From shopping and collecting prescriptions to finding useful information or just a friendly phone call to say hello, thousands of people across the UK have turned to Facebook communities for help and support in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic and Buxton is no exception.
Picking up basic items has been a particular problem since the beginning of the crisis. Supermarket shelves have been left bare and online orders have been unable to fill the demand. Wouldn’t it be handy if people who can’t leave the house or who are self-isolating could get a box of “essentials” delivered right to their door? Well, now they can!
Carmel Gray, owner of Buxton business Outdoor Genius is behind the idea and volunteers from the Buxton Street by Street Covid-19 Support Facebook group came together to help organise it.
Store cupboard essentials
A box costs £15 and includes store cupboard essentials such as pasta, chopped tomatoes, rice, juice, Weetabix, tea bags, baked beans and eggs.
Carmel explains her idea: “We know this is a really hard time and we wanted to help those who really needed it. This is very much geared towards people who are self-isolating and the elderly or vulnerable and people on their own who can’t leave their home, but the boxes can be purchased by anyone. Some people won’t have access to the internet or are unable to make online food orders; online food orders are virtually impossible at the moment with all the major supermarkets due to such high demand.”
“The box includes mostly non-perishable goods as there are lots of others doing milk, fresh fruit and vegetable deliveries so we felt this filled a bit of a gap for those struggling to get out. This is being run on a very local level for Buxton and on a non-profit making basis. We will aim to include items as listed on the flyer but as you can appreciate, things may vary slightly depending on supply.”
The Essentials Food Delivery box contains roughly enough food for two persons but people are welcome to order more than one, a family for example could order two boxes.
“If you know of a friend, relative or neighbour who you think this would really help out, get in touch.”
How to order
Orders need to be made by Wednesday at 5pm. Delivery are on Mondays only currently. Payment methods can be discussed upon ordering (cash/cheque or BACS bank transfer).
To place your order, call 07855 954986 (between 1pm – 5pm) or email [email protected]
The Facebook group Buxton Street by Street Covid-19 Support was set up earlier in March as place people can look for help or local services or if you wish to offer help to anyone in need. The volunteers behind the group have now launched their website, which offers a central hub of useful local information and updates: buxtonstreetbystreet.co.uk
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