Rural Wisdom - How the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way communities can support each other.

This change story shows how the pandemic changed the way communities can support each other as a result of the Rural Wisdom work in Wales during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

When the COVID-19 Pandemic hit the UK in March 2020, the work Rural Wisdom and its volunteers had been doing in local communities had to come to a halt. But the presence of the project and its people did not cease. The relationships Rural Wisdom and the community volunteers had created prior to the pandemic, alongside the formalising of the volunteers’ roles, ensured a high level of trust, reassurance, and continuity in their pandemic response work. This meant that people were able to receive weekly shopping, much needed medication and have someone to talk to over the phone on a regular basis.

This change in how communities can support one another, which would not have come about on this scale without the pandemic, means that Rural Wisdom has been able to continue preventing social isolation and loneliness in rural communities throughout the pandemic. The consistent, relationship based support provided in North Wales, has made a huge difference to those receiving support and built connections in communities that would not have been there otherwise.

This document is available in English and Welsh:

• Change story 2: How the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way communities can support each other – English version

• Change story 2: How the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way communities can support each other – Welsh version

If you missed the Change Story 1 from Wales, please click here.

If you would like any further information or to discuss this project and our findings please contact Victoria Mason-Angelow.