Ron Short Centre’s grocery deliveries going well

The service is for people who cannot leave their homes because of disability or illness or have nobody else who can do their shopping for them. It is also open to staff of the emergency services.

The Channel Islands Co-op sponsors the bus which the centre usually uses for shopping trips but these have been suspended since the lockdown came in to force. All shopping will be supplied through the Co-op.

‘Providing I get their order before 4pm, people should have their shopping delivered the next day,’ said the centre’s Tony Corbin.

People should email their order to Mr Corbin at tcontherock@gmail.com along with their name, address, telephone number, and Co-op share number if they have one. He will input the order in to the Co-op’s central system in Jersey.

‘When the order is ready, the Co-op will then phone the person, tell them how much it is, and take payment by card,’ said Mr Corbin.

He is one of four volunteers from the centre – Keith Priaulx, Kim Bell and Rob Harnish are the others – who will deliver any food that the Co-op might have difficulty doing at peak times.

‘We have the island divided into four parts and we look after one section each,’ said Mr Corbin.

‘When we get to the person’s home we will always telephone them to say that we’re there and we would never leave the food outside without their knowledge.’

While the team sometimes use their own vehicles for delivery, they also use the RSC mini bus as well.

‘When it comes to people in the emergency services, we can deliver at times, say in the evening, to fit in with the best time for them,’ said Mr Corbin.

Emergency services staff would undoubtedly be under pressure at the moment and removing their need to go shopping was intended to give them some help.

The service had been well received and on some days had delivered shopping to 20 people in addition to what the Co-op was doing itself from telephone orders.