Luton Borough Council

07/05/2021 - Essentials without stigma for those in need during coronavirus

Image showing a volunteer shopping for those in need, with the words: The pandemic has hit all of us gard financially. With LLAL funding, ASR Community has delivered thousands of vital supply packages to Lutonians in need. #ChangingLivesTogether

Case study: ASR CommUnity (Bedfordshire Coronavirus Emergency Fund)

The coronavirus pandemic has had a huge impact on people in Luton – and, in the early days, a combination of self-isolation, panic buying, hoarding and the reselling of some items at a higher cost made it even more difficult for many residents to buy the essentials they needed.

ASR CommUnity, a non-profit branch of the ASR Project in Luton, successfully applied for funding from London Luton Airport Ltd under the Bedfordshire Coronavirus Emergency Fund to deliver an anonymous portal allowing people to request, and donate, food and essentials.

Volunteers then sourced everything from eggs to hand sanitiser and PPE masks, and bought them with the money provided. These items were all donated to those who were unable to get them for themselves, either because the products were not available or because people could not afford them as they were being sold at a highly increased price.

Rana Miah, from ASR CommUnity, said: “We believe that it didn’t matter what the financial situation was that the person found themselves in, the pandemic was hitting everyone hard and everyone was affected.

“We had mothers telling us they couldn’t find nappies on the shelves, or milk, bread and eggs - basic items that had been hoarded and did not reach those that needed them. With LLAL funding, we were able to help them.

“We even delivered a bed to someone who was living in a property but didn’t have one. The LLAL funding allowed us to purchase an air bed and deliver it to them.”

The unique portal was anonymous so that people could use it without divulging who they were, which ASR CommUnity felt could otherwise put people off. The only information they obtained was enough to allow them to make contact and find out what the need was.

Rana continued: “Sometimes people in need don’t want their information to be captured, this is probably one of the reasons why people don’t always ask for help. We wanted to ensure that whatever the living or financial situation was that the person was in, they didn’t have to worry about any stigma attached to asking for help.”