Essex County Council is supporting the national effort to get food and supplies to the County’s most vulnerable residents.

The Essex Resilience Forum (ERF) made up of all the county public sector organisations, is tasked with ensuring that people with the most serious health conditions across Essex are shielded from social contact for 12 weeks during the peak of the epidemic. 

These people have been written to directly by the Government and told to expect food packages to be delivered to them. The first food drops were made to some residents in Tollesbury at the end of March.

A distribution hub has been set up by Essex County Council in Witham.

Given the importance of social distancing and the most at risk being able to stay in their homes, ERF members and the voluntary sector are also mobilising resources across the county to provide assistance to a larger group. These are residents who are also vulnerable during the peak of the epidemic, and includes people over the age of 70 or pregnant women, who do not have the support of friends, family or neighbours.

Councils across the county are working with supermarkets, delivery companies and other organisations on developing supply lines to people. District Councils will also use their local hubs, which have been established in every district, borough and city council area, using volunteer support.

These residents will be contacted by the NHS, or their GP surgeries, starting this week.

The message will set out the instructions for those people who do not have the support of friends, families and neighbours, to register with the Essex Wellbeing Service (EWS) (part of PROVIDE, a health and social care provider), should they need food deliveries.

They will be able to contact the EWS via essexwellbeingservice.co.uk and by calling 0300 303 9988, Monday to Friday between 8am to 7pm, and Saturday to Sunday between 10am to 2pm.