Sutton Scene - Leader of the Council Column 09/04/20

Since the Hub was launched, we have delivered over 250 parcels to some of the most vulnerable people living in our borough. We'll be working hard this Bank Holiday weekend as well, preparing and delivering parcels.

The way everyone has come together to help has been wonderful. Over 3,000 people have signed up to the Sutton Coronavirus Facebook Group to offer advice, help and support to others in the community. All our voluntary sector organisations are working nonstop to provide essential services and support during this difficult time. And our hearts and grateful thanks go out to those brave heroes in the NHS who are on the front line in the battle against this terrible virus.

Sutton Council is helping the NHS by training and supporting extra staff to look after people when they are discharged from hospital and ensuring that they are cared for at home. Along with Age UK Sutton and the Sutton Carers Centre, we are working to get people out of hospital as soon as they are medically fit to do so and ensure that they get all the support they need. The Chief Executive of St.Helier Hospital is full of praise for the way we are all working together in this crisis.

Over 700 people have signed up to volunteer in the borough and many more are caring for their families, their neighbours and their friends. Others are working hard to provide essential services like public transport and refuse collections, and to keep the supermarkets and pharmacies open.

The weather is predicted to be fine this Bank Holiday weekend. If everyone behaves as sensibly as they did last weekend, then we will be able to keep our parks open so that everyone can have some daily exercise in the open air. But apart from a short walk or other exercise, please stay home and only go out if it is absolutely necessary. 

The more we stay home and contain the virus, the better our hospitals will be able to cope and the more lives will be saved.

Thank you,

Cllr Ruth Dombey, Leader of Sutton Council