A community support group is recruiting volunteers to help comfort hundreds of elderly and vulnerable people during the coronavirus outbreak.

Siobhan Burleigh, from North Watford, founded the Watford & Bushey Covid-19 Mutual Aid group on Monday (March 16) in an effort to find as many possible volunteers to provide support for the elderly, vulnerable or people self-isolating in the Covid-19 pandemic.

This is part of a nation-wide effort for Covid-19 Mutual Aid groups across the UK to help people with food supplies, necessary tasks or even as a form of socialisation.

Miss Burleigh says she founded the group as she saw “a gap that needed to be filled” in a current climate where “people don’t know what to expect”.

She hopes to transform the group into an essential network to help people in need during the outbreak.

Tasks will involve offering phone calls to people in self isolation, providing a delivery service for goods and essentials and could expand with more services.

The group is relying on donations of foods and other essentials from the public so there are enough items to deliver.

Miss Burleigh says that despite supermarkets issuing limits of three purchases per item to combat panic buyers, managers have arranged a deal to increase the maximum limit for her so that the items can go towards people in need.

The group has also signed a partnership agreement with the Watford & Three Rivers Trust as project under their charity umbrella, to ensure there are relevant safeguarding checks so everything runs smoothly with both volunteers and the people they are helping.

This isn’t the first time Miss Burleigh was involved in charitable work, as she previously founded the Herts for Refugees charity around 2014 to help refugees coming into the county.

But her efforts now is mainly out of a growing concern for the elderly and those that cannot care for themselves.

She explained: “I saw a picture of an elderly lady stood in an empty aisle, and it made me realise the severity of what is going on right now.

“It infuriated me just looking at it and I had to do something.”

As a result, she decided to help such people who are now struggling.

Pupils from Laurence Haines School on Vicarage Road are contributing to the project with hand drawn images to lift spirits to those self-isolating.

Many other agencies across Hertfordshire are also contributing to the group.

She said: “With there being care agency staff going off sick, it’s about getting these care packages in place and finding out how we can help.

“But what I’ve noticed, is that it’s the people that are personally saying they are prepared to support us, are the ones who don’t have enough themselves.

“They’re willing to help out in this time for those even less fortunate.”

She adds that she will continue this service for as long as it needs to be.

While the group just started, Miss Burleigh is already planning how to expand the group, by offering a phone line for people self-isolating and is open to accepting more ideas from volunteers.

With over 400 members in less than a week, Miss Burleigh hopes she can invoke meaningful change and have the help of even more people.

She said: “Someone said that they would like to help, but they’re in self-isolation themselves so they can’t.

“But I said just sign up anyway, there is plenty to do even at home, and you shouldn’t be restricted.”

To sign up as a volunteer, visit the Watford & Bushey Covid-19 Mutual Aid Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/watfordcovid19/