Volunteers from Bosham who set up thriving support network offer to help other struggling communities

Starting with a dedicated team of 12 people, BISCuit - Bosham Isolation Support Community - has grown to more than 130 willing helpers in just a few weeks.

Volunteers are at the end of the phone for a chat for residents, and are also tackling a co-ordinated approach to collecting essential supplies and prescriptions and even walking dogs for people who cannot leave their home.

The BISCuit system is scalable depending on need and volume and can also be applied to other groups and areas, using simple technology and existing systems to ensure a joined-up approach and easy ways of contacting volunteers who have never met each other.

Project manager Sarah Morgan is keen to help other communities use the implementation plans, having already worked in Fishbourne, Southbourne, Chidham and Portsmouth.

Sarah said: 'It is more than just trying to make our community feel safer and more secure by having a phone number or email to make contact with us.

‘We worked rapidly to set the group up because we wanted to enable our residents to get their food and medicines without risking their health and indeed their lives.

‘I believe everyone who volunteers for BISCuit is motivated to try to help reduce people's risk to this dreadful disease and to help them know that someone in their community cares about them.’

Sarah and Christina Procter, who set up the group, have been humbled by the way the community has come together to provide support at this time.

Secondary school teacher Christina said: 'If anything good is to come out of this, it would be to rediscover our connection to each other and to the fragile environment we are part of.'

Sarah added: ‘There’s a lot of good in people and I think that’s nice to show as well as all the bad stuff that’s going on.

‘It’s all about community helping each other, we’re always happy to learn from other communities as well.’

To get in touch with the oversight team to learn more about setting up an effective support system in your area, email [email protected].

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.