Request help during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis

If you need essential support during the Coronavirus outbreak, such as help with food or bills, contact us straight away so we can help find the right support for you.

You can also request support for someone else, such as a neighbour or relative.

https://www.gateshead.gov.uk/article/15182/I-need-help 

If you have a health condition that makes you especially vulnerable to coronavirus, the government is advising you to stay at home and take special steps to protect yourself. You can request support if you or someone you care for is extremely vulnerable to coronavirus. The list of people considered to be extremely vulnerable includes:

• organ transplant recipients
• those with specific cancers
• severe respiratory conditions (for example cystic fibrosis, severe asthma and COPD)
• diseases with increased risk of infection
• people on immunosuppression therapies with increased risk of infection
• pregnant women with significant heart disease

We can help arrange support with food shopping, befriending, running errands, picking up prescriptions and other errands. 

Staying safe when getting help

Try to use a family member, friend or neighbour who you know and trust. If not, try to use existing and trusted community and voluntary groups.

Please be vigilant during this time. While most people have good intentions and genuinely want to help, there are people who want to exploit the situation.

• do not hand money or your credit/debit card to someone you don't know or trust
• never write your PIN number down or give it to anyone else unless they are a trusted family member or friend
• If someone is offering to help with shopping please make sure they're introduced by someone you know and trust, or are part of the group of volunteers that are working with us

Wellbeing advice 

• Don't give yourself information overload. If you are finding yourself overwhelmed or anxious, take a break from watching the news or checking social media. 
• Keep active as much as is possible. It is still okay to go for a walk as long as you are outside and not attending any large group events. Or you can stay inside and watch a work out video, there are a variety of free online resources for doing this, including Youtube.
• Stay social! Call friends and family members for a chat over the phone or by video message. Why not try writing a letter to someone? 
• You can find more advice to take care of your mental wellbeing on the Mind website and the Mental Health Foundation wesbite