A TAVISTOCK group set up to help people isolated and vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis completed a staggering 1,556 tasks in the 16 weeks since lockdown.
By using a highly organised method of tracking and completing tasks, backed up by sophisticated IT, it allowed requests to be turned around and completed usually within a few hours, even during the busiest times.
TLH organisers expressed thanks to all the volunteers who helped achieve this, whether they co-ordinated activity, manned phones, collected items from the shops and pharmacies, delivered food supplements or any of the other tasks essential to the success of the project.
TLH will continue providing support for as long as it is needed, but one aspect of the groups activity, that of supplying and delivering essential food supplements to those vulnerable people who needed it, has now been discontinued.
A small team of volunteers has been distributing these consignments, often alongside those provided by Tavistock Foodbank weekly, to addresses throughout Tavistock, Bere Alston, Yelverton and Lifton. Critical support has been provided by students and staff from Mount Kelly School ably led by the headmaster Guy Ayling.
Mount Kelly provided transport as well as sorting and storage facilities for dry and refrigerated food items. TLH organisers said they were extremely grateful for this support.
Now that the food supplement delivery service has been discontinued, residual stocks have been donated for distribution by Tavistock Foodbank. TLH’s food support team made their final delivery to the foodbank’s headquarters in Russell Street on Wednesday, July 15.
Linda Medland from Tavistock Foodbank said: ‘Tavistock Foodbank was very glad to receive the food that Tavistock Locals no longer needed. As this was all non perishable we are able to store this and give it out, as it is needed, to continue helping local people receiving food vouchers through our referring agencies, none of this food will be wasted. The foodbank has been very glad of all the help received from Tavistock Locals in delivering our food parcels to those unable to collect, because of illness or shielding and we are glad to know they will be continuing with this help for some time to come.’