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Thursday, April 16, 2020 6 NEWBURY NEWS CORONAVI US NEWS Help and advice is there for local minority groups Report by JOHN HERRING email john.herring@newburynews.co.uk twitter johnh_nwn These communities are struggling – et in touch says Community Connections

Newbury Weekly News

coming up. “They’re not supposed to do that now, but the supplies they need are not available locally for them. “It’s finding ways that they can access the supplies and requirements that they have.” The group asked any local organisations that could bring supplies, such as halal food, to a local centre or for the guidance to be take account of the need to travel to shop. Berkshire School of English administrator Monika Lasko said the group was working on a podcast to engage and encour- age people to overcome their everyday challenges during the coronavirus crisis. Miss Lasko said: “We don’t have any money and don’t know when we will get funding, but we are trying to engage with our community and trying to differ- ent ways to communicate with them in the current situation.” Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton urged minorities to contact the group at info.cc.cic@gmail.com

nity gatherings. “They are not able to meet and support each other and are find- ing that very isolating and frightening and they are strug- gling”. Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton said that groups were receiving conflicting information. Mrs Middleton added: “They’re getting a lot of infor- mation from social media and what their friends and relatives are doing overseas.” Government guidance is for people to not travel unless neces- sary, including not to travel distances for exercise. Community Connections has said that this would cause prob- lems as certain foods could not be obtained locally. Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton said: “We take for granted that we can go to the local shops and go to lots of shops. “They have got ethnic and religious requirements involv- ing food so they have to travel a bit further to get their food.” Mrs Middleton added: “This could be difficult with Ramadan “We’re going to see all kinds of counselling required in terms of domestic violence, suicide preven- tion, even bereavements as well. “This is a long-term thing and of course what’s great now is that we have the £750m package announced by the Government to come to local charities, so we hope some of that will come alongside our funding locally.” As of April 8, £59,000 has already been distributed to organisations in need around West Berkshire and North Hamp- shire. These include £25,000 to Spot-

A NEW group promoting diversity has urged minority communities in West Berk- shire to get in touch about coronavirus. Community Connections is a community interest company (CIC) set up to offer advice and signposting to the black, Asian, minority, ethnic, refugee (BAMER) community and other marginalised, vulnerable and socially-isolated people in the district. The group was formed by directors Clare Middleton and Alice Kunjappy-Clifton to bring education and health and well- being needs together for minor- ity groups in the district. It launched last month, but coronovirus hit before it could get fully up-and-running. Now the group is urging minorities to seek advice during the crisis. Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton said: “The community has been very much isolated. “They wanted information about coronavirus. “We have shared information and are telling them what they

need to know.” Community Connections has been involved with the coro- novirus Community Support Hub, established to provide information and help vulnera- ble people in the district, repre- senting the ethnic community. West Berkshire Council has been delivering guidance leaflets to households in the district. Mrs Kunjappy-Clifton said the council had been asked to trans- late the leaflet, primarily into Urdu, Hindi, Portuguese and Arabic. “We are happy to send these out. If the community requests a different language we will look for funds for that,” she said. With Ramadan coming up later this month, the group said that minority groups might come under increased pressure. Mrs Middleton said: “Most of their events are around commu-

Furniture project pitches in with community deliveries Distributing food cpealrs in conjunctiownith the Community Support Hub and West Berkshire Council

to supply electrical goods such as fridges and cookers to older people and vulnerable families who are self-isolating and has furnished a number of homes for people previously living in hostels and refuges. Young carers, who look after dependent family members with physical and mental health issues, are also being provided with food parcels, as well as craft kits and Easter eggs. Project chief executive Kelvin Hughes said: “We’re very pleased to be able to assist the local community during these extremely challenging times. “It’s extremely heartening to see communities coming together to support their most vulnerable members.”

