While we are unable to meet in person, we’re organising Zoom socials. Why not join us for a chat with some of your neighbours?. Bring your own coffee!
Here are the times, and links. Bookmark this page for future reference.
While we are unable to meet in person, we’re organising Zoom socials. Why not join us for a chat with some of your neighbours?. Bring your own coffee!
Here are the times, and links. Bookmark this page for future reference.
Derwenthorpe Chatter WhatsApp Group
The demand for practical support with shopping, prescriptions, etc is being increasingly met through other channels. We’re still here to help any resident who needs this type of support, but we’re also trying to help residents connect with each other. Although lockdown restrictions are being lifted, it’s likely to be a long time before we can freely socialise. And, for those with underlying health conditions, it’s not clear how long they will need to stay at home.
All residents of Derwenthorpe are welcome to join the Derwenthorpe Chatter WhatsApp group. It’s a great way during lockdown (and beyond) to easily get in touch with others living in Derwenthorpe.
What’s the group about?
As the group is for residents, what’s discussed will be up to you. You’ll be able to find out and share information with others on what’s going on in and around Derwenthorpe. This might be a recommendation of a local takeaway or shop, a nearby walk you’ve enjoyed, upcoming events, ideas for entertaining your children, a film or TV programme you’ve enjoyed (or hated!) or you just want to know which day your green bin is due to be collected.
There are plans to try an online quiz and if there is sufficient interest in specific topics, separate WhatsApp groups can be created.
How do I join?
Contact us on neighbours@derwenthorpe.co.uk if you would like to join the WhatsApp group and we’ll send you further details, including information for those who have not used WhatsApp before. If you have any problems, let us know and we’ll help get you started. If in the future you decide you no longer wish to participate, it’s easy to remove yourself from the group.
I have become involved with the project outlined in this poster. It is for a community mask-making project aiming to make masks for distribution through charities and food banks initially, possibly through other means later. We urgently need extra help in all the detailed ways but especially people who are able to machine sew and have access to a machine. Contact details are on the Rotary web site.
Ania Hughes
Derwenthorpe Neighbour Support Network is up and running – Contact us on 0771 287 2343 or neighbours@derwenthorpe.co.uk
There was a lovely response to the leaflet circulated a few weeks ago with many neighbours volunteering their help. Between us we have been able to respond to all the requests of support so far: Neighbours have grocery shopped, collected medicines and posted letters and parcels. We have had telephone conversations and, at a safe distance, had a person to person chat. We have also been able to sign post people to other sources of help where needed.
Lockdown and self isolation can be lonely and stressful. As the situation may go on for a lot longer it was felt that offering a range of opportunities to link up with neighbours in our community may be helpful. It may be for a chat, information or to share interests, all of which can be done by telephone or online.
There are plans for a Derwenthorpe WhatsApp group. Want to be a part of that? Please send your details or make contact.
If you would be interested please contact us on
0771 287 2343 or neighbours@derwenthorpe.co.uk
Derwenthorpe residents – especially children – have created some wonderful window displays. Resident Steven Burkeman thought it would be nice to capture some of these (and one or two other ways in which residents have found to thank frontline workers) for posterity. So – here’s a gallery of photos of ‘Derwenthorpe (mostly) Windows in LockDown’.
Steven says “These are just a sample, randomly chosen. I’m sure I’ve missed lots of good ones – it would be great if people could add more. If you think your window should be there, why not take a photo and add it to the gallery? – just email your photo to lotson@derwenthorpe.co.uk“
Read the York Press article about this.
Tang Hall Community Centre and York Food Bank are both helping local people with food parcels. Here’s how you can help them to help your neighbours:
A donation of £25 buys a food parcel for a family of four*, though any amount would very welcome. And you can donate through to either effort through these links. When donating to Tang Hall Community Centre, please mention “FOOD” in the message.
* Source: York Food Bank. Rough figures, it varies with availability, of course.
You can volunteer to help with food distribution at Tang Hall Community Centre. They need people to help at the centre, or deliver food either by vehicle, bike or on foot.
The Derwenthorpe Neighbour Support Network is now up and running with around 30 volunteers across the estate. In the first week of operation we have had a few calls on the help number, mainly for odd bits of shopping, and the feedback on help received has been very positive.
The telephone is monitored by one of our seven co-ordinators from 10am to 4pm every day. We’ve also registered the network with York City Council and York Centre for Voluntary Services so they are know we are here if they get any calls from our residents that we can help with.
If you’ve been unfortunate enough to lose work recently, you might be interested in this from City of York council. They’re looking for drivers and loaders for their waste services team. I hope they can get them: otherwise people will miss bin and recycling collections. It could get quite messy!
Coronavirus York: How to help in York| YorkMix
— Read on www.yorkmix.com/coronavirus-york-how-to-help/
As well as our local team offering help, the following organisations already have trusted volunteers offering help and support. They’re also taking on new volunteers, and looking for donations:
York Neighbours – Help for over 65s with shopping and practical one-off jobs.
https://yorkneighbours.org.uk/volunteering/ Tel: 01904 891627
AGE UK York – offer essential services such as “our shopping service, extending our telephone information line hours and hospital transport provision.”
https://www.ageuk.org.uk/york/ Tel: 01904 634061.