Coronavirus: Nottinghamshire charity Framework makes urgent plea for volunteers and donations during virus crisis

A charity working with homeless and disadvantaged people across Nottinghamshire has made an urgent plea for volunteers and donations to help it cope with the ongoing Covid-19 crisis.

Framework, which provides accommodation and support to some of the most vulnerable people in the East Midlands, is appealing urgently for volunteers to help with its work and for businesses and members of the public to donate food, money and other essentials.

The charity needs help to support more than 1,000 people with whom it works who need particular help as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic: these are homeless people living in its hostels, including Russell House, Newark, and vulnerable people which it supports in the community.

To help support these people across the county Framework is making four specific and urgent requests, for:

• Volunteers to support staff and service users in its services

• Volunteers willing to drive and make essential deliveries to Framework services and service users

• Donations from the public, particularly of non-perishable food, soap, towels, toiletries and cleaning products

• Donations from businesses particularly of fresh and non-perishable food and takeaway food containers.

To channel the public’s enthusiasm to support its work, Framework has established a volunteer response team: people interested in volunteering should visit www.frameworkha.org/volunteerresponse

Framework has set up donation hubs across the county at which the public can donate items specified below.

The hubs operate on Tuesdays and Thursdays each week between 10am and 3pm starting on Thursday, April 2, at The Exchange Business Centre, Newark, NG24 1HA.

Access Framework via the Handley Court turning off Northgate; take the first right and the carpark is ahead. Do not attempt to access via Water Lane.

What Framework needs:

• Non-perishable items: tins and jars – beans, tomatoes, pasta sauces, spaghetti/hoops/ravioli, tinned fruit and vegs, tuna, soups, pot noodles, pasta, rice, frozen pizzas, porridge and cereal, sweet biscuits, chocolate bars and snacks, cakes, tea bags, instant coffee, jams, peanut butter, chocolate spread, crackers and rice cakes, long life milk – in cartons and individual sachets

• Fluids: fruit juices, squash and water

• Baby products: including nappies, baby wipes, baby milk, food, teething crackers

• Toiletries: bars of soap, deodorant, toilet rolls, shampoo, shower gel/body washes, toothpaste and toothbrushes, shaving products, sanitary products

• Cleaning products: wipes, cloths, washing up liquid, anti-bacterial spray, bin bags

• Hand sanitisers, gloves and masks

• Other items: bath sheets and hand towels
• Clothes are not a priority

Framework is also appealing to businesses in the food supply chain including producers, retailers, restaurants and takeaways, for perishable food items including meat, fruit and vegetables, and for stocks of new and unused take away food containers and carrier bags.

Such donations should be directed to the Training Centre in Nottingham.

Framework can accept food past its best before but not its use by date.

To contact Framework regarding food donations please ring 0115 970 9536.

You can leave a message at any time, however, the answer phone will only be checked on Tuesday and Thursday, so a message left on Friday will not be checked until the following Tuesday.

Alternatively, email gemma.fenyn@frameworkha.org

Further details available at www.frameworkha.org/volunteerresponse