PARISH councillors on the Blackdown Hills have been praised for leading community volunteer efforts to help local people through the Covid-19 crisis.

The area’s county councillor John Thorne said: “I am so impressed by the way parish councillors have moved very quickly to prepare plans to help vulnerable residents.

“They are the grass roots of local government and know their communities intimately so are very well placed to lead the support effort where it is most needed.

“By its demographics, there are a lot of elderly people who live on the Blackdowns and fall into the ‘at risk’ category in this Coronavirus emergency.

“I have already heard many stories of kindness being shown to neighbours as people rally round to help each other and I know that if we all work together and follow the NHS advice to stay safe, then we will come through this crisis.”

In Bishopswood, residents are benefiting from Otterford Helping Hand, a voluntary group working on behalf of the parish council to do ‘top up’ shopping, collect prescriptions, post letters and parcels, walk dogs, or have a friendly chat on the telephone.

The parish council has also created a ‘parishioners community fund’ to ensure residents do not run out of cash.

It is offering to cash cheques, or to accept an IOU or a BACS transfer online for small sums of money.

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.