Championing a Safe Recovery from Covid

• Lead Member South Tyneside Council
• Categories Community

A partnership approach between the Council and charities and voluntary groups across South Tyneside is helping people to recover from the pandemic.

South Tyneside Council successfully secured £500,000 of government money to help the third sector engage with groups most at risk from the virus. The main aim of the fund was to recruit Covid champions to relay accurate and timely information about the virus. In addition, voluntary groups were able to secure funds to support Covid recovery and mental health. Some of the grants ranged between £5,000 and £15,000 while smaller amounts of between £100 and £1,000 were also available.

One charity which has already benefitted from a micro-grant is local charity BLISS-Ability which secured £976 for a part-time project co-ordinator to run a new service to bring socially isolated people together once a month. This is aimed at people suffering from low mood, anxiety or mild depression. In addition to socialising they will have access to short sessions on self-care and digital health with the support of an IT tutor or a volunteer digital champion.

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