Ealing’s community is its greatest strength and across the borough, people are standing together to help our most vulnerable residents. Ealing Council has joined forces with charities, local groups, businesses and concerned residents to rapidly respond to the COVID-19 crisis and launch a new coalition called Ealing Together.

Ealing Together is designed to support the good work already going on in the borough. Residents can go to ealingtogether.org and offer to volunteer, give cash donations to local charities or support in another way.

And residents can use ealingtogether.org to safely request support for themselves, a vulnerable family or someone else they know who is isolated and struggling through a structured and trusted referral system.

Behind the Ealing Together website is a dedicated team that will put the people who want to help others, and people who qualify for help, in touch with appropriate local organisations.

National emergency

Coronavirus is a national emergency that affect us all and the council has put aside an initial £1.5million COVID-19 Emergency Fund to help support the Ealing Together work and ensure that important local groups have the capacity to respond to the scale of the crisis.

Local people should go to Ealing Together to:

• Request support for themselves or someone else
• Volunteer time or resource
• Make a cash donation to a local charity
• Find out about other ways to support the COVID19 response in Ealing.

The coalition has launched quickly to respond to this fast-moving situation and a spike of activity is anticipated in the first few days. Work will be ongoing to increase the capacity of Ealing Together to meet local need as the COVID-19 situation develops and more people need help and want to get involved in helping others.

We are rapidly scaling up our work

Peter Mason, the council’s cabinet lead for Ealing Together, said: “Ealing is already coming together to face down this COVID-19 crisis. So many people are already volunteering their time and energy to support the most vulnerable with vital supplies and tackling social isolation.

“We are rapidly scaling up our work, in partnership with established charities and organisations, as well as new mutual aid groups, to ensure everyone who needs help can get it, and everyone who wants to help knows how they can.

“As we get through the coming days, weeks and months, we are all going to need to rely on each other for support. We’re working fast to ensure that the network of organisations and people is strong to carry the load.

“The first thing you should do to support this vital work and save lives is to stay home and socially distance stop the spread of the virus.

“The second thing you can do is go to the Ealing Together and tell us if you need help, or if you can help others.”

Janet Fletcher, Ealing Food Bank manager, said: “We are extremely grateful for the amazing generosity and community support we have had before and during this difficult time.

“We should all use this period of social-distancing and self-isolation to get to know our neighbours a little better and we are looking forward to working with our fellow Ealing organisations in supporting those in financial hardship who need our help through Ealing Together.

“Our volunteers are wonderful. Please help them, and the families that we serve, by not hoarding foods, medicines, and cleaning materials – we all need them and there should be enough to go around if everyone is sensible.  At the moment we are short of UHT milk (not skimmed if possible), dried milk, UHT fruit juice, squash and instant coffee.”

Rachel Hill, director of BEFriend, said: “BEfriend has been providing support to some of the most isolated people in Ealing since 1994. We are proud to be part of the amazing voluntary sector in Ealing, and to be part of this joint response. We will continue to ensure the most vulnerable are supported through providing regular telephone calls, and ensuring they have essential food and supplies.”

Toby Cray from Ealing CVS said: “Ealing CVS is proud to be supporting this initiative to support the vulnerable in Ealing. We will continue to provide insight and best practice advice to all voluntary organisations in Ealing to help this venture operate as efficiently as possible.”

Do your bit and help to flatten the curve

• Follow following the guidance on the NHS website.
• Stay at home as much as you can. Only leave the house if you are a key worker or you need to buy food or medicine. If you do need to leave the house, stay two metres apart from other people.
• Please continue to shop responsibly. There is enough food and supplies for everyone, as long as people only take what they need for themselves and their families.

Ealing Council has also set up a dedicated helpline on 020 8825 7170 for vulnerable residents who are self-isolating and need support. You can call between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday or 10am-4pm Saturday and Sunday.