From the Purbeck Gazette
Dear people of Purbeck,
We are putting together a list of community volunteer contacts that can be utilised should there be severe snow/ice or flooding in Purbeck in the future.
Many elderly people cannot get out when it is icy, and a large number of those who sustain a bad fall die within a year of the fall. Nurses find it hard to get to home visits in outlaying areas, people find it hard to get to urgent hospital appointments, people may go without electricity/food due to an inability to get to town and so on.
A list is being compiled of those who can help when required in their town/village, either on foot, or with experienced use of 4 wheel drive vehicles, tractors and so on. Those on the list will be called on to help the community (voluntarily) in times of bad snow or flooding. They may also be of assistance with missing people/animals and other similar situations.
Some of you have received this email as you belong to, or work with, local groups such as Rotary and Lions. We are trying to create some 'community trees' on our list - contacts within local groups or organisations who will be able to then contact people within their prospective organisation who can offer assistance, even if this is offering to be on-hand for people in their specific road or neighbourhood.
If you are willing to be on the team list in case of emergency, please can you email back with:
Your name, your usual location (eg: I can cover Rempstone during working hours and have a 4 wheel drive vehicle, with experience of driving it in snow, etc), idea of what help you can offer (even if on foot in your road), idea of any useful equipment you have (4 wheel drive vehicles, kayaks/canoes/small boats, climbing gear, tractor, winch, etc) and any particular experience you may have (driving in snow conditions, climbing, kayaking, etc).
We will then compile a list of all available bodies locally, along with details of their equipment and experience, and this will be given out to the local police, fire brigade, NHS, coastguard, town council and so on. In times of emergency the Gazette website will show a warning and notification that the volunteer team are on call. People on the community tree will then be called as needed to help those in need who don't require 'emergency' assistance from the police, fire brigade or coastguard.
The hope is that we can get at least one person in every town and village in Purbeck willing to offer their help, even if it is simply to be on foot and check on their more vunerable neighbours, collect shopping on foot and so on. If we can also add people who do have experience in driving in bad conditions, climbing, sea faring and so on, then we can add to the resourses we already have with our emergency services and thus ensure that we have every possible base covered in times of need. Please note that anyone volunteering will do so at their own risk!
Please do feel free to forward this to anyone else who may be of assistance - the more the merrier in this case!
I look forward to hearing from you - thank you for your time!
Kind regards,
Nico Johnson
The Purbeck Gazette
www.purbeckgazette.co.uk
Editor - 01929 424239
Sales - 01929 424293
ed@purbeckgazette.co.uk