Lincolnshire Co-op offers vouchers to help people isolating

Vouchers are being offered by Lincolnshire Co-op to help friends and relatives to go shopping for isolated residents.

According to the Co-op, the vouchers are ordered over the phone. They are then sent out by recorded first class post and delivered to a chosen address and can then be used as payment in Lincolnshire Co-op food stores.

So, if someone is isolating and needs essentials picked up, they can buy a voucher to give or send to a friend, family member or volunteer to spend on shopping on their behalf.

The idea is to save people having to hand over a bank card to someone else or worry about how much cash they have.

It is part of Lincolnshire Co-op's programme of community support during the Coronavirus outbreak - which includes pairing up food stores and pharmacies with a voluntary group in the area which is supporting vulnerable people nearby. The full list of groups can be found at www.lincolnshire.coop/covid19communitygroupsCommunity Manager Sam Turner said: "Many of the community groups we’re working with have highlighted the issue of payment. Many people, particularly older people, are running out of cash and understandably, don't want to handover their bank cards.

"Having a simple central phone order point makes the scheme accessible to all - especially if someone isn't online - and it also ensures that our food stores don't have extra workload at this extremely busy time."

The vouchers can be spent on any products, with no restrictions, and change will be given.

To buy vouchers, call Lincolnshire Co-op's Community Team on 01522 544 632, from Monday to Friday 9am – 3pm.