CHARITY OF THE WEEK: Harrogate Easier Living Project here to HELP residents struggling after Covid pandemic

The Harrogate Easier Living Project (HELP) provides a number of services for anyone living independently in the Harrogate district who want to maintain or develop their local support network.

They are part of the Harrogate and District Community Action (HADCA) and support people whose circumstances make it more challenging for them to remain living safe and well at their own home.

This could be due to disability, physical or mental-health conditions, following bereavement or due to financial hardship and their services are designed to promote independence and tackle loneliness.

At the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, North Yorkshire County Council appointed the charity as the local Community Support Organisation for Harrogate and thanks to a fantastic community response, they quickly mobilised an army of over 200 volunteers who generously gave up their time supporting local people on both a practical and emotional level whilst having to stay at home.

Owing to their dedication and commitment, they have now carried out over 11,000 tasks for people in need throughout the pandemic.

Their volunteer drivers have taken hundreds of people for their Covid vaccinations and their volunteer marshals have donated nearly 6,000 hours of support at the vaccination centres in both Harrogate and Ripon.

Anna Woollven, Project Development Worker at HELP, believes it has been a real community effort over the last couple of years to help as many people as possible.

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She said: “After long periods of staying at home, many of the people we support tell us they feel less confident about leaving the home.

“This is partly due to concerns about the virus and partly due to decreased mobility, so our focus is now on re-abling people to re-connect with community life.

“We aim to remove any barriers to people getting out and not only are our volunteers busy providing transport, they are also helping to encourage, reassure and accompany anyone who feels apprehensive when first venturing out.

“For anyone who is unsure about where to turn to for support locally, we are at the end of the phone to support with information and signposting.”

Over the last 12 months, HELP has supported over 1,000 people across the Harrogate district and demand for their services continues to rise and fundraising continues to be a challenge for them.

Whilst they receive grants towards some of their work, they have to fundraise to cover a significant part of their costs, such as equipment, materials, van costs and volunteer training.

Frances Elliot, Chief Executive Officer, said: “Any donations ensure we can be ‘Here to HELP’ anyone who turns to us for assistance to live safe and well in our community.

“If you find yourself needing a little support to stay living safe and well at home, we are here to assist you.

“Whether it’s help on a practical level, or just wanting information about what else is available locally, we will go the extra mile for you and please get in touch if we can help.”

The Harrogate Easier Living Project could not do any of their work without their fantastic volunteers.

They offer a wide range of volunteering roles, which can fit in around existing commitments and there is no minimum time commitment nor specific skills required, all they ask for is a willingness to get involved.

They are particularly in need of volunteer drivers due to massive demand for our voluntary car driving services.

Frances added: “However much or little time you have, please consider volunteering with us to help make a difference to so many in our local community.”

There are lots of ways people can support their work and the simplest way is to make a donation via their Just Giving page by visiting https://justgiving.com/hadcaIf you are thinking of doing a fundraising challenge, or are a business wishing to support the charity, they would love to hear from you to discuss how they can support you.

For more information about the Harrogate Easier Living Project (HELP), visit http://www.helpharrogate.org.uk/

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