01 Apr Community groups continue to prove to be vital during trying times

Times are hard, and most people agree that they will likely get much harder before they get better.

We are weathering a seemingly endless string of economic meltdowns, each adding to the burden of the last and hitting the most vulnerable in our communities hardest.

Recessions are nothing new and seem to hit about once a decade, and the effects are consistent for the poorest in society; it is just the causes that change, and as individuals, all we can do is hunker down and hope for the best.

In the early 1980’s, we rode out inflation that peaked at 18 per cent, and again in the early 1990’s, inflation rose, and interest rates went through the roof, causing unemployment to rise to just short of 11 per cent. Life was tough.

And then along came the Great Recession of 2008, the biggest since the Second World War, when the finance sector went into meltdown, once again, putting tens of thousands out of work. People struggled.

But that wasn’t the worst of it. The biggest recession since 1709 came with the COVID-19 outbreak in 2020, which had a huge impact on the cost of living and the debts incurred are still dragging the economy down six years later.

Down the decades it is the Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise sector (VCSE) that has had to step into the breach to help those hardest hit by the crises, the most vulnerable those at a higher risk of harm, exploitation, or abuse due including children, the elderly, people with physical/mental disabilities, those with addiction issues, and anyone experiencing social isolation and poverty.

The VCSE sector is finely tuned to help the vulnerable, but providing those essential services during economic hard times is a challenge in its own right, as funding dries up at the very times it is most needed.

Competition for funding in the sector is always fierce, and as we enter another round of economic shocks caused by soaring oil and gas prices and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine, it will get even tougher. Even the most optimistic among us would struggle to describe the coming months as anything other than tough.

Once again, we will be looking to our communities to step up to ensure that no one gets left behind, goes hungry, becomes lonely or isolated or fails to get the support that they need.

The Torbay Community Helpline on 01803 446022 is the focus for many of the support services, and just as it did when it was set up during COVID is available to anyone struggling.

The Helpline works in close partnership with Adult Social Care to provide a clear and accessible “front door” to a wide range of support delivered by the voluntary and community sector.

By connecting people with the right help at the right time, we ensure that individuals receive timely, personalised support that promotes independence and wellbeing. This collaborative approach enables us to deliver positive outcomes closer to home, reducing the need for more intensive services and strengthening community-based care networks.

Open Monday to Friday from 10am – 1pm and 3- 6pm, our call handlers can provide advice and support and, where appropriate, referrals on a whole host of issues, including loneliness and isolation, mental health issues and financial advice.

But that is not all, we can also help with grief and loss,  provide expertise around domestic abuse, arrange for urgent shopping or medical collections, as well as things like housing support.

We can put you in touch with Wellbeing Coordinators who can provide guided conversations and walk alongside you whilst you deal with your issue. We can also link you with your Community Builder, who will help put you in touch with friendship and support in your own community.

But, and this is a big but, we need your help. We need volunteers to help us deliver all these things, and in the coming months, we will need your help more than ever. We have vacancies across the board. To find the one that is right for you, call 01803 446022 and discuss it with one of our friendly call handlers (who may well be a volunteer themselves)!

Alternatively, come along to our Easter coffee morning to find out more about the volunteering opportunities available at People’s Parkfield in Paignton (just off Paignton Green) from 10 am to 12 noon on Wednesday, 15th April. No booking required.