people care probably more than we realise.

“The best part has been hearing about some of the vulnerable people that we have delivered food to say that they’ve been given some items they don’t need and could we redistribute them to someone else.

“Councillor Farooq has been a superstar throughout this, for him this kind of thing just comes naturally but the support from our volunteers in the community has been incredible.

“In the really busy times in March and April were incredible and I’ve never seen anything like it, it was like the movie ‘Pay it Forward.’”

The group has received all kinds of requesters for help and have always aimed to help those in need, even if it has required putting them in touch with other agencies that provide services such as medical assistance or Peterborough and Cambridgeshire City Council’s community hub.

They have remained active despite the easing of full lockdown measures that were in place during March and April and the group is preparing to be on hand should the country see a severe second spike of Covid cases.

Councillor Howard added: “Everyone has really stepped up and it is great to hear about the good works of councillors ringing residents and organising food packages amongst other things.

“The community hub has been astonishing and my hope is that everybody that needed help got it.

That’s our aim with this group, to make sure we haven’t missed anyone. We all would rather it not be the case but it feels at the moment like the winter is going to be tough.

“My hope is that we can reach those in need and that we can all come out of this closer.”

Anyone who wishes to access support or volunteer can visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelpingHamptonHempsted.