Volunteer groups have been ‘indispensable’ during COVID-19 crisis

Mutual aid groups – boosted on volunteers on furlough – have been an indispensable part of the country’s response to COVID-19, according to a new report out today. 

The report by the New Local Government Network (NLGN) suggests a huge proportion of the millions of people shielding during the pandemic were directly supported by local volunteer groups.

According to the report, a major part of the groups’ success was the involvement of working-aged people who were furloughed or had more time in their local areas.

It recommends introducing flexible working practices to give these people ‘more time to be better neighbours’ as the pandemic eases.

The small size of these groups was also key to their success, found the research.

They were able to act more quickly and have a more positive impact than big, government-led schemes like the GoodSam NHS app.

Local authorities had a key role in supporting these groups by providing funding, coordinating volunteers or providing spaces.

But councils also had the potential to undermine efforts by being too disinterested or too controlling, the report finds.

It also recommends that the government should fund these groups through a dedicated community support financial package, allowing councils to provide a platform for these groups post-COVID.

‘The public response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of much-needed hope,’ said NLGN senior policy researcher and report co-author, Simon Kaye.

‘Thousands of spontaneous, voluntary mutual aid groups have emerged to support the most vulnerable people in our society. In many cases these groups have been able to help people far more rapidly and flexibly than traditional public services.

‘The mutual aid phenomenon is a powerful demonstration of the potential for community power in the UK. We now need to focus on how community collaboration can outlast this crisis and make our places more resilient in future,’ added Mr Kaye.

‘For this to happen, lessons must be learnt. National government must resolve to empower localities and give people the free time they need to be better neighbours. Councils, meanwhile, must recognise the crucial role they can play and the make-or-break power they often wield over community groups.’

The full report – Communities Vrs Coronavirus – is available to read here.

Photo Credit – Ryan McGuire (Pixabay)