BOROUGH, town and parish councils within West Devon have united in the community response to support people during the coronovirus outbreak.

In an urgent response to the epidemic, working behind the scenes with local groups and councils, the newly formed Community Response Team set up by West Devon Borough Council has been mobilised this week to ensure that there is additional support available for local communities.

West Devon has been divided into six cluster groups, with each cluster being assigned dedicated officers.  These officers will be working closely with each cluster’s local borough council ward members, who will be instrumental in supporting their local communities.Working cohesively with local town and parish councils and the volunteer groups already on the ground, this unified approach will ensure there is comprehensive support in each area of the borough.

As an example of one of the groups which West Devon Borough Council is helping to support is Tavistock Locals Help. The organisation was formed by a group of West Devon borough councillors, Tavistock town councillors and concerned citizens of Tavistock.

Cllr Neil Jory, leader of West Borough Council, said: ‘I’m so proud of my West Devon borough councillors who have all worked exceptionally hard to support their communities. We’re in this for the long haul and everyone working together for the common good is exactly where we all want to be. Thank you to everyone for pulling together.’

If you are looking for community support or you are a group not registered with the borough council, please register your details on their website at www.westdevon.gov.uk

Tavistock Locals Helps has responded to 357 requests for help to date and has 165 volunteers on its books. (Call 0800 046 5531). Most of these requests involve shopping and delivery runs for essential groceries and medicines but some pet care and other support services have been provided. In Okehampton the Okehampton Coronavirus — Covis 19 community support group is helping hundreds of people. (Call 07707 565612).