Hastings HEART says huge thank you to army of volunteers who supported people during lockdown

Hastings Heart - Kim Batty and Alastair Fairley SUS-201008-122108001

The group, which sprang into action the moment lockdown was announced by the Government in March, has since been undertaking thousands of tasks for people in need throughout the area.

Working entirely for free, hundreds of volunteers have shopped for food, delivered supplies from Hastings Foodbank, transported NHS keyworkers to and from shifts at hospitals, collected medications for vulnerable people, walked dogs, sorted and distributed clothes to families in need, set up websites and researched information, and providing a lifeline to hundreds of isolated people on the telephone.

Now, in tribute to the army of selfless individuals who stepped up to help, HEART is sending out a special Certificate of Recognition to every volunteer. And – in the true spirit of mutual aid – they’re all being delivered by hand.

“The people of Hastings owe a huge debt to the hundreds of volunteers who have supported them in a time of need,” says HEART co-founder Alastair Fairley. “It’s only right we take this opportunity to thank them personally ourselves.”

HEART is changing its name and hopes to keep supporting people in need in the town going forward.

“Unfortunately, this pandemic isn’t over yet,” says Alastair. “While many of us are able to enjoy greater freedoms than before, we feel strongly there’s still a need for an organisation like ours to help people in need in our town, whether there’s a pandemic or not.”

Founded as the Hastings Emergency Action Response Team, HEART has now changed the word ‘Response’ to ‘Resilience’ in its title, reflecting its commitment to help the community rebuild stronger in the future. Now, formally registered as a not-for-profit organization, it is seeking funding to help continue its vital work going forward.

If you’d like to know more about HEART visit www.hastingsheart.com, register as a volunteer, or apply to join its Facebook Group at HastingsHEART.