TOWNS and villages across the Herald area have mobilised extraordinary community-led relief efforts to support those most affected by the coronavirus pandemic in recent months.

But thanks to the foresight of a committed group of villagers, Crondall’s efforts got off to an even earlier start than most.

A week before the lockdown was announced, Izzy Harrison-Butler and vicar Rev Tara Helling decided to get ahead and make a start on putting a community support group in place should the inevitable happen.

With the support of Chris Dorn from Crondall Parish Council, Tony Hopkins from The Village Pump and Mark Tyrell from Crondall New Surgery, this was put into action.

Izzy is now co-ordinating 70 volunteers, all residents in Crondall, ten of whom are team and vice-team leaders.

Volunteers work on a week-on, week-off schedule and rotate; the on-call team leader that week having the hotline phone and feeding tasks through to their smaller team.

“So if the residents of Crondall need anything – from prescriptions, to shopping or a friendly chat – we can allocate a volunteer to support them. This is working really well,” said Izzy.

Every other week volunteers and residents of Crondall come together to bake for NHS key workers who live in the village, as well as Crondall Surgery, Clare Park Hospital, Crondall primary and pre-schools, and recently further afield to Farnham fire station and Aldershot police station.

The Village Pump, organised by Tony Hopkins and Monica Cheeseman, organise meals for more than 96 elderly in the village, cooked by Charlie Turnbull and his team at village pub The Hampshire