COVID-19: do’s and don’ts if you are thinking of volunteering

We’ve had an overwhleming response from the community in response to COVID-19. Hundreds of you have come forward to register to volunteer to help support and protect the people in our community who are most at-risk. We’ve like to first of all thank you for your support and selflessness at this difficult time, but we’d also like to highlight some do’s and don’t if you are thinking of volunteering at this time.

Volunteer Scotland has produced a guide of what to consider if you are volunteering or thinking of volunteering during COVID-19, which can be found here.

Some general points:

1. Ensure you wash your hands frequently, regularly and thoroughly with an alcohol-based hand rub, or wash them with soap and water.
2. Follow latest government advice and stay at least 2 metre (3 steps) away from other people.
3. Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
4. Follow good respiratory hygiene – this means covering your mouth and nose with your bent elbow or tissue when you cough or sneeze. Then dispose of the used tissue immediately.
5. Be clear on when to self-isolate. This advice is based on that provided by Health Protection Scotland and NHS inform and was updated on 17/03/20. If you have a recent onset of the following symptoms, you must self-isolate for 7 days from when your symptoms started
   •  A new, continuous cough, and / or
   • High temperature

If you live in a household with someone who shows any of the above symptoms, you should stay at home for 14 days from the day the illness began in the first person to become ill. If you then develop symptoms within the 14 days, you should stay at home for 7 days from when your symptoms begin even if this takes you over the 14-day isolation period.

If you have already committed to volunteer with an organisation and later feel like you are unable to fulfil your duties, please let your volunteering coordinator / point of contact know.

If you haven’t already registered to volunteer but would like to do so, please visit our registration page.