Support during COVID-19

Support in the Community

• Coping with separation, isolation and loss: MK Council is working with Willen Hospice to offer a support service for families with loved ones in care homes and residential homes during the Covid-19 pandemic. The service aims to provide people with emotional support to help them cope with being separated from their loved ones due to safety restrictions. Find out more

• Age UK Milton Keynes are offering an emergency shopping and prescription collection service to residents of Milton Keynes aged over 70 who do not have existing support. To access this support call 01908 550700.  Find out more. 
• Food bank Xtra is specifically for people who receive benefits, free school meals for their children, who are in severe debt or crisis, are unemployed, homeless, or at risk of homelessness and other similar vulnerable situations. If you need help from Food Bank Xtra there’s a new number to contact. Text HELP to 07710 385785 and you’ll get a call back. Find out more. 
• Milton Keynes Hindu Association: Are you, or do know anyone, over 65 and in self isolation due to Covid-19? If anyone needs help with grocery shopping, prescription / medicine collection, posting letters or need any advice please contact our team at MKHA on 0300 365 1008 or email: covid_support@mkha.org.

• The British Red Cross: The BRC Refugee Support Service works to relieve the effects of destitution, giving people information about their rights and helping them access support. In the current circumstances we have adapted to provide this support by phone and Zoom, focusing on delivering complex casework remotely.  Our current casework priority is to explore entitlement and access to accommodation, to allow individuals to keep themselves safe. We are also working with our partners to deliver emergency parcels of food/toiletries to our most vulnerable clients. If you know anyone locally who may need our support, call our helpline 0300 333 5393 or email tvrefugeesupport@redcross.org.uk.

• Milton Keynes University Hospital has launched a New Cancer Centre Help Line for patients to use regarding questions and queries about Cancer Services and concerns regarding Covid-19 and how it impacts their appointments or treatment. The helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. The number is: 01908 997634.
• Silver Line is a free confidential helpline providing information, friendship and advice to older people, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Call 0800 470 80 90. Find out more. 
• Dementia Information Service: If you have dementia or are a carer for someone with dementia please get in touch with the Dementia Information Service on 01908 669404 or 07784224494 or dementiainformation.service@nhs.net. They are available to provide any support and guidance you may need.
• Maternity Announcement: If you have questions related specifically to COVID-19, please use the dedicated Maternity COVID-19 telephone line by calling 07817 825264. Find out more. 
• Wolverton and Greenleys Parish Council are working in partnership with a local voluntary group to provide essential items to those who are vulnerable and in a high risk group. This covers Wolverton, Greenleys, Hodge Lea, Stacey Bushes, Wolverton Mill, Old Wolverton and Stonebridge. Find out more. 
• Carers MK: We are now carrying out support groups, activities, training, workshops and counselling virtually or via the telephone. Carers can still contact Carers MK during the operational hours of 9-5 Monday – Friday, for information, advice and guidance.

• Access Ambassadors are supporting vulnerable sign language users who are profoundly deaf, over 70 and/or have underlying conditions that put them in the at-risk category, and live alone and do not have family members close by. To access this support email info@access-ambassadors.co.uk or call 07792 456691.

• Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council is helping the Water Eaton Church Centre to provide emergency food packs for those in need in Bletchley and Fenny Stratford including in the Lakes and Newton Leys. The food is free, it comes from supermarkets and it will be delivered weekly to the doorstep of the recipient by volunteers observing safe social distancing. To refer somebody please email their name, address and contact number to larder@bletchleyfennystratford-tc.gov.uk. If you have any questions, you can leave a voicemail on 01908 645021 and we will get back to you.

Looking after your mental wellbeing

For a list of national mental health helplines, click here. 

A resources and apps information sheet has been compiled by BLMK Clinical Commissioning Groups to bring together resources and phone apps that may be useful to maintain mental wellbeing during the Covid-19 crisis and beyond.  These resources are free to use unless otherwise stated.  Phone apps are available for both Android and IOS (Apple) operating systems unless otherwise stated. 

Find out More

Public Health have put together a resource for Milton Keynes with key information about how to keep on top of your mental wellbeing during times of uncertainty, links to advice and information from other organisations, and useful local contacts.

Find out more 

Other useful websites: 

• Talking Therapies: Talking Therapies can help people with depression and low mood, generalized anxiety disorder, fear or phobias, worry, physical health anxiety, PTSD, OCD and insomnia. CNWL have launched a new and easier to use website with added benefits. For more information, and to self-refer, click here.

• Men's Minds Matter have created the Men's Minds Matter: Coronavirus Survival Guide

• CNWL has published a “Stay well at home isolation pack” to help people maintain good mental health during the Coronavirus pandemic. The pack includes lots of helpful resources to help you develop some skills and methods to cope with these distressing feelings. Please contact us if you need this resource as a word document instead of a PDF.

• Anna Freud: Supporting Young People's mental health during periods of disruption
• Kooth offers free and anonymous online counselling and emotional wellbeing support to every child or young person between 11 and 19 in Milton Keynes.
• Clic is a free online community here to support everyone with their mental health. You can join today to connect with others for mutual support, share your thoughts and find helpful information. Clic is moderated 24 hours a day.
• Sleepio is an online sleep improvement programme, proven to help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep through the night, and give you more energy during the day.

Physical Activity

• The Chartered Institute of Physiotherapy (CSP) has released resources to help patients who are on the mend from Covid-19. These are intended to help people regain their enegy, increase their fitness and return to a normal routine after Covid-19.

• Have a look at the NHS Fitness Studio which is packed full of tips and videos.
• Connect Health provides a first tier physiotherapy service in Milton Keynes.  Their website has section that patients can access to help them get information on how to manage many musculoskeletal conditions.

Please note: The information above was correct at the time of publishing. We are aware that changes are happening quickly, and will update the page when we receive further information. The support listed above is not an exhaustive list of all the support available. Please contact us if you have more information that could be added to this page.