North Perth COVID 19 Support Group had requested funding for their work in supporting communities to cope with the Coronavirus pandemic. The group was setup very quickly over the weekend of 21/22 March in response to the pandemic and is partnership between Letham4All, TullochNet, Tulloch Community Group, Letham Climate Challenge, North Church, North Muirton Community Council, Bertha Park Community Minister, ESOL Perth, Perth Gospel Hall and the Salvation Army.
The National Lottery Community Fund, Scotland Director, Neil Ritch: said: “In these uncertain times our priority is to ensure that National Lottery money continues to flow to charities, voluntary sector organisations and grassroots groups. I would like to congratulate North Perth Covid19 Community Support Group on their award, theirs is an important project which will help people get through the current crisis and a great example of how our grant holders are stepping up to support their communities.”
The group – which covers Letham, Tulloch, Fairfield, Bertha Park, Muirton, North Muirton and the City Centre – are offering to do shopping, collect prescriptions, make social contact calls and provide food parcels. They have helped around 450 people in the two weeks from 23rd March to 5th April with a large number of these receiving free food parcels from the Letham4All Hub on Tweedsmuir Road.
Letham4All Chairman, Jon Kidd, said “This funding will have a huge impact in terms of our ability to provide support to the vulnerable people in our communities. The coming together of so many partners in such a short space of time is a real testament to the capacity in our communities to respond rapidly in a crisis and this funding allows that work to be sustained. In the space of a weekend we had systems and procedures in place to allow us to operate a 9am to 9pm hotline, take online requests and co-ordinate the vast number of volunteers who have come forward to offer help. Our setup has allowed us to work with partners such a Turning Point, Reach, Salvation Army Skinnergate House, Wellbank House, Support Scotland and PKC’s Social Work and Locality teams to provide critical support to their clients at a time when demand is high and resources stretched. “