Stevenage Football Club’s Coronavirus Community Careline has come to conclusion under its current format following 21 weeks of dedicated service to vulnerable individuals within the town…
Since launching on the 23rd of March, the Stevenage Football Club and Stevenage FC Foundation Community Careline has supplied over 15,000 sandwiches to 120 addresses across Stevenage, delivered over 400 prescriptions and made over 500 outbound phone calls to local residents over the age of 70 who have needed support during the pandemic.
This is all thanks to over 100 incredible volunteers who have dedicated their time and efforts over the course of the past few months.
From having a friendly doorstep chat with their free sandwich every day, to weekly catch-up calls with residents that have helped create a bond for life, the impact that the Community Careline has had on local people is simply immeasurable.
In addition to the Careline's core functions, Stevenage FC Foundation has remained engaged with their community by remote means.
This includes conducting weekly Zoom calls and fortnightly online quizzes with Walking Footballers in place of their regular sessions, delivering Introduction to Exercise, Postural Stability and our Get Set to Go classes online with an average of 53 people taking part each week, and activity packs for KS1, KS2, KS3 children and our Older Adults have been downloaded by over 800 people, with a further 130 older adult packs delivered by hand to residents.
Now with the Club’s main order of business – football – soon returning, and the world beginning to return to normal, the Careline must unfortunately conclude after an unexpected but inspiring five months.
However, using the EFL’s Tackling Loneliness Together Funding, Stevenage FC Foundation will continue to support its current service users, whilst also working with partners and NCS participants to engage with others who may be in-need, through Face-to-Face Conversations, Telephone Calls, Activity Packs, Online Groups and more.
The Foundation has worked in partnership with Stevenage Borough Council and their Specialist Support Services Team to ensure that everyone that has been supported by the Careline has received a call from the SBC team to provide ongoing support & give out information about other services they can access so that no one is left alone.
“It has been an incredible five months,” Foundation CEO Joe Goude said. “Like nothing any of us have ever experienced. We have been privileged to be able to support our community and the various households across the town that we’ve been able to do something for during this time, to make their lives a little easier and remind them that they are not alone.
“Equally, we are really excited for the next stage of continuing this work and continuing to support those that need it. In the coming weeks we will be able to support people with getting physically and mentally active either in the comfort of their own homes or hopefully face to face.
“One thing is for certain is that we want to ensure that everyone knows that they aren’t alone and will always have someone there to support them regardless of what is going on in the rest of the world and we hope we can play a small part in that”.
The Club has been inundated with letters of support and well-wishes over the course of the pandemic and would like to offer its gracious thanks to everybody that has been in-touch or has supported in anyway, especially all of the staff and volunteers who without them, none of this would have been possible.
Stevenage FC CEO Alex Tunbridge said, “On behalf of the Club I would like to take the opportunity to thank the Club and Foundation staff, as well as the one hundred plus volunteers who have helped us provide this service since March.
“During some very difficult times for our community these individuals have proven to be unsung heroes of our town. Once we are able to safely bring people back to The Lamex Stadium we look forward to welcoming them to a game and formally thanking them all.”
If you or somebody you know requires ongoing support over the coming weeks and months, please don’t hesitate to call one of the following two phone numbers:
- Stevenage Careline: 01438 232666
An emergency response system that gives you the freedom to live independently in the safety of your own home. You can call to discuss or arrange a visit from their team.
- Stevenage Helps: 01438 242452
Support with accessing food, accessing essential services or assistance in other ways e.g. posting mail, telephone support.
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