Good Neighbours
Sea Mills
Supporting People
If you are not isolated, there are various ways you can help those who are.
One way is to use the ‘postcard’ approach. If you want to reach out to your neighbours, people have created various cards which you can distribute to neighbours who may be isolated.
If you are already supporting one or more isolated people in Sea Mills, whether or not you are able to offer to support anyone else, please let us know. It's helpful, for at least three reasons:
- to help us understand the true scale of the challenge we are facing;
- to show us where people may not yet be receiving support; and
- so that you, too, can be supported.
Offering Help
We are looking for volunteers to contact isolated people on a regular basis – maybe every couple of days? The contact would normally be by phone initially, but after that it could be eithe phone or email, if they prefer. The volunteer might also provide a little practical help – perhaps a little local shopping or picking up a prescription – or else pass on the request to someone else.
If you would like to offer to support someone locally, again, please let us know – either through the web form (Highgrove Church is encouraging people to register their interest this way) or via the Facebook group. You can also post local news in the Facebook group, to help people keep in touch.
Receiving Help
If you are an isolated person in Sea Mills, you can use our Request Support form to let us know you would appreciate someone getting in touch with you.
A telephone hotline, ‘WeAreBristol’ has been launched in Bristol for those who really need help right now. The number is free to call: 0800 694 0184. The line will initially be open between 8.30 am and 5 pm, Monday to Friday.
The Café on the Square has been providing a much-valued local service but, sadly, they had to close their doors on Monday 16 March, and have now stopped both the delivery and takeaway services.
Local Resources
There are a number of local WhatsApp groups covering a street or two, but it is not easy to find which groups already exist and which remain to be set up. This is the BS9 group.
- BS9 Community Response WhatsApp group
Nextdoor are providing a tool which enables you to place yourself on a map if you are able to offer some support to the people around you.
There is a new ‘Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle Together’ website with a useful Covid-19 page, and a Facebook group covering all of BS9.
- Covid-19 on the Sea Mills and Coombe Dingle Together site
- BS9 Covid-19 response (Sea Mills, Stoke Bishop, Henleaze & Westbury-On-Trym) Facebook group
Other Resources
Darren Jones MP has set up a Facebook group for the North Bristol response to the virus, and Nextdoor have created a helpful blog post about the community response.
- CASS Mental Health Support: a spreadsheet listing the community resources and how they have changed to respond to the crisis.
- North Bristol Response Facebook group
- Community response in the face of the emerging coronavirus crisis
The Council is asking people to volunteer through the ‘Can Do Bristol’ website.
- Can Do Bristol
- Bristol Council's guidance for volunteers and volunteer groups helping people affected by Covid-19
The NHS publish their latest information and advice about Covid-19.
You can register your details on this website, to help track what is happening across the country.
You can also use our normal Contact page to get in touch.
