Where is the lockdown community spirit

My neighbours on one side says hello, next door on other side is empty. No-one else even smiles. I try to catch their eyes. I can’t wait for all this to be over then I’m selling up & off to Tasmania to live near my daughter. I won’t miss the 34 years I’ve lived here

I think you must live in the same village as me Kittylester!

I’ve had offers of help from neighbours, churches and the local council. You have to keep looking.

A lovely note was put through my door from a family in our road with contact details on asking me to let them know if I needed shopping or help also our village store are delivering free of charge to those who need it .

I live on a estate part of a town and I’ve had notes put through the door offering to help if I needed anything from our towns volunteers as I’m shielding, I can’t grumble which was lovely, I haven’t taken advantage of this as I have a great family and husband who will and do help if I need anything at all, I really feel for people who feel isolated

Wonderful community spirit here. Local village volunteers available if required. Most pubs and cafes, which depend on holiday trade, are offering takeaways for delivery or collection. Village grocery shop delivering. Everyone pulling together. Neighbours keeping an eye one each other. Always a good response to clapping for carers on a Thursday.

Our road is a very friendly place & we all look out for each other. I am shooing for 2 older neighbours & we do all socialise regularly. Our street party on Saturday was great although we all stayed in our own gardens.
I must say though that one of the people I shop for moans every time about what I get him his order. I do my best but he wants all organic & the shops just do not have much.
I keep smiling.

Not everyone is so mean-spirited. My Son lives on a cul-de-sac and is shopping for four of his elderly neighbours

Our next door neighbour has brought us some unasked for goodies from his weekly shopping trip (we have been lucky enough to get slots with a supermarket) a note came through from a local group set up by the county council to ask if we needed help, and all this for a couple who don't have health problems but are just past seventy. Lucky us - we do live in a friendly small market town. I think you have hit the nail on the head, Carly.

Just a PR stunt to boost morale.

I've started a weekly village magazine to keep people informed and entertained. It's up to 18 pages now... a pot pourri of virus info... who to contact for help... which shops and restaurants are doing deliveries.. and joyful pieces on village news, lots of pictures of blossom, lambs, memory lane stuff. We've discovered such talent - for art and poetry. We also do quizzes and competitions. Even people's families are joining in - says it makes them feel close to their loved ones in the village. All done electronically - with hard copies for those without computers.

What has struck me about lockdown is that our experience of it usually (not always I know) reflects our lives before it. So those who already live in a friendly community, have good neighbours, and at least some kind of support network (whether that is a church, voluntary group, family, friends, etc) seem to do okay. I think it highlights where the "gaps" are in our lives, and maybe gives us the opportunity to do something about it in the future (if we are able to).

Ireland supplied free stamped postcards to each household. Such a lovely thing for householders to ask for help or just thank someone.

We live in a London suburb. Neighbours and friends have offered to shop for us. We have had phone calls offering help from the GP surgery and local synagogue. There is an independent community group organised and also a lively WhatsAp group where you can ask for help and we share tips about shopping. However, I think if you need help you shouldn’t be too proud or shy to ask for it. I have a younger friend up North who has hurt her knee And can’t walk and has been surprised at the offers of help she has received once she swallowed her pride and asked for help.

NO. I live in London and there is plenty of community spirit here.......its a myth that London doesnt help neighbours it is the friendliest place I have lived. A myth put about by country people I fear.

We live in a very friendly road - and it always is. My OH has been shopping for an elderly neighbour and another who is ill, but we already knew these people and so knew who might be vulnerable. Don't forget that young families will be dealing with having to educate and entertain their children - our next door neighbours are only in their 30's but clearly exhausted; plus others will be self-isolating also due to illnesses that are not necessarily visible (another neighbour who looks perfectly well and is in her 50's, for example, is on immunosuppressant drugs so is self-isolating with her husband). I wonder how well your SIL knows her neighbours anyway - is she a friendly person? Is she able to go out? Unless her neighbours already know her, they will not feel able to knock on her door (I would think) and so it is up to her to ask for help if she needs it.

I am over 80, immediate neighbours are aware that my dh died just before Christmas, noone has contacted me to see if I need any help...save, see just below. car parked in front garden, that is how these houses were planned, so they know I am not going out.
my immediate neighbour did tell me to put a note on his dustbin if I needed anything, but when we see each other he barely speaks, after I have said GM or whatever, and rushes away.. couple of doors away, elderly lady has visitors and she will shout across to me, (perhaps 2/3 times) but doesn`t ask if I am o.k. or whatever..
so small close,, not a comforting community, no clapping, whatever we think of that, and nothing about VE..
ho hum... such is life..

Yes Kitty we also have facebook and WhatsApp village groups where a lot of information is exchanged. And information is sent out by email. However the 5 or so households without email or computers do have paper copies put in their doors and have been given a phone number Which most have used to ask for prescription pick ups etc. We have tried to think of everyone. (DH was instrumental, with others, in setting this up.)

I agree it’s easier to get a community spirit going in a small village. We are pretty rural in a tiny village with no shops, but a network has been set up with volunteers willing to do shopping or pick up prescriptions. Everyone has a number to phone for help and there are also deliveries from lots of local shops - butchers, grocers etc. The milkman delivers other items as well as milk and local farms are selling eggs or meat. There is also a weekly visit from a fish and chip van which is very popular at the moment! Some of the most elderly & vulnerable are also regularly being phoned. Its been wonderful to see the community spirit coming together.

Absolutely no help offered or communication from anyone, took us five weeks to get some food delivered.
DS and DIL were going to have to break lockdown to bring us some essential when we managed to get a delivery at 11pm one night.
When this is over I will not be taking in parcels for the young neighbour, prior to lockdown she had several parcels a week. The neighbour was never at home and can't have been in great need of the goods because she didn't collect them for days.
I see this young woman pass the window each day but averts her eyes.

I do think that people not on the internet might miss out.

I think there is sometimes a danger of people thinking hat others are ok when they may not be. Having said that all of our neighbours are lovely. There is plenty of help available locally but you do need to be on Facebook etc. to see it.

We've had nothing through the door, and no one has knocked to see if we need help - but the local magazine published numbers to ring if you wanted help and all the local food shops are delivering. The bread shop is now delivering milk too and the butchers will pop into Tesco if you need a couple of things added to your meat order. Can't complain.

Kittylester We could be living in the same village....

Masses of the same support here , including a hardship fund set up with a very healthy donation pot that is rising daily .

He has more treats in than me I’ll be doing it for weeks thing is I pay up front two weeks at a time. ?So maybe they don’t want to get too involved