Disabilty charity seeks laptops to keep isolated people connected

With services ranging from advice, payroll and banking, help out of hospital and employment support, the organisation has put contingency plans in place so the organisation can offer as near normal a service as possible while working from home, but it is concerned that the need to self isolate will have a detrimental effect on lots of its volunteers and service users, who greatly benefit from the day to day, face to face contact they are going to loose.

Geraldine Des Moulins, Chief Executive of the charity says:

“Most of volunteer team are disabled or have underlying health conditions that make them more vulnerable to viruses. At the same time, coming into the offices and carrying out their volunteer roles can be extremely important in keeping them connected with other people; the sort of social interaction lots of us take for granted. And of course this has the same effect on the disabled people they support, who can often be even more isolated.

“However, we simply don’t have enough laptops to give to our volunteers, and after our recent burglary, we are even more depleted”.

The charity is appealing to local business and people who might have a laptop sitting in a cupboard that they no longer, to offer it to the charity.

Geraldine continues:

“If we could just have a few more laptops for volunteers, the effect would be massive and cascade down to other people who are desperately worried about how they are going to cope when they can’t go out and see people anymore.  As an organisation we absolutely have the will to prevent people from feeling totally isolated, now we just need to find a way”.

If you can help, email Geraldine Des Moulins, geraldine@possabilitypeople.org.uk.

Note to editors

Possability People’s Service Update https://possabilitypeople.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Covid-Update-17-March-1.pdf