Online support group steps up for shielders in Harrogate district

The organisers of an online support group for shielders across the Harrogate district say they hope more will join them following the announcement of a new lockdown.

Susie Little, who founded the Covid Co-operation Harrogate Facebook group last March, said the announcement that very vulnerable people must begin shielding again has left many feeling anxious.

She is hopeful that the smaller group, Shielders’ Support, will provide both reassurance and comfort to people who face another period of weeks at home. She said:

“The first time, it was all so new and novel, there was a sense of panic. The whole shielding thing had never been a thing before. It got attention because you suddenly realised how many people in amongst us live with these conditions and literally couldn’t leave the house.

“These words are now every-day parlance – R rate, shielding and positive rate are all so run-of-the-mill, there’s a sense that people are going to get forgotten. Everybody is so bored with it now.”

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While practical support – such as shopping and collecting prescriptions – was important during the first lockdown and will be again now, that has mostly been organised through the main Covid Co-operation group, by Susie and other volunteers.

By contrast, the shielding group is a place for members to express their feelings and frustrations, getting support and empathy from fellow shielders.

“People need to be able to post and say, ‘I’m struggling’. I’ve seen the activity in that group ramp up in the last 24 hours – they aren’t quite sure what to do, whether to re-register [as shielding] and so on.”

Although the group was set up in the Harrogate district, it includes people from around the country – though it remains relatively small, with just 130 members, after being set up in May as the first lockdown was coming to an end. Susie hopes more shielding people will get to know about it this time and turn to it for the emotional support they need to get through the coming difficult weeks.

To join the group, search for Shielders Support on Facebook.