Alva matters - Alva Development Trust's support to local people during covid-19

/

This case study describes how, in spring and summer 2020, Alva Development Trust was at the heart of the local emergency response in Alva and across other areas in rural Clackmannanshire.

Background

Alva Development Trust (ADT) is based in Alva, Clackmannanshire, a small semi-rural town with a population of approximately 5000. It was formed in 2018 to enable the local community to take forward the Community Asset Transfer of the Cochrane Hall, a key community venue and hub in Alva, from Clackmannanshire Council.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and using the RRR-funding from Foundation Scotland, ADT has been providing a food bank service for those in self-isolation. A large number of people in Alva and the surrounding area are in insecure work such as zero-hour contracts. Many have now been made unemployed and have no income aside from social security payments such as Universal Credit, which can take time for individuals to start receiving.

“We thought we were going to do it Monday to Friday 9-5, but we’re doing it first thing in the morning till last thing at night 7 days a week.” Mary Laing, Alva Development Trust

 

Activities

During the pandemic, the Development Trust has been running a foodbank providing essential food supplies and toiletries for distribution to vulnerable people either self-isolating or in financial need via the foodbank located at Cochrane Hall. This was initially funded by Foundation Scotland and Clackmannanshire TSI. the Trust was then successful in applying for funding from the Scottish Government’s Supporting Communities fund to continue the Covid-19 support including keeping the building open.

Within weeks, the activity grew exponentially with volunteers helping 30 families per day, 7 days a week. As of the end of June 2020, Alva Development Trust had provided 1329 families with food across Clackmannanshire, not just in Alva. They put the increased geographic range down to the fact that, unlike many other support organisations, don’t need formal referrals – if people say they’re hungry they get food.  The Trust has now started providing hot meals for people who aren’t able to cook for themselves, delivering an average of 300 portions of hot food per week.

“We also pick up prescriptions for people and get shopping for some older people who don’t want to receive free deliveries but need someone to get food and other supplies for them. We even have volunteers walking dogs for people who are self-isolating” Mary Laing

Impact

The project has provided many families across the area with essential supplies. In particular, ADT highlight two occasions they were able to get much needed supplies to older people who had slipped through the care system, possibly after returning from hospital.

“Statutory services were unaware they were isolated with no food. We picked up on them after a worried neighbour informed us. One was an 89-year-old with no food at all, who had eaten everything in her cupboard.” Mary Laing

A really big positive that has been enabled by the COVID-19 activity, has been the volunteering effort from the community.  Activities carried out by volunteers include driving, unpacking food parcels and putting together deliveries. The volunteering response has been so great that it has been impossible to take on everyone while adhering to social distancing rules. As a result, ADT has had to create a reserve list of volunteers.

“The relationship with the community has been transformed. We were aiming to be a community hub but most people were hiring the hall so it was a different relationship. Now people see us as a help, and a source of advice. We have a higher profile in the community and a bit more respect. People that didn’t know of us now know our faces and what we do. We’re not just this little group; we’re seen as a serious source of support that works around the clock and doesn’t turn people away.” Mary Laing

Challenges

ADT are finding that people are understandably prioritising food over toiletries and cleaning stuff. Nappies are also very expensive. These non-food stuffs have created additional costs but they are essential and have to be provided, something ADT has managed so far.

There is also the issue of getting the message out to everyone, since some of the most vulnerable people don’t use social media or digital technology. The Co-op has helped by putting leaflets in shopping bags and volunteers are out on the street getting the message out as much as possible.

Another challenge is meeting the running costs of the community-owned hall. Everything from energy bills to waste disposal needs to be paid for, and the funding so far has been essential to keep the project viable.  

Alva Development Trust volunteers handing a delivery over to local residents

Alva Development Trust volunteers handing a delivery over to local residents

Looking forward, ADT estimates that people are going to be using foodbanks and in financial difficulty for up to a couple of years. It will take a long time to get back to normal and this has knock on effects for the Trust, as income will be affected if people are not booking events in the hall out of nervousness.

“More and more jobs are being lost in the area and with the furlough scheme being wound down this is only going to increase. Many people were self-employed and couldn’t even apply for furloughing. So many are struggling with basic provisions and utilities, and there are a lot of large families in the area. People are in dire straits, many who have never experienced this type of hardship before; they’re devasted. The amount of people that are on the phone in tears because they have to get help – it’s tragic actually.” Mary Laing

 

Opportunities

ADT have made the most of their increased profile, making great use of social media as well as traditional media outlets. When some milk was stolen from the foodbank deliveries, the response to ADT’s Facebook post about the theft was seen by 7000 people and the story was covered by the local paper, leading to a flurry of donations.

“It’s about making sure we have keep up our profile. Despite being so busy, we have to make sure we put things on social media. It makes people aware of what we’re doing and that we’re as busy as ever. As a result, we’re getting more food donations than ever before.” Mary Laing

Partnership with other organisations and agencies has improved since before the crisis. ADT has worked with the Co-operative and the Cochrane Foundation (which provides sheltered housing in Alva) who have both provided donations. Clackmannanshire Council has supplied vans for deliveries which weren’t being used for their normal purpose (although this provision was ending on the day ADT were interviewed). Over recent weeks, the council has picked up the cost of fruit and veg, as well as arranging a free collection for the normally-expensive disposal of packaging.

“They (Clackmannanshire Council) have done what they could do to help when asked. It’s been really helpful in lots of little ways. Partnership has improved recently. Everybody seems to be saying we’re here for same reason. It’s been fantastic. The council has been only a phone call away. They put you through to the right person. We didn’t have the same kind of relationship before” Mary Laing

More information

Cochrane Hall

Cochrane Hall

 

Staff and volunteers at Alva Development Trust with a food donation

Staff and volunteers at Alva Development Trust with a food donation