Bosham Covid support group closes down after helping village through pandemic as restrictions ease and vaccines roll out

Bosham Isolation Support Community, known as BISCuit, helped elderly and vulnerable residents with shopping and prescription pick-ups, as well as dog walking and wellbeing calls.

There was also a volunteer-led initiative to supply local care homes with thoroughly deserved hampers at the height of the crisis and the group sourced targeted emergency PPE to meet a critical need.

Christina Procter, the founder of BISCuit and a secondary school teacher, said: ‘For just over a year, the volunteers worked tirelessly to support the local community with their practical and wellbeing needs.

‘When waves of the coronavirus came, the organisation was ready and when things looked bleak, it offered hope.’

To support children sent home in the first lockdown, BISCuit arranged for kindness packages to be delivered to them when they were nominated for their good deeds at such a difficult time.

The group also helped establish appropriate care for the longer-term needs of around 20 individuals.

As the country as a whole got to grips with managing the pandemic, the volunteers were recently able to step down, but many of them have moved into other community roles and are maintaining newfound friendships with neighbours.

Christina added: ‘Now that it has come to an end, there's no quantifiable way to measure the impact BISCuit had, but what is highlighted is how amazing ordinary people can be in extraordinary times.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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