Community group has supported thousands of people

The Around the Combe Community Group has never shied away from a challenge.

Forged in a 2014 campaign to save Millom's community hospital the volunteers continued to support their local community and in March 2020 stepped forward to help their neighbours once again when a highly infectious virus started to emerge across the world.  The Around the Combe Community Group is coordinated by Jenn Jakubowski and Jenny Brumby.

“It was really important to us to help our community during what has been such a difficult time for everyone,” says Jenny Brumby, Joint Coordinator of the Around the Combe Community Group.

“Working closely with Millom Integrated Care Community, our schools, Third Sector and other community groups, our volunteers have done a marvellous job. From delivering 4,200 hot meals and offering a befriending service to 475 elderly or vulnerable people to providing meals, hampers and vouchers to people over the Christmas period."

“The majority of our volunteers work or run their own businesses and without their dedication, we wouldn’t be able to get the Around the Combe magazine out to everyone in our community and offer them so much support, so a big thank you goes to all of our volunteers.” Jenny Brumby adds. 

The Around the Combe Community Group volunteers have also:

• delivered 4,200 hot meals
• provided 4,900 food pantry hampers
• shopped and delivered shopping to 2,200 households
• provided 1,470 Food Bank assisted packages
• carried out 410 welfare checks and 390 follow up welfare checks
• collected 1,735 prescriptions
• made 2050 phone calls to residents in Millom and Haverigg identified as vulnerable or elderly.

Volunteer Rachel Street said: “I have been one of the volunteers at the local GP surgery helping during vaccination clinics. We have stood outside in rain, wind, hail, snow and even sunshine, ensuring people know where to go and helping check-in arrivals, directing traffic and pushing wheelchairs. It has been a complete pleasure to see people coming out of the building delighted that they have been vaccinated. As a team, we have enjoyed working together and it has been wonderful to be able to make a small difference in difficult times.”

The team of volunteers has helped to raise millions of pounds for the community over the past eight years. Following its protest in 2014, the group joined forces with University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, Cumbria Partnership NHS Foundation Trust and Waterloo House GP Surgery to form the Millom Alliance. The work of the Alliance led to investment in a new £2.4million health centre that opened in the town in 2019.

Around the Combe Community Group (formally known as the Millom Action Group) has also raised approximately £50,000 which has been spent on a variety of community projects including the restoration of the clock in Millom town centre.

As well as fundraising and helping people during the pandemic, the volunteers also produce a 32-page health and wellbeing magazine ‘Around the Combe’ which is delivered by over 60 community volunteers to every home in a 20-mile radius from Broughton to Waberthwaite. The magazine has been running since 2014 to support the 13 communities around Black Combe summit including Millom which is the most isolated town in the North of England. The magazine was initially funded by Better Care Together and remains sponsored by the Bay Health and Care Partners.

What residents think

Hazel O’Malley was one of the first residents to isolate and shield from the onset of the COVID pandemic. Hazel has a Chronic Kidney Disease which makes her extremely vulnerable to infection of any kind.

Hazel said: “My medical team warned me not to go out or even have anyone in my home, making me terribly isolated. Luckily for me living in Millom meant that immediately a team was set up to help anyone within our area who needed any kind of help. It developed as time went on but initially, it meant that there was someone there to make sure I had all my needs met. I was ill for part of the lockdown period and was immediately offered a hot meal each day to ensure I was not only eating properly but also eating a well-balanced diet. They even took into consideration my dietary needs.

“Because I take life-saving medication I need regular prescriptions collecting, from the chemist, and delivering to my home. This was done (and is still being done) without any problems or fuss despite being rather a journey to collect from my particular surgery."

“I also have a dog and when I was struggling to get out because of restrictions the team organised a volunteer to come and walk him on a regular basis. I cannot tell you how helpful this was at a time when everything was so difficult. It took a lot of worries away for me," Hazel adds. 

“Any shopping I have needed, no matter if it was food, home supplies, crafts to keep me occupied, or even garden equipment, it was all done in a very professional and friendly manner."

Hazel added: “I have no idea how I would have managed without this group and even my own medical team have been astonished at the care and professionalism with which it has been carried out. Nothing is too much trouble and only a message away. It has truly been a lifesaver for me and has meant I can isolate myself without the worry of how I am going to manage. I continue to use the service and am grateful to those who had the inclination to set it up.” 

You can find out more about the Around the Combe Community Group at https://www.around-the-combe.co.uk/ or at Around the Combe on Facebook.