THE ASSEMBLY member for North Wales has encouraged people to sign up to volunteer during the coronavirus crisis.

Mark Isherwood AM made the plea as it emerged that just 10,000 extra volunteers have registered via Volunteering Wales in March, compared to around 750,000 in England.

Proportionally, taking into account the differing sizes of population, some 37,500 more people should have signed up.

Mr Isherwood, the Shadow Minister for Communities, said: “Come on, Wales! We’re as big-hearted as our friends across the border in England and elsewhere in the United Kingdom, so all I can think is that the resistance by the Welsh Government to use a UK-wide portal to enable volunteering is the reason.”

Current government guidance is to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic, but exceptions can be made for people to leave their homes to provide care or to help a vulnerable person.

This includes volunteering to help, such as dog walkers, cooking, befrienders, delivery drivers, shoppers, collecting prescriptions, visitors to check on neighbours, and many other openings.

Mr Isherwood added: “There are many volunteering opportunities across Wales to be found on volunteering-wales.net, and so I urge anyone in Wales who can volunteer to look at what they might be able to do to help out during this crisis.”