‘It gave me faith in humanity’: How your community spirit made mutual aid groups a huge success

Volunteers, most of whom had never met each other, set up Facebook groups and phone lines, distributed thousands of leaflets, and attracted support from councils to make sure those who needed help during the lockdown were able to access it.

Many of these groups are still going, or are ready to start up again should they be needed, but the work they have done will have made a lasting impact on the communities, especially those who were suffering from loneliness.

A report published by The Red Cross and Co-op back in 2017 highlighted the rurality of one’s location as a barrier to connection.

However, it also said ‘rural communities were felt to be less closed off than their urban counterparts’, with rural participants more likely to ask how others are, or have a chat.

And that has certainly been borne out in 2020.

Action in Rural Sussex said how ‘by supporting and empowering local people to reach out to those in need, we can radically reduce the impact of loneliness and its associated problems on social services, health services and emergency services’.

Jo Lee, treasurer and trustee of Haywards Heath Covid-19 Mutual Aid, is one of the founding members of the group.

She said: “I moved from Henfield last September, and I was concerned coming from a small village where everyone knows everyone that there wouldn’t be that community feel.

“What the people of Haywards Heath did blew me away.

“Everyone wanted to help everyone, regardless of religion, race or age.”

Jo said all of the 700-plus volunteers ‘did their bit and it all worked fantastically’.

She said: “I don’t think thank you is enough — it’s probably one of the only things you can say but it gave me faith in humanity.

“You hear so many bad news stories, and as terrible as this pandemic has been it’s brought out the best in life.

“It just shows the majority of people care and want to help other people, there was a real neighbourhood feel.”

Barbara, from Cuckfield, had a similar experience in her setting up of the village’s group.

She moved to the village two years ago from London, and said she now feels ‘like a member of the community’.

She said: “We had quite a few incidents where people who needed help we struggled to get in touch with or the request was confusing, but the volunteers were so patient and helpful, they were going over and above.

“Some people have continued friendships, especially with older people.

“The volunteers have been extraordinarily amazing with open hearts and were appreciated so much by the people they helped and by the whole of Cuckfield.

“People made me feel so welcome, immediately I just felt like part of the community straight away.

“I just think everyone is extraordinary”

In Hurstpierpoint, Prue Heron set up the group and said it worked ‘so smoothly’.

She said: “Everyone who participated, from recipients to volunteers, said how much they got out of it and how many people they got to know.

“It was like war times - each of our road group reps know their neighbours, everyone knows everyone and that was about as wide as it got, which is one of the advantages of being in a village.”

Kieran James, who ran Burgess Hill Helper Army, said he ‘saw how valuable the service would be and how needed it was’.

He saw how big the group was getting, and got a team of volunteers and support from the council.

He said: “Both sides of the fence were working together to help the community which was really nice to have.

“Some people do have other views but most people threw them to the side.

“We’re all human beings and had to help each other get through it, this virus brought all people together.

“It really brought people together between the streets and from there, friendship starts.

“Someone in the street you’ve never talked to you now talk to every day.

“In a time where you can’t go up and talk to people, it’s a way of icebreaking.”

In Horsted Keynes, Sonja, who set up the group, there talked about the legacy of the group in terms of volunteering.

She said it’s brought a ‘much broader group of the village’ into volunteering, especially now the Facebook and WhatsApp groups have been set up.

She said: “I think that network will continue for a whole range of causes after the Covid need is gone.

“I don’t see it ending, it will just come into action when someone suggests something the group can do.

“This group is across the village, from young mums to teenagers to 70-plus who were involved in the early days.

“We try to avoid making it really complicated and bureaucratic, we don’t have lots of meetings, people don’t have to be involved in everything. People can help when they have the mental capacity and not feel like they have to do everything.”