A key focus of the Fife Council’s efforts over the past two months has been the provision of much needed support to people across Fife who have been adversely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This work is being coordinated via seven community assistance hubs.
People who need support during the current crisis have been encouraged to contact either Fife Council’s COVID Community Helpline or Fife Voluntary Action’s Helping Hands contact number and website. To help ensure that requests for assistance are coordinated these helplines share the same database.
As of 8 May, the COVID Community Helpline had responded to 7,125 requests for assistance. Most of these requests (70%) were in relation to ‘shielding’ - the Scottish Government programme which aims to protect the most vulnerable people in our communities. However, the helpline also provides support to anyone who needs assistance with issues relating to COVID-19. This includes requests for help with shopping, the delivery of food and prescriptions, and welfare support issues.
Some of these requests are fulfilled at a Fife-wide level, such as requests for help with shopping or prescriptions. Others are fulfilled by Communities and Neighbourhoods staff in area teams, notably urgent food requests, referrals to local community food providers and requests for welfare information and support.
Community support is being coordinated across Fife’s seven areas through seven community assistance hubs. These hubs are currently prioritising the delivery of emergency food to vulnerable households in both the ‘shielding’ and ‘non-shielding’ categories. The provision of emergency food is co-ordinated by Communities and Neighbourhoods staff from a central delivery point at Bankhead. Food is then distributed to seven community assistance hubs across Fife, from which food is packaged and delivered.
Between 6-27 April, in the Levenmouth area alone, over 930 emergency food parcels and food deliveries had been provided from the hub. Similar quantities of emergency food were provided across the other six hubs. In the longer term the hubs, supported by multi-disciplinary teams, will provide a place-based approach to meeting the needs of individuals and communities across Fife’s seven areas.
For further information, contact
Tim Kendrick, Fife Council
E. tim.kendrick@fife.gov.uk