Coronavirus: Your feedback sought to improve voluntary and community sector support offer

Shropshire Council is seeking your feedback about how the county’s voluntary and community sector is responding to provide crucial support during the coronavirus pandemic.

Shropshire’s voluntary and community sector groups and organisations have been working incredibly hard to support residents and businesses to make their lives a little easier.

New community volunteers are also coming together to ensure the most vulnerable people in their local areas receive support.

Everyone is having to adapt quickly to a new and unexpected way of life, and everyone at some time will find the imposed changes difficult.

By completing this survey, you will be helping the council and Shropshire’s voluntary and community sector assembly board better understand the way Shropshire’s voluntary and community sector is responding. Your feedback will also help ensure that the right support is going to those who need it most.

Your feedback will help us:

• Look at ways that volunteers and staff are able to redeploy their skills to help partner organisations and Voluntary and Community Sector services
• Establish ways to manage the pressure on the voluntary and community sector
• Capture the way services are responding, so that the contributions of all groups and organisations, whatever their size, can be recognised and celebrated
• Establish the reach of the funding that is being made available to organisations and groups, and to examine any gaps that exist
• Inform forward planning and collaborative working throughout the pandemic and the recovery period.

Many members of Shropshire’s voluntary and community sector have already spoken about the way their services have changed to help people and businesses who have been impacted by coronavirus.

Chris Child, current Chair of the VCS Assembly Board, said:

“It’s more important than ever that the VCSA provides voice for the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector – so that government – nationally and locally – can be aware of our issues and needs, in order to support those most vulnerable and adversely affected by COVID-19. In order to do this, it is critical you complete the survey as best you can on behalf of your organisation. Many thanks and please look after yourselves.”

Gwilym Butler, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for communities, place planning and regulatory services, said:

“The voluntary and community sector are playing a crucial role in supporting the county response to coronavirus and helping residents and businesses access the crucial support they need.

“We all have a role to play in supporting those in need. By taking part in this survey you will be helping voluntary groups and organisations improve the support they offer and how they provide it. 

“At some point, we all may need support or know someone who does, so please take part in this survey and stay safe.”

To take part in the survey, follow this link.

The consultation will close on Friday 15 May 2020.

There are over 1,000 registered voluntary organisations operating in Shropshire, plus many more community groups, all of whom are welcome to join Shropshire’s Voluntary and Community Sector Assembly free of charge. To find out more email: vcsassembly@shropshire.gov.uk, tel: 01743 250094, or visit: www.vcsvoice.org.

Keep informed and sign up to our daily Coronavirus email updates

Shropshire Council wants to keep you as up to date and informed as possible. To help us do this, we have developed a coronavirus update that will be sent daily at 8pm via email to anyone who has signed up to our e-bulletins.

This update includes the day’s key Shropshire Council news, and some key news from our partners, relating to coronavirus-linked issues.  Please click here to sign up for the updates.

Please do encourage your family and friends to sign up to the updates too. This will help us keep everyone up to date with the rapidly-evolving crisis.