Support for Islanders
Keep the Island safe
Please look after yourself and your loved ones at this critical time. If you need extra support, there are organisations on the Island who can help. Let’s help each other to keep the Island safe.
Find out how to prevent the spread of COVID-19
If you, or someone you know, has no money for food during lockdown, there is help. Citizens Advice Isle of Wight can guide you to crisis support. Find out more at Isle Help.
- Isle of Wight Foodbank provides 3 days nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to local people who are referred to them in crisis.
- Help through Crisis can help with emergency food, gas and electric.
- Free food from Aspire Ryde’s Community Fridge.
- The Isle of Wight COVID-19 helpline offers support if you are self-isolating or vulnerable and need help with shopping.
- Age UK IW offer emotional and practical help to older people. This includes help with shopping as well as support to combat loneliness.
Call 01983 525282 Email: info@ageukiw.org.uk - Go to the British Red Cross Shopping Service website for more information and to see if you are eligible for this service.
- Contact your local community hub to see if they can help with shopping.
- AtoZtoMe provides a list of Isle of Wight businesses who deliver.
If you test positive for COVID-19 and need to self-isolate you can get information about and apply for financial support. This is part of the government’s Test and Trace Support Payment scheme.
Working as part of the Age Friendly Island partnership we have developed a set of ‘out and about’ cards part-funded by the National Lottery Community Fund, to help people move towards the ‘new normal’.
The cards are to help people feel more confident when they are out and about, having to social distance as well as follow other covid-secure measures that are in place .
These cards are for people who:
- Find social distancing challenging. For example they may have a visual impairment or have difficulty in understanding social distancing instructions.
- Are exempt from wearing a face covering under the Government Guidance.
- Find the use of face coverings by other people challenging. Face coverings make communication difficult for those who rely on lip reading and facial expressions
- Feel they need time and space. They may have been shielding and are just starting to get back out and about.
Download and print a set of out and about cards.
You can also contact Age UK Isle of Wight on 01983 525282 to get a set of cards.
The Isle of Wight Community Mental Health Support Hub provides advice and support for Islanders.
The NHS Coronavirus pages have a lot of useful health information about the virus, and what to do.
COVID-19 and your mental health. This NHS website has useful information including working from home and managing your mental health.
Advice for people at higher risk of COVID-19 (clinically extremely vulnerable) from nhs.uk and gov.uk.
If you need help from a GP, use your GP surgery’s website, use an online service or app, or call the surgery.
For urgent medical help – use NHS 111 online service, or call 111 if you’re unable to get help online.
Samaritans offer a friendly ear on the end of the phone 24 hours a day – and it’s free.
Tel: 116 123
Many local community hubs are offering telephone ring rounds and befriending through their volunteers.
Age UK IW offer telephone or digital befriending and wellbeing checks.
Tel: 01983 525282
Butterflies Bereavement Telephone Support
Tel: 01983 619503 or 07889009393
Carers IW – support for the Island’s carers
Tel: 01983 533173
Email: info@carersiw.org.uk
Mountbatten Keep Connected Helpline provides a friendly voice to chat to.
Tel: 01983 533331
Mountbatten offers bereavement support to all Islanders.
Tel: 01983 217297 between 10 am and midnight 7 days a week.
Suicide Prevention & Intervention IOW are trained and skilled in suicide prevention and intervention. They are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Tel: 01983 897331
This guide can help you work out whether your child has got a cold or whether they should get tested for COVID-19.
