MORE than 200 people in West Oxfordshire benefitted from a response hub set up during the pandemic.

West Oxfordshire District Council set up the hub to help residents access help they needed when they were not sure where to turn.

The council will continue to offer this service to support residents until at least April 2023 when funding will be reassessed. 

Since April 2021, the service has dealt with more than 204 requests for assistance, made 136 food bank referrals and 1032 calls to offer support to those self-isolating due to the pandemic.

READ MORE: Witney and West Oxfordshire Food Bank in need of donations

Cllr Joy Aitman, cabinet member for stronger healthy communities, said “The pandemic has been so hard for many people. It may feel like it is over, but for many Covid has continued to cause issues on top of the two years where many people really struggled.

“I am so glad that the Council has been able to support people when life has been more difficult than usual and the service we continue to provide is crucial as we recover from the pandemic.

“The case studies below just show the level of support provided by workers in our response hub, alongside all the fantastic work delivered by key workers across the NHS and across local government which we can’t forget.”

If you are struggling and not sure where to go for help, you can contact the response hub at Community.Support@westoxon.gov.uk, or 01993 861077.

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This story was written by Anna Colivicchi, she joined the team this year and covers health stories for the Oxfordshire papers. 

Get in touch with her by emailing: Anna.colivicchi@newsquest.co.uk

Follow her on Twitter @AnnaColivicchi