How can I help?

This page outlines how you can help in our response to COVID-19, including food donations, volunteering opportunities and job opportunities. 

You can find more information and support on the main COVID-19 page.

Food donations

We are desperately seeking donations of food to help the most vulnerable members of our community. Together with volunteers and community partners, we have sourced and distributed over 6,000 frozen meals and more than 1,100 food parcels to residents. 

Businesses and restaurants

If you are a business or restaurant owner and are able to make a donation of perishable food items (that could be used by our chefs to cook with) or non-perishable food supplies (that could be added to food parcels), please contact Daniel Green, Food Security and Distribution Lead, for further information and to arrange delivery.

• [email protected]
• 07892764383

Residents and individuals

If you are a resident, you can now drop off food donations to over 100 locations in Kingston.

Our wonderful 'Street Champs' are volunteering their homes as safe, secure and local drop off points across the borough. Supplies are then collected and delivered to food banks across Kingston. Please remember to continue to observe social distancing guidelines at all times.

If you would like to nominate yourself as a Street Champ please contact Martel Atterbury: [email protected] / 07500 952 919.

We are looking for the following items

Food banks

The Trussell Trust supports a network of food banks in the UK. Their latest statement on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) can be found on the Trussell Trust website.

Local food banks include Kingston Foodbank. 

Thank you

We would like to say a huge thank you to Voices of Hope, KingstonAid, Kingston Foodbank, KT Churches and all of our wonderful volunteers. Each has been instrumental in distributing supplies during this difficult time.

If you are unable to donate food but would still like to help, you can pledge money to the Love Kingston COVID-19 crisis appeal.

Volunteering opportunities 

We are very grateful for the energy and enthusiasm from our local community for volunteering in large numbers under these very difficult circumstances. 
 
To reflect the partial easing taking place, we are making a few changes to how we respond locally.
 
The work of Kingston Stronger Together alongside our partners Volunteering Kingston and Kingston Voluntary Action will continue, but with new arrangements in place designed to support the recovery phase of the pandemic. 
 
In terms of how this affects you, volunteers who registered under the Kingston Stronger Together hub will now directly be coordinated by Volunteering Kingston, who will ensure that all volunteers stay connected to important updates and vitally needed volunteering opportunities. Please note that this arrangement is part of the data sharing agreement you signed up to.

Review your availability
At this juncture, please use this opportunity to review your volunteering availability:

• If you wish to remain a volunteer - you don’t need to do anything and Volunteering Kingston will be in touch with any future opportunities.
• If you wish to opt out of being a volunteer - please click on the link below and complete the short form with your details.

Volunteering Opt Out Form
 
If you did not volunteer under Kingston Stronger Together but are interested in volunteering you can sign up by completing the form.

If you need any support with this form or have any questions, you can get in touch with Volunteering Kingston by emailing [email protected] or calling 0300 365 9980.

We also have information on how to keep yourself safe as a volunteer. 

If you need any support with this form or have any questions, you can get in touch with Volunteering Kingston by emailing [email protected] or calling 0300 365 9980.

Job opportunities

Social workers - we urgently need your help!

Our current workforce is working tirelessly to help and protect the vulnerable in our community. There has been a huge increase in demand on our services. We are making provisions to offer a 7 day a week service from 8am-8pm to manage the anticipated increased demand and we are looking for additional staff to join us in serving our community.

We urgently need unemployed qualified social workers, retired social workers and other social care workers to help with screening vulnerable groups, home visiting, telephone advice, personal care, food preparation, shopping, cooking, cleaning, moving and handling, as well as medication.

Please also contact [email protected] if you have a health background with a clinical qualification, i.e Occupational Therapists, Nurses, Paramedics - we will have a role for you.

Social workers - supporting children, young people and their families locally

This is a call out to all social workers to join us in supporting children, young people and their families locally. The safety and wellbeing of children and young people continues to be our number one priority.

We have a well tested package of support available for our workers and have implemented working from home measures to ensure the safety and wellbeing of our staff and where possible have drawn upon the use of digital technology to overcome some of the restrictions around face-to-face contact.

If you are interested in being part of our fantastic teams and supporting children and families over this period and you are a qualified social worker with experience in children's services, please send your CV to [email protected]. We will process your CV as quickly as possible and will work with you to match you to a suitable team.

You can find out more on the Achieving for Children website. 

We would like to say a big thank you to all of our colleagues at Achieving for Children for working and supporting one another during this unprecedented time.