THESE extraordinary times require extraordinary measures and the Community Furni- ture Project in Newbury has adapted to them. While the project’s shop in Bone Lane has been forced to close its doors to the public during the cornonavirus crisis, staff continue to help vulnerable people in the district by joining forces with the Community Support Hub and West Berk- shire Council to distribute food parcels to those who need them. In the past week, fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy items, frozen and dried foods have been delivered to 120 people in West Berkshire. The project is also continuing The National and Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services team a t the Maudsley Hospital in London has written to the council, stating: “Given the change in circumstances, the family will now require further suppor t with shopping and delivery of groceries to allow them to continue safely self-isolating. “In addition to this, we kindly request a review of [the daughter’s] current care package. Council spokeswoman Peta Stoddart-Crompton dec lined to comment on indi vidual cases, but said: “The funding that clients receive with regards to respite and social inclusion is f lexible, but does not extend to items such as paying care agencies to purchase groceries, as there are alternative ways in which families can receive suppor t with shopping if they need it. “These are unprecedented and dif ficult times, and we are working closely with our clients to maintain the best possible support for them during this crisis .

Emergency appeal tops £260k but please keep giving A STAGGERING £260,000 has now been raised by the Green- ham Trust’s Coronavirus Emergency Appeal, with the funds going towards helping local organisations and vulnerable people. public donations. Alongside public donations, local organisations including Sovereign Housing association, the Peter Baker Foundation, Thatcham Parochial Charities and Englefield Charitable Trust have also committed thousands of pounds. light UK for food parcel distribu- tion, emergency phone support and online support, £7,700 to Dingley’s Promise for laptops and staff to provide remote support and learning tools for families, £4,500 to Young People and Chil- dren First for the costs of an overnight supervisor, and £3,500 to No 5 Young People for urgent telephone support for vulnerable young people.

The trust launched the appeal on its charitable funding plat- form The Good Exchange on March 20 and pledged to match up to £100,000 of public donations received via the platform. Of the £260,000 now raised, £82,420 is from donations made by the public – meaning the trust will match a further £17,580 of

Greenham Trust chief execu- tive Chris Boulton said: “If people can donate then please do because we’re in this for the long run. “There’s obviously immediate needs, but there’s going to be long-term needs as well.

To donate, visit https://app. thegoodexchange.com/project/ 17994/greenham-trust/greenham- trust-coronavirus-emergency- appeal

Mother blasts ‘crazy’ council red tape A DISABLED mother with a severely autistic daughter claims red tape is causing torment during the coron- avirus crisis. ping. “This was declined as the budget is to offer respite and social inclusion opportunities only... paying an agency to purchase groceries does not fulfil these needs . “To help us do this , there are support networks within the community f or delivery of shopping, ear ly opening hours for vulnerable groups and key workers to do shop- ping and additional slots f or online delivery.

The woman, who lives in Newbury, said she has been unable to shop online for the particular foods her daughter – who also suf fers from severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) – needs. Instead, she asked her regu- lar respite agency to help do the shopping. But the mother – who the Newbury Weekly News is not naming to protect her daugh- ter’s privacy – said West Berk- shire Council, which controls her personal budget allowance, refused to divert the funds to pay for this. A personal budget is the amount of money the district council will pay towards a qualifying person’s social care and suppor t. West Berkshire Council told her in an email: “You asked if the personal budget could be used for you to pay for her respite worker via the agency to buy and deliver your shop-

“Given the pandemic and multiple f amilies being in crisis, we have no ability to commit to you that we will be doing food shopping or pr ovid- ing specific items on a weekly basis which is what you are demanding. ” The mother said: “It’s crazy – the agency said it had a guy available to help. “I have the [personal budget] funds available, but the council r efused and offered me an outr each service instead – but they can’t guarantee this e very week. “My daughter will only eat certain foods and I can’t believe the council is quoting its guidelines at this time of national emergency. “It’s absolutely shocking that I’m not allowed to use the personal budget so we can get food.”

“If, for any reason, clients cannot get their shopping through these measures, we will look for alternative ways to suppor t them which might include assistance from coun- cil staf f where necessary. “We do understand tha t a change in routine and a lac k of availability of preferred food products can be frustrat- ing for clients. “However, we are also asking them to work with us and with a level of acceptance that we may only be able to provide basic food shopping and may be unable to provide specific brands of f ood as availability in supermarkets nationally is currently unpre- dictable, though we will of course make every effort to allow for allergies and specific dietary needs where possi- ble.”

01635 253 253 www.marshfuels.co.uk SUBJECTTO £10 DEPOSIT BOTTLED GAS NEW LOW PRICE FREE DELIVERY

H C Marsh (Newbury) Ltd Ball Hill, Newbury, Berkshire. RG20 0PW