A County Durham community support organisation is helping to support its vulnerable residents through the Coronavirus pandemic.
The 4 Together Area Action Partnership (AAP) is ensuring people across Ferryhill, Bishop Middleham, West Cornforth and Chilton have access to essentials at this time.
Staff have cleared their office of items such as cleaning products and toilet rolls to put together with food that has been donated to the AAP.
More than 40 cases of milk, plus yoghurts, fruit, vegetables and fruit juices, alongside a number of other items, have been donated to 4 Together and are being shared amongst local residents in need.
In addition to food packs, the AAP team has also been busy assisting local groups to create activity packs for children and young people in their area. They include print outs for rainbows, stress balls and packs of pens and notebooks to keep children busy for the duration of their time indoors.
Future packs will also provide fruit and vegetable vouchers to those in need which can be exchanged at the local fruit and vegetable shop in Ferryhill.
While the plans have been put into action by the whole team, 4 Together’s community development officer, Paula Nixon, who thought of the idea, said: “I understand that this is going to be a very challenging time for a lot of families and residents in our area so we wanted to make sure they knew they were supported and weren’t having to go without.
“It’s great to be able to make a difference to the community – and to see so many community groups and foodbanks come together to support us with this.
The food and activity packs have been funded by a number of funding streams from the 4 Together partnership.
Cllr Brian Stephens, Cabinet member for neighbourhoods and local partnerships, said: “It’s brilliant to see our Area Action Partnerships working so hard for our communities during the Coronavirus outbreak.
“Everyone at 4 Together should be proud of their efforts. We know this is such an uncertain and difficult time for some of our residents but they should be reassured that we are doing all we can to support them through this.”
