VCS Partnership wins accolade for supporting local communities

Peterborough Council for Voluntary Services’ (PCVS) are honoured to receive a Civic Award for their Voluntary Support Group, which was presented to them at the recent awards ceremony at the Key Theatre held by Peterborough City Council.

This prestigious award recognises residents, groups, organisations and businesses that have made a real difference to their local community and was awarded to PCVS’ Voluntary Support Group in recognition of the efforts and achievements made in supporting and making a difference to local communities through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic over the past year or so.

PCVS set up this group as an emergency response to the influx of requests from local communities that occurred at the start of the first lockdown in March 2020. As a direct result of the pandemic, people were losing jobs, becoming isolated, food poverty increased as well as mental health issues. There was a real sense panic and need for support. Setting up PCVS’ Voluntary Support Group helped local groups rally together and address the imminent needs of  their communities.

The email requests that poured in and were dealt with ranged from increasing food supply, distribution of food, providing hot meals, shopping support, providing materials to make PPE and distributing PPE where it was needed, helping disabled and older people with overgrown gardens and overcoming loneliness and mental health, by providing arts and crafts materials and even a bread machine! This was only a fraction of some of the great support that was delivered.

Heather Knapp from Evolve Counselling who chairs PCVS’ mental health forum is a member and active contributor to the PCVS Voluntary Support Group. She attended the Civic Awards presentation ceremony as one of PCVS’ guests and was proud by what has been achieved by the group, “It is amazing to see what can be accomplished when we all come together and support one another in serving the needs of our communities. A massive ‘thank you’ and ‘well done’ to everyone for their hard work and commitment.  It has truly transformed how charities and community groups collaborate in the city for the benefit of its people”

The Covid VCS Group has made a real difference to lives in extremely challenging and unprecedented times and will continue to support people in the future. PCVS is thankful to everyone who has been involved and who has helped in supporting the voluntary sector to work together with great results. For more information about PCVS and the work they do please visit <a href="https://www.pcvs.co.uk">www.www.pcvs.co.uk</a>