Coronavirus emergency response unit and £1m fund set up in Derbyshire

Derbyshire County Council Leader Councillor Barry Lewis announced the new response unit and the fund today (March 18), saying it will bring agencies and volunteers across the county together as they tackle the infection and its effects.

The Covid-19 Community Response Unit will be led by public health and emergency planning officers, supported by other council teams including social care and linking in with the Local Resilience Forum.

The unit will work to bring together other Derbyshire councils and agencies including the voluntary sector, so they can all work more effectively to help support people across the county who are experiencing hardship related to the virus.

Councillor Lewis said: “We have obviously been working closely with other agencies since the first case of coronavirus was confirmed in the county, but this formalises these partnerships and will bring more agencies, including voluntary groups, into the fold.

“A cross-community response is what is needed now, to ensure our communities are as resilient as possible. It’s what people are looking to us to do and what we need to do.

“These efforts will be supported by the initial £1m that we’ve agreed to make available to support our vulnerable residents, families in need and to help businesses. The money we’re making available is very likely to need to rise over the coming weeks, depending on how badly Derbyshire is affected by the virus.

“That’s why we wholeheartedly welcomed the move by the Government to create a £500m hardship fund which was announced in last week’s Budget, which will be available for local authorities to tap in to.”

Councillor Lewis added: “There is no doubt that this is going to affect many of our residents personally, and it will also have a detrimental effect on local businesses, particularly small and independent traders, but we want people to know that support is available to help them get through the outbreak, whether it’s advice and information or financial support.”