Remote Learning in January 2021 - computers needed!
If you've recently upgraded your laptop and your old one still works, it could be crucial to help someone else access remote learning during lockdown. In the face of government delays in getting computer access to those who don't have it, there has been a great local response.
Oxford Mutual Aid are collecting laptops to distribute to families - ideally with data already wiped although they can arrange this if not.
Children Heard and Seen are an Oxford-based charity supporting children with a parent in prison. They have moved their support online due to the lockdown and are collecting laptops to allow children to stay connected. They can collect from Oxfordshire addresses and will wipe the device for you.
Jacari offer free one-to-one tuition for children with English as a second language, and currently around 30% of their local pupils don't have any remote access to online teaching. The charity can refurbish and redistribute your laptop or tablet to families in need.
Check with your nearest school to see if they require laptops for pupils. So far we know of Oxford Spires Academy and Larkrise Primary (see their newsletter for specs) running appeals - if you have any others we should know about, please email [email protected] and we will update this list.
Volunteering - helping people
Many members of the community need assistance during these tough times, and so far the goodwill and effort of volunteers has been incredible. If you’d like to lend a hand, the following groups and programmes are a good place to start.
You can sign up to be an NHS Volunteer Responder on the GoodSAM website. Possible roles include collecting shopping and other essentials for those who are self-isolating, transporting medical patients who have been discharged back to their homes, assisting with medication delivery and transport, and providing telephone support. Volunteers must be 18 or over, and fit and well with no symptoms - the majority of tasks can be undertaken while social distancing. Once signed up, just switch to 'On Duty' on the app and you'll be able to see tasks that need doing nearby.
Oxford Together is Oxford Hub's initiative to build a community response to COVID-19. You can become a community champion and help check on those on your street who are high-risk, or become a phone champion and touch base with those who are self-isolating – sign up here.
You can also join the Oxford COVID-19 Mutual Aid Facebook group to keep up with developments and assist those in need. Outside Oxford? Find your local group through the Mutual Aid national page.
Another locally-run volunteer organisation worth being aware of is The Help Hub, a project set up with the aim of bringing people together during the COVID-19 crisis. The Help Hub has recruited volunteer therapists and counsellors and will offer 20 minute chats on Skype, FaceTime or on the telephone to those who are feeling isolated or anxious. If you're a qualified therapist and would like to volunteer, you can do so here. The Help Hub also want local community volunteers to lend a hand, mainly around Woodstock, and you can find out more about that on their their Facebook page.
For Kidlington folks, KASA Kidlington matches volunteers with those needing help or support. See their friendly facebook page if you are interested in either volunteering or would like some help, whether it's practical or social. It is a given that nearly all help efforts are organised very locally by a community getting together. This organisation is coordinated by 3 people who've never physically met.
Benson-based support organisation Style Acre help those with learning disabilities at social hubs and in supported housing. If you’re available, you can help ensure that Style Acre can continue to work at full capacity – more information on the organisation’s Facebook page.
Donations
Active Oxfordshire, together with Cyclox, Oxford City Council, Broken Spoke Bike Co-op and other partners, recently launched their Bikes For Key Workers appeal. They are aiming to raise £10,000 to provide free bikes for NHS and social care workers who can't use public transport. Secondhand bikes are donated free of charge, with funds required to cover the cost of safety checks from qualified mechanics, locks, lights, any other equipment needed, and transportation. There are non-financial ways you can help too: by donating a bike, or becoming a volunteer mechanic - email [email protected] to find out more.
Oxfordshire Domestic Abuse Services have put out an urgent request for food donations, as many of the families they support are struggling to get the provisions they need from food banks. Project Shoebox Oxford are helping with collections and their website has information about what items are suitable. If you're in quarantine or self-isolating, collections can be arranged and you can leave items outside to be picked up. You can also donate money via this Paypal link - Project Shoebox Oxford will be pooling any cash donations to buy vouchers for grocery stores so that families can get fresh produce.
The Porch have launched their COVID-19 Response Fund to support the homeless and vulnerably housed through the coronavirus crisis. The Porch are closing their day centre but need donations from the public to help them maintain daily deliveries of meals and essential toiletries as well as welfare checks and other services.
It's a difficult time for lots of people, including those working in the hospitality sector whose jobs and income are uncertain as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. TiPJAR is a not-for-profit initiative which aims to support those most in need, offering grants through charity partner Hospitality Action. You can donate to the campaign to support hospitality workers here.
How to help the places you love
With COVID-19 affecting venues across Oxford and Oxfordshire, and closures and cancellations taking their toll, now would be a good time to help out the places you love.
Fairytale Farm near Chipping Norton is beloved by many (including junior members of the Daily Info family!) as the UK's first visitor attraction that is open to all, but where disabled children come first in the design and layout. They closed on 21st March and don't know when they'll be able to reopen, so their financial future is uncertain. They have set up a crowdfunder to keep their resident animals fed in the meantime.
It’s easy to become a friend and member of theatres such as the Old Fire Station, North Wall Arts Centre, Oxford Playhouse, the Watermill Theatre, and Cornerstone Arts Centre. Each of these comes with benefits, such as discounts and the ability to book tickets, which you can all use when things return to normal. You can also donate to the Pegasus Theatre and maybe buy that special someone a lockdown gift from the Old Fire Station’s online shop, or make a direct contribution through their emergency fund. Similarly, the team at The Theatre Chipping Norton have started their Head Above Water campaign, and need your donations to continue to bring theatre and joy to the people of Chippy.
Oxford is home to a number of cinemas that screen smaller indie fare, as well as some of the best films the world has to offer. Both the Phoenix Picturehouse and the Curzon in Westgate offer memberships. But the cinema that really needs our love is the independently-owned Ultimate Picture Palace. Get a membership and prepare yourself to enjoy cinema again.
The hospitality industry will be particularly badly hit right now, so if they're not doing takeaway, why not pick your favourite eatery and buy a gift card for them, to use when things are back to some degree of normality? You will also soon be able to buy a Tap Social gift card and continue to support this amazing cause.
Venues which rely on visitors, especially in the spring, are also struggling at the moment. Oxford City Farm, a community-led charity that encourages people of all ages and backgrounds to engage with nature and food production, have launched a crowd funding campaign to cover the cost of obtaining a building from a local school, to expand their teaching space when they can re-open to drop-in visitors.
These are all fantastic venues worthy of your love and, particularly right now, support. So pick as many as you feel you can support (we all have limited finances) and help out our friends in the arts world.
Daily Info exists to help people get the most out of life in Oxford, and that remains our mission in good times and bad. We'll continue to let you know about what's going on, where you can access help and support, and what entertainments and opportunities are available for people and families who are self-isolating. Like many small businesses we'll be experiencing huge financial challenges over the coming months, and we hope to be able to stay open for business, to help our community and to showcase the best of the city we love, for as long as possible.
If you are able to, please consider supporting us via a donation. Thank you so much to the people who have already donated - it means the world to us.
DonateVolunteer to be part of research studies
A lot of things are currently unknown about COVID-19. Knowing more helps to tackled the pandemic on all sorts of levels. Here are several studies we know of currently running:
New research seeks to tackle impact of COVID-19 on children and young people’s mental health:
Research study aims to assess the community spread of COVID-19:
