The health and well-being of the people of Lyme Regis will always be our core purpose and we hope to develop the strength and resilience of our community even more in future
We work collaboratively with local volunteers and partner organisations to channel community based support to meet the needs of Lyme Regis residents including the elderly, those vulnerable and any others in need.
We have been working since March 2020 continuously
The support group was quickly launched in March 2020, in response to the first national lockdown amid the coronavirus pandemic, and within days some 90 volunteers had come forward to help the town’s most vulnerable residents.
With life back to normal for many, and most having returned to work, the group is now made up of a smaller group of dedicated volunteers, but continues to offer its services wherever needed.
The volunteers, who are all DBS checked help with a variety of tasks including shopping, picking up prescriptions, social support such as a friendly phone call or going out for a walk or even odd jobs around the house.
We have great connections with Lyme Bay Medical Centre, Lyme Regis Foodbank, social prescribers and other organisations providing social help and care, ensuring that residents always have the support they need.
Building on the services first delivered during the pandemic, volunteers from Lyme Regis Community Support still regularly carry out food shopping and collect medical prescriptions for those unable to get out themselves, which often requires several phone calls to pharmacies, medical practices and the recipients prior to delivery.
But the group’s work has spanned beyond these tasks in more recent months, launching social initiatives to combat loneliness and help during the cost of living crisis.
We host the weekly Talking Cafe, every Wednesday morning at Hallett Court in Queen’s Walk, Lyme Regis, where residents can come together for good company, tea, coffee and biscuits. This also acts as a warm hub for those struggling with rising heating bills.
During Christmas 2022, a special lunch of soup, mince pies with cream, coffee and chocolates was provided at the Talking Cafe. The support group also delivered vegetable boxes at Christmas, having previously delivered 52 Christmas dinners during the pandemic.
Cakes were enjoyed for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last spring and a birthday cake is shared once a month for everyone who has celebrated a birthday that month.
The support group has supplied iPads and training on how to use them, with support from Lyme Regis Town Council and the Co-op, ensuring residents can stay in touch with friends and family and carry out essential tasks which are increasingly moving online.
The Community Support Group also manages the community garden in Langmoor Gardens, with volunteers having cleared and replanted it, with vegetables now growing for free use of the local community.
We have also helped to support refugees from Ukraine and packed boxes of essential supplies when the conflict first broke out in February 2022.
Lyme Regis Community Support is hoping to launch a voluntary car service for the Lyme Regis area in 2023, helping residents get to medical appointments or taking them on shopping trips, etc.
We are currently looking for volunteer drivers and co-ordinators to help take this project forward.
