Mansfield and Ashfield community pitches into help each other during coronavirus crisis

The Mansfield and Ashfield Area Support group on Facebook was set up three weeks ago and already has 3,500 members.

Set up by Joanne Barfield, with an administrative team, the social support organisation was started as a response to the Covid 19 crisis.

It aims to help people, whether it is helping individuals source food, to coping with isolation, to helping organisations with appeals. It also provides lighthearted entertainment with activities and quizzes, and there are also daily posts keeping people in touch.

One of the team, Helen Capewell, said: “We are trying to bring everyone together so people know they are not alone. We get involved with all sorts of things, we recently put out an appeal to help stock the kitchen cupboards of a young man. The community’s response was amazing.

“The group is all about our community, Jo started it and is at its heart. The group is a welcoming and safe place for people to have a chat, ask for help and connect with those around them safely. No one needs to feel alone.

“We also put out appeals, we got 10 baby monitors for the nurses at Kings Mill Hospital, they use them to communicate with each other, it saves them having to take off personal protection equipment between wards. We have also sourced PPE for local care homes.”

“We also do fun things like quizzes usually on Friday and Saturday nights, and we have a ‘good morning’ post to make sure people are doing OK.”

Jo Barfield said: “It’s not the biggest group around, but it is by far the most productive in terms of helping out those in need. Every single member that has asked for help we have done it. No one has gone without.

“We are promoting the group as we are aware that there are so many more in need.

“The bigger groups are losing people who need help, they get lost among negative posts. We are managing our posts away from negativity, scaremongering, and stats. It’s a safe place to come and ask for help and support.”