THE last act of a group set up to help Taunton communities during the Covid pandemic has been to donate its remaining funds to the town's foodbank.

Before disbanding yesterday (Wednesday), Coronavirus Community Help Taunton (CCHT) handed over a £4,596.59 to Taunton Foodbank, which is expecting to cater for huge demand over the coming year.

After CCHT was formed as a community chat group on March 15 last year, a network of 40 local area sub-groups was established.

Over the year, almost 1,000 volunteers have offered their services, dealing with in excess of 15,000 requests for help across Somerset West and Taunton.

The volunteers have done shopping, collected prescriptions, run errands, posted letters, walked dogs, checked on neighbours and offered friendly phone calls to elderly and shielding residents.

The group has with local health organisations, councils and charities to support their efforts and provide signposting to help and support.

Highlights of the year include:

  • Running a Facebook group of almost 13,000 members providing Covid information for local people, community groups and businesses. There were other social media initiatives.
  • Helping develop a database of food suppliers who remained open and were doing click and collect during the three lockdowns.
  • Leading a campaign to procure 65 gazebos for primary schools last June, so schools could extend their outdoor learning space.
  • Collecting donations for CCHT's food and pet food bank from the local community and business community, and leading a team of people to distribute them to people in need.
  • Helping to set up the Wilton and Sherford Community Pop Up Shop.
  • Leading a campaign for donations to provide free meals to families in receipt of free school meals during October half term and developing a database of companies offering free meals.
  • Helping 13 schools raise donations from the local community to provide Christmas presents and food parcels to over 300 local children whose parents are struggling financially due to the crisis.
  • Helping Cullen's Catering with NHS barbeques, feeding 400 staff for free.

The group has received commendations from the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, the High Sheriff of Somerset, Musgrove Park Hospital, Somerset County Council and the Mayor of Taunton and has been featured national TV and in the County Gazette.

Group chairman Natalie Dyson said: "As we now head out of the third lockdown, the main Coronavirus Community Help Taunton group is closing down.

"However there will be a lasting, positive legacy in an otherwise bleak year in that the majority of the local community groups will carry on as community help/neighbour support groups.

"We would like to thank all of our group co-ordinators, volunteers, members of the public, local businesses and our admin team for all of their help and support over the last 12 months.

"We do hope that we have made a difference by ensuring that elderly and vulnerable people were kept safe at home.

"The group has also provided a vital lifeline to combat loneliness and offer signposting to information and support to local people during one of the most difficult times we will ever have to face."