I was pleased to pay tribute to the volunteer groups in North Yorkshire who have provided help to the vulnerable and isolated during the Covid 19 pandemic.
Meeting members of the Leyburn and Dales Support for Covid-19 group, I said what the groups had done over the last four months had been “amazing and humbling”.
So many people have come forward, offering their time and energy, organised their local groups and put themselves at the disposal of the county’s effort to cope with the impact the virus has had on those who have been most at risk. All of us owe them a huge amount to gratitude for what they have accomplished and continue to do.
I met a small group of the volunteers at The Old School House – the Leyburn’s group’s base during the crisis.
I listened to the volunteers tell of their experiences of delivering essentials to those who have had to shield – people in the at-risk groups because of age or pre-existing medical conditions.
Accompanied by one of the volunteers, Charlotte Smith, I delivered a prescription to a couple shielding at their home in Leyburn – Andrew and Beth Taylor.
The volunteers in Leyburn are just one support team in the constituency. Other groups I have written to expressing my thanks and appreciation include those in Northallerton, Richmond, Bedale, Catterick and TS9 (Stokesley and Great Ayton)
David Poole, who has led the Leyburn support group, told me that, thankfully, demand has come down a lot since the height of the crisis but there is still a need for the group's efforts.
