Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, Rotary Clubs worldwide have been working to support their local communities. In Waverley, the clubs in Farnham, Cranleigh, Haslemere and Godalming have been delivering donations to food banks, making scrubs and facemasks and doing whatever we can to help ensure the safety and wellbeing of the most vulnerable in our communities.

We are however, very concerned that job losses and economic hardship will continue to affect local people, long after the immediate health impacts of the pandemic are addressed.

Godalming Rotary Clubs, together with Citizens Advice Waverley, have therefore set up Rotary's Waverley Covid Support Fund to ensure consistent support and advice is available to all those in need in the Waverley Borough Council area.

Our aims are to:

Raise funds from those in the community who are willing and able to help support others in their time of need.

Provide support to all residents, particularly those in areas not covered by other Waverley based funds, and to supplement other funds where required.

Provide advice to those in need. This will be delivered by Citizens Advice Waverley (see the case study below) who will help us ensure that in addition to financial aid, tailored practical help is given to those most in need, so that people are supported to make best use of the financial help provided.

We are cooperating with other funds in the Waverley area and these include: Farnham Coronavirus Support Fund, Cranleigh Community Fund, Cranleigh and District Lions Club, Busbridge and Hambledon Church Family Support Fund, Henry Smith (Godalming) Charity.

For more information about the fund or to make an application go to: https://www.rotaryc19fund.org/

Citizens Advice Waverley Case study

When lockdown began there was a dramatic change in the employment status of millions of people and huge numbers have been put on furlough.

John* telephoned our Adviceline as he had been put on furlough after 19 years of stable employment. This in itself was a stressful period but we explored with John to check that he had claimed any benefits he was entitled to and that he had not incurred any debt. This was all positive but John's worry was that his workplace was soon due to reopen but he did not feel safe returning to work.

He is nearing retirement and has a health condition that means he is waiting for an operation which was delayed and he also has to use public transport to get to work. He does not feel safe in returning to work in the near future and he wanted to know what choices he had.

We were able to talk though with John all the possible options so he understood what the law was... We gave him links to various reputable websites which meant he could read all the information in his own time and helped John identify a template letter to write to his employer expressing his concern that it was unsafe. We later received an email from John expressing his thanks "Thank you so, so much, those links were brilliant. I know a lot more now, hopefully things will turn out for the best". *not real name.