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A short thread on why charities and local government are vital and important, and where they are working mores swiftly and effectively than large companies and central government in some cases.
Have been trying to organise another food delivery for my folks. No slots available for the forseeable (they're fine, we've put other plans in place).
When I finally get through to customer service departments I am referred to the vulnerable persons scheme continuously. When I ask about this I'm told it won't be in action until April 8th at the earliest and until then, people have to rely on friends and relatives.
From reading news articles, I think April 8th is unlikely. Many supermarkets are yet to receive data on who the vulnerable people are. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/consumer-affairs/vulnerable-person-do-get-priority-home-delivery/
Was advised by another supermarket to register my parents on their website. Tried to do so, but their email address isn't registered with that organisation who are basing their data off of their loyalty card scheme and say they have emailed/texted customers.
The most vulnerable and elderly, those most in need, are unlikely to have registered their email address (if they have one) or their mobile phone number (if they have one)
The current infrastructure is based on data and lists, but currently their data is incomplete at best and their thinking is not through user needs and behaviours. It is the classic problem of our age and is so often forgotten by the technological and free-market response.
On other hand, local government is doing amazing work. Understanding need, getting ahead of it, planning and responding.
For example this amazing work from @pdbrewer and team at Adur and Worthing (how I wish my folks hadn't moved from Shoreham-by-sea) https://twitter.com/pdbrewer/status/1245831582943854592?s=20
For example this amazing work from @pdbrewer and team at Adur and Worthing (how I wish my folks hadn't moved from Shoreham-by-sea) https://twitter.com/pdbrewer/status/1245831582943854592?s=20
Or this piece of work from @Healthiapps and team in Blackburn with Darwen https://twitter.com/Healthiapps/status/1245953143533420544?s=20
There is the inventive collaboration between AgeUK and Camden (sorry, can't find a link to that at the moment, but will add it to the end) /cc @FutureGov
@MindCharity and others are stepping up work incredibly fast, despite experiencing huge losses I'm sure from their inability to run their shops https://twitter.com/gavin_atkins/status/1246006295049785346?s=20
Along with other inspirational charities such as @actnforchildren https://twitter.com/digitalynn/status/1245723844100448258?s=20
And at this time, the funding situation is horrific. Major charities like @stjohnambulance who are dear to my heart as I volunteered for them through teenage years are in dire financial straights, as tirelessly pointed out by @karlwilding (
Karl) https://twitter.com/karlwilding/status/1246734433203486721?s=20
Karl) https://twitter.com/karlwilding/status/1246734433203486721?s=20
To quote the brilliant @hondanhon from another time
"No one's coming. It's up to us" https://medium.com/@hondanhon/no-ones-coming-it-s-up-to-us-de8d9442d0d
"No one's coming. It's up to us" https://medium.com/@hondanhon/no-ones-coming-it-s-up-to-us-de8d9442d0d
Don't wait for central government to fix this, there are brilliant people there, many of them friends, but time is short.
Don't count on big business to scale up.
Find ways to help charities now, be it financial, be it volunteering
Don't count on big business to scale up.
Find ways to help charities now, be it financial, be it volunteering
If you want to help on the work we're doing at @wethecatalysts please message me, my DMs are open https://medium.com/wethecatalysts/catalyst-covid-19-strategy-building-a-scalable-system-for-a-sector-wide-digital-response-e8ac755d9e56
Onwards. Together. All of us.
Now to put on some loud techno music and write more code.
Out/
Now to put on some loud techno music and write more code.
Out/
