COVID-19 Support Map: Access support & info now
In collaboration with Voluntary Action Sheffield (VAS), we have re-purposed the map feature on the Now Then App so you can use it to locate the community hubs, mutual aid groups, food banks and other COVID-19 resources in Sheffield and find information on how to access support and information.
To access the map, go to the Now Then App homepage, tap 'Map' on the right-hand side, navigate to your chosen geographical area, zoom in as necessary, and tap on the green markers to find out more about the specific group or organisation.
Community Hubs
VAS are building a network of community hubs to be a key part of their Voluntary Community Sector (VCS) response to COVID-19 in Sheffield. The community hubs are trusted, registered organisations with systems and procedures in place for volunteering.
There will be two different types of 'Hubs': Community Hubs & Targeted Support Hubs.
What is a community hub?
- An anchor organisation, service, or partnership/collective of smaller groups with a single point of contact.
- Registered organisations with a track record, with procedures and systems in place, for safeguarding staff, volunteers, and beneficiaries.
- Trusted, well known, and connected to the communities they serve.
- A hub is not necessarily tied to a geographical area, they could be focused around a need or community of interest.
- Have someone (or more than one) person who is realistically in a position to be able to meet demand and 'open for business' (even if remotely).
- Able to be a place of first contact through signposting through the VAS website.
- Coordinating the doing, delivering food parcels and shopping, supporting food banks, and offering virtual cups of tea.
- Buy and deliver food - act as a central location for getting food out to residents. This can be done through different means that suits the hub's set up.
- Providing and delivering food parcels to people with higher need, food banks, or doing shopping through volunteers or staff where possible.
- Check in with the people you know are vulnerable where you are and offer a 'virtual cup of tea', information, a bit of advice, and some emotional support.
- Take on concerns and escalations from the informal and neighbourhood groups where you are, and provide structured responses where needed. If you can, support these groups to be safer and more impactful, or to help you.
- Identify people who need support in an area, and support/coordinate groups of volunteers to meet need. This might be through your own volunteers, mutual aid groups, or other established groups.
- Contribute to the conversations about cold spots and unmet needs through VAS. Help us talk better and more accurately about what's happening on the ground to those who can offer support (e.g. Sheffield City Council, NHS).
- Providing targeted support to individuals with particular needs.
- Provide a point of contact (phone line, web) for people to access support.
- Provide an online place where people can access information, advice and support from their home. For example, a phone directory of useful numbers, letter templates, guidance documents, video tutorials.
- Offer specific support for people who have particular needs or are in particular circumstances. For example, people who need taking home from hospital, need employment advice, advice on housing issues or income.
- Other specialist services that community hubs might not be able to deliver.
- Just like a community hub, you might coordinate volunteers or offer virtual cups of tea. VAS would definitely like you to feed into our city-wide conversations about 'what's happening on the ground' too.
