VOLUNTEERS at Poole's Turlin Moor estate have been out delivering homemade leaflets to every home in the area - in a bid to reassure isolated residents they are not alone.

Ann Khambatta, who has worked on the estate as a community worker since 2016, decided to act as the coronavirus crisis started to gather pace.

She told the Daily Echo: "When this all started to kick off, we felt we couldn't just do nothing. We know we have a number of isolated people here – elderly people, people with underlying health conditions, young carers and their families.

"All in all we thought this could be a community where fear and anxiety may be high, and, therefore, need must be high."

So with support from the Adam Practice GP surgery, St Michael's Church and Pioneer Minister Lucy Bolster, Poole Covid19 Community Support Group and others, they designed a leaflet with contacts to help ease residents' concerns.

Ann said: "It has as many contacts as possible for emotional and spiritual support, but also practical support as well – online and by phone or other ways.

"We felt it was really important to have phone numbers on there so people could reach out.

"We wanted to send a message saying 'we know you are out there. You are not alone, we are a community together.'

"There is something like 1,500 flats and houses on Turlin Moor, so it felt like we would be able to get a leaflet to every singe one of them."

And on Friday, a team of around 20 volunteers met up and started putting that plan into action.

The leaflet is simply called Turlin Moor's Good Neighbour Response.

Ann, speaking ahead of the weekend, said: "The aim is that by the end of play of Saturday we would have covered the whole of Turlin Moor, then I can relax on the sofa for a bit."

The leaflets will also be delivered to local nurseries, shops and takeaways.

"That way if for any reason you miss it, some people may not realise what they are and throw them out, there will be other ones available as well," she said.