MORE than 200 local people have stepped forward answering Marlborough Town Council’s call for community volunteers.

The town has been split into 16 different zones, each with a lead coordinator working with other volunteers to cover their neighbourhoods.

All have been issued with information packs including guidance on social distancing, washing hands, as well as latex gloves and hand sanitizer before setting out to deliver special contact cards to every household.

These cards give the name and contact details of a volunteer offering help with shopping, collecting prescriptions, walking dogs or just being available at the end of a phone. The Town Council has also set up a small emergency fund to help those in most need, is the central coordinating point.

It is fielding enquiries from those needing help locally, from others living far away and worried about elderly relatives as well as handling questions from more volunteers coming forward.

There’s liaison with the surgery, pharmacists, supermarkets, social services and care homes too, all working together to meet some inevitable challenges.

Already, parcels are being delivered to Wiltshire for onward distribution around the county and we will be ready to help out with this too.

Town Mayor, Councillor Mervyn Hall said: “We are very, very grateful to all those volunteers, including Councillors, who have come forward to help. It’s not just the Town Council, there are many local groups all working to protect our communities – LINK, Marlborough Area Poverty Action Group, Manton Residents Association and more. We are thankful too for generous contributions put forward to help make sure that our most vulnerable are looked after.”

In Marlborough, town council buildings and public spaces will remain closed until further notice. That includes public toilets, play areas and Priory Gardens.

Marlborough Common, Jubilee Field (Manton), Stonebridge Meadow and Coopers Meadow remain open unless government advice changes, except the official play areas within these spaces which remain closed.

Marlborough Cemetery remains open unless government advice changes and that a reduced service will continue, where possible, for critical work such as litter picking and bin emptying in town council-owned open spaces.

All town council meetings (including the Annual Town Meeting) have been suspended and decisions for the continued running of services and payments are being taken via legally delegated authority to the town clerk and councillors