Coronavirus - Helping Our Communities here in the Devizes Constituency

Across the country, people are volunteering to help their communities through the Coronavirus outbreak.

The Liberal Democrats are dedicating resources to supporting that community effort.

That's why we're making this page with links to online resources produced by volunteers and public bodies available.

Please use them and share them with your friends and neighbours. We will be updating it regularly as more resources become available.

Go to the Government's Coronavirus advice page - https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

We can all make a difference - each and every one of us.

One of the many things that unites Liberal Democrats is our campaigning zeal for our communities. Our drive to change things for the better. A way of working that engages local people in our campaigns.

Many of you have already turned your campaigning zeal wholeheartedly towards helping your community during this Coronavirus crisis.

To help you, there is new guidance to party members - you can find it here: www.libdems.org.uk/covid19

Email me lisa@devizeslibdems.org.uk and let me know what you've been up to in your community, you can help by sharing best practice about how our caring community politics and activism can and is helping vulnerable people during this crisis.

Examples of what some of our members have been up to….

1. Kym-Marie Cleasby, Sara Holden and Jo Waltham have all been very active in Marlborough Town Council volunteer group, read all about it in this Marlborough News article
2. I've helped to set up a volunteer scheme for Urchfont Parish Council and have a village veggie scheme which anyone, including the immobile and those in isolation, can join in with. Download our poster.
3. Mark Mangham is working with the Devizes COVID19 Support Group which now has around 400 volunteers, please take a look at Devizes COVID19 Facebook group
4. Jan de Jonge and his partner Debbie joined the For The Love of Scrubs - Your NHS Needs You group on Facebook. It is a group across the UK helping people sew PPE for healthcare workers.

We're a party that cares about people, cares about communities and cares about the most vulnerable. I'm sure we will all rise to this national challenge. Whatever happens, we can make a difference.

For top tips on setting up a volunteer group, advice on supporting those in self-isolation, and a range of template forms and useful signposting to other local resources, see this Wiltshire Council guidance - http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/downloads/22151

Wiltshire Council has published a Community Groups Directory. It can be found at http://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/downloads/22069

For up to date Vale of Pewsey Village Support Network's lead contacts see https://c19vop.wordpress.com/

And now the politics bit!

Now is the time to work together in this national effort, however, the Liberal Democrats are holding this Government to account for the years of NHS underfunding, the lack of preparedness despite clear identification of the risk, the speed of response and the evident crises in Social Care.

Our local Tory MP and free-market enthusiast, Danny Kruger will no doubt have to explain how he now gives such wholehearted support for the NHS. His old employer was the Legatum free-market think tank - a part of the US-funded Atlas Group which was actively campaigning for opening up the NHS to competition from US healthcare companies.

If you can help us with our local campaign please consider donating here: https://devizeslibdems.org.uk/en/donate