TDear Friends,
You will have seen the latest developments on the news. In order to save our NHS from being overwhelmed, we need to increase self-isolation and social distancing to the maximum possible extent. This applies to everyone except key workers and some essential industries and services. This is for our own protection and for the protection of our friends and neighbours. It will delay the spread of the virus and help the NHS to cope. We understand just how difficult this will be for many of us, but It is the only way!
Here is a link to the BBC page explaining why this is so critical to slow the infection rate:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/health-52008673/uk-lockdown-why-does-staying-at-home-stop-coronavirus
We have also made huge progress today towards building the teams to help us through the next few weeks. Our first group of coordinators have undergone the initial stages of the essential training to be a core part of the LACRT service. It was a great session, based on best practice health and safety guidelines.
We have needed to gather enough equipment – identification badges, hi-viz vests, sanitising gel, protective gloves and other consumables – to make sure our people and their clients are safe in what they will be doing. This has not been easy since hundreds of other organisations are trying to do exactly the same thing. We in the Largo area are nothing if not inventive and persuasive and so with the help of local suppliers we have accumulated enough materials to get us up and running.
We are dividing the Largo area into several smaller territories, each of which will have its own coordinator or coordinators, who will pull together the teams to support all of those who live in this beautiful part of the country. We have already offered help to some in the community who need it now. Within the next couple of days, everything will become clearer and we will be sure to let you know.
We already have a lot of volunteers willing to help us, which is fantastic. If we are short, it is in people who are willing to do some driving to help with deliveries. If you are someone who could do this, we would love to hear from you.
Please take really good care of yourself and your neighbours,
LACRT