Mansfield council praised for going 'above and beyond' to help vulnerable during pandemic

Executive Mayor of Mansfield Andy Abrahams has praised the efforts of Mansfield District Council for going above and beyond duty during the outbreak.

He said: “Helping vulnerable people has been a major part of the council’s work over the past year and the way our officers have regularly gone above and beyond their duties has been amazing.

“Last month, we put out an appeal to council staff for items like tins of ham and corn beef, toiletries, clothes for children and young adults, and for children’s books, to help the growing number of people in this district facing hardship as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Within days, we had dozens of donations from officers and their friends and neighbours plus offers to volunteer.

"It makes me proud that we have on the council payroll so many people who genuinely care and want to help.

“Only a couple of weeks ago, we had a gentleman approach the council who was obviously in need of support and in clear distress, with hardly any money left and virtually no food.

“Council officers really persevered and made the effort to reach out to him and show him that we were there to help. We managed to get a supermarket voucher to him to help him buy some food while pointing him in the direction of various avenues of support.

“This was just one incident but there are dozens of similar cases where a timely and sympathetic response by our council officers has made a real difference.”

As part of the council’s humanitarian response to the pandemic since April 2020 it has completed 27,000 safe and well checks by phone across the district, taken 66,824 calls in its emergency control room, delivered 130 food parcels to vulnerable residents and issued 52 food bank vouchers.

Mayor Abrahams added: "Mostly it goes unnoticed and the council doesn’t usually shine the spotlight on the efforts of its own officers because many would feel that it was just part of their job.

"But I feel they deserve some public credit and recognition for their dedicated and caring work over the past very challenging months.”