The Budleigh Support Group was set up on 12 March 2020, specifically to provide a co-ordinated response to the COVID-19 crisis, bringing together the following:
- The Medical Centre
- Initially Dr Richard Mejzner and Kathryn Blurton (Practice Manager) and following Dr Mejzner's retirement, Dr Brian Taylor joined the group
- Providing up to date information about the current local situation
- St Peter's C of E Primary School
- Head Teacher, Steve Hitchcock
- Steve was the initiator of the Group and currently chairs the meetings
- Local Churches, represented by
- Rev James Henley, BS Baptist Church
- Helping identify local needs, prepared for the reality of loss of life
- Town Council
- Cllr Penny Lewis and Town Clerk, Jo Vanstone
- To assist the group by looking at the response to needs across the whole town; working towards effective food bank provision; providing information to enable residents to contact local businesses
- The Lions
- Richard Allen
- Providing support with leaflet deliveries and volunteer manpower at The Hub; assisting with social media and managing our Twitter account
- The Hub
- Marc Jobson
- The Hub has taken on the task of triaging all support requests which have come about as a result of COVID-19. Staff actively manage the following:
- Co-ordination and vetting of volunteers
- Distribution of meals to those who are self-isolating
- Shopping and prescription pick-ups for those who are self-isolating
- Telephone befriending service
- Referral of financial support requests to BSRIN
- Budleigh Salterton Relief in Need Charity (BSRIN)
- Lorraine Ralph, Secretary and Trustee
- BSRIN have taken the lead to represent all local charities and have adopted two new Trustees to give a great representation across the community (including representatives from some of the other groups above)
BS Support Group is not constituted and does not have a mechanism to receive funds and at this time, does not wish to go down that route.
BSRIN and The Hub are the two groups which are able to directly support residents, are constituted and therefore have been seeking funding and managing safer working practices for volunteers.
If you wish to donate to the Group you can do so via the
Go Fund Me page which was set up in March 2020 - it is administered by BSRIN.