Help and Advice on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Here are some sources of help and advice during the coronavirus emergency:

• UK Government advice
• Guildford Borough Council
• Surrey County Council
• NHS Advice
• World Health Organisation

If you need practical help, or if you want to volunteer

If you or your family are vulnerable because you are over 70 or have poor health, or you have to self-isolate for any reason, you may need help with shopping or simply someone to chat to. Younger people who have the time may want to volunteer to help others.

Detailed local information on how to get help, or how to volunteer, can be found here. The main organisations recommended by the Borough and County Councils are:

• Voluntary Action South West Surrey (VASWS) is working with Guildford Borough Council to ensure that vulnerable people get the help they need. They are co-ordinating volunteers and linking them with those who need help.

Phone 01483 565456, or email communitypoint@vasws.org.uk or visit website here.

• Surrey County Council have set up a Community Helpline to direct you to services that can help you, or to provide advice on how you can volunteer.

Phone 0300 200 1008 (Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm) or visit website here.

Need financial help, for yourself or your business?

Guildford Borough Council is able to offer a range of help.

If you have lost your job or on reduced hours you may be able to get help paying your council tax. If you need help with rent or other living expenses, then you may qualify for Universal Credit or other state benefits.

The Borough Council is delivering a range of help for businesses as announced by government, including business rate relief and grants for business rate-payers.

For more information on how the Borough Council can help, click here.

How are council services affected?

For information about changes to Borough Council services such as refuse collection, recycling, parking and housing, click here. This page is updated regularly.

Keep safe everyone!

We recommend:

• Use official advice from NHS and WHO on Coronavirus (Covid-19).
• Ignore advice from unqualified self-proclaimed experts, for example on Facebook and other social media. They know less than the professionals and can put you at greater risk.
• Don’t panic buy, as it puts vulnerable and elderly people at greater risk. It also puts you and your family at risk, because others cannot follow advice due to lack of supplies.
• BEWARE OF SCAMS! Click here for advice from National Trading Standards. Don’t trust strangers, who may want to take advantage of you in this emergency. There are a lot of genuine volunteers wanting to help, but also a few nasty people hidden amongst them.  So be careful who you allow to help you: use friends, neighbours and family, or volunteers checked out by the organisations above.