ACORN Union launches Covid-19 support team

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ACORN Community Union Brighton has launched a community support network in response to the coronavirus outbreak. 

Local volunteers will be providing support to those who are having to self-isolate, especially those in elderly and vulnerable groups who may have to remain indoors for a long time.

They will be delivering shopping and prescriptions to those in isolation, as well as providing support to people by phone or video chat to counter loneliness.The Union’s organisers have said the network “will provide effective support to people on the ground in a way that is effective, safe and organised.”

Aisling, an immunocompromised ACORN member currently self-isolating in Brighton, commented:

It’s incredibly reassuring to see how quickly and effectively ACORN has responded to this crisis, particularly given the lack of action from the government. I am immunocompromised with a serious lung condition, so have been advised to self-isolate for 12 weeks. Now that my family are also in isolation, I have been so scared about how I am going to get food and prescriptions, but thankfully ACORN has set up an amazing system that people like me can rely on. I can’t think of an organisation that is better equipped to support vulnerable people in times like these. It’s a relief to know that I am a member of a union who is able to bring our community together and be a source of strength in the face of crisis.

There is a form on the ACORN website that people can use to register their willingness to volunteer or to request assistance. You can also call the number on the leaflet below if you do not have access to the internet. 

 

The Union has also been putting pressure on the government to introduce measures to protect renters during the crisis. Their campaign calls on the government to freeze rents for those in self-isolation and put a moratorium on all evictions during the crisis. A petition started by the Union already has more than 20,000 signatures.

Paul Williams, ACORN Brighton’s Head Organiser, said:

The government so far has done nothing to protect tenants. We demand that the government act immediately to assure ACORN members and the millions of tenants around the country that his Government will take all possible measures to ensure their security. In the meantime our members are doing what we do best, looking out for each other to protect our communities, whatever the threat, and will continue to do so.

Featured image: via Facebook

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