The document discusses the rise of community-based voluntary action during Covid-19, highlighting the surge in mutual support initiatives and neighborly assistance. It notes a significant increase in requests for help and volunteer activity, particularly during lockdowns in Norfolk, where thousands of tasks were completed weekly. The text emphasizes the importance of sustaining this community engagement post-Covid and the challenges of maintaining safe activity.

1. Developing & Sustaining Community
Based Voluntary Action

2. • Long history of community
self-help
• Formal and informal
• Established models of Good
Neighbour schemes and
Community Aide
• Covid-19 saw a huge rise in
‘mutual support’
What are talking about

3. Many valuable and different initiatives
• Information sharing (particular on Facebook and
WhatsApp)
• Emotional Support
• Neighbour to Neighbour ‘could you pickup for me’
• Business offers
• Existing & expanded VCSE services
• Our focus here is on structured community support
• ‘request for help’ > ‘coordination’ > ‘pool of
volunteers’
What are talking about

4. Huge surge of community activity over Covid-19

5. Mutual Support Map

6. 0%
50%
100%
150%
200%
250%
300%
350%
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct
Requests Index Volunteers Index
• Immediately
prior to lock-
down levelling
off in demand
but at 40-70%
higher than pre-
Covid levels

7. • Peak of 1st lock-down an estimated 8,100 weekly tasks
being completed by over 7,000 volunteers as part of
Mutual Support & Good Neighbour Scheme Groups
across Norfolk
• Pre 2nd lock-down estimate of 1,300 tasks weekly being
carried out by Mutual Support & Good Neighbour Scheme
Groups across Norfolk
Mutual & Community Support Activity

8. • Absolutely critical part of our response to Covid-19
• Huge opportunity to use this momentum to strengthen our
communities
• Getting and keeping community activity going safely is
challenging