HUNDREDS of people have offered their services as volunteers for a Wrexham organisation.

The Leader recently reported on an urgent call by AVOW (Association of Voluntary Organisations in Wrexham) for more volunteers amid the coronavirus crisis.

And the people of Wrexham have not disappointed, with over 350 people recruited to help co-ordinate the response to the outbreak - such as support staff delivering front line services and community befriending.

The Leader:

If the predicted rise in cases and people having to self-isolate becomes reality in the next few weeks many support services will be under considerable pressure to carry on operating as staff are affected.

But AVOW now has volunteers in all 106 postcode areas of Wrexham.

John Gallanders, chief officer of AVOW, said: "I just want to say a huge thanks to everyone who's offered to volunteer with us and is doing so on a street level.

"Without their help vulnerable people would have and would continue to face a much more uncertain few weeks."

One scheme has seen volunteers in the Plas Madoc estate make benches for people who are self-isolating.

The Leader:

Mr Gallanders said: "A lot of people want to sit out in their garden during self-isolation and social distancing, but don't have available provisions to do so.

"That's why our volunteers - with the help of a lot of local businesses who have supplied wood and timber - are making benches for them.

"They're also donating flower troughs so people can grow flower beds to help keep them occupied during self-isolation."

The Leader:

And while Mr Gallanders says he never expected to have a volunteer in every postcode area of Wrexham, he believes more are still required.

He said: "The current projection is that 30 per cent of the 350 volunteers will themselves have to self-isolate at some point, so really we need more than would appear enough to fill that gap."

The majority of volunteers are delivering food, collecting prescriptions and taking people to GP and hospital appointments - but Mr Gallanders admits volunteers will be tasked with whatever service is needed.

He said: "We have volunteers acting as car park marshals and the like - whatever support the local authority needs to run services we will try and help."