Brixton Covid Mutual Aid, a community-based organisation set up less than a week ago, has enlisted 3,000 volunteers to provide aid and assistance to the borough’s most vulnerable residents throughout this coronavirus crisis.
The group says its army of community volunteers has already reached over 30 per cent of Brixton households – a population of over 80,000 – and are scaling up efforts over the coming days to ensure everyone is supported.
There are 81 reported cases of coronavirus across the borough of Lambeth; and it is anticipated this will increase in accordance with London figures.
A spokesperson for the Brixton Covid Mutual Aid said: “As like many communities we want to make sure everyone in our community is looked after during these unprecedented times. Brixton is a highly dense and populated area and it is vital that no-one -– particularly our elderly and vulnerable – is left behind at this crucial moment.
“Brixton celebrates its diversity as a borough, and aside from being a proudly pro-European borough, our residents hail from several Latin American countries as well as refugees from the Horn of Africa. We are working as hard as possible to overcome challenges of translation and reaching these individuals/groups, and local translators have been working hard to make sure that these groups – who often don’t have the same access to public health information and news as English speakers do – are aware that the community is here to support them.
“Our network of over 3,000 volunteers have been taking to the streets each day and night flyering contact details to each home to ensure each household has access to a direct volunteer group member.”
The group says it is working closely with mosques and other religious centres, diaspora restaurants and shops, refugee and asylum centres, to ensure that language isn’t a barrier to effective support.
As the crisis starts to bite more severely, Brixton COVID Mutual Aid offer the following to those who are self-isolating:Door-to-door food delivery drops
- Shopping for essential items
- Picking up medicines/ prescriptions
- Phone calls to keep loneliness at bay
- Dog walking
- Support using technology to connect with loved ones
For those in the area who require assistance email lambethcovid19mutualaid@gmail.com
or check out the Facebook page.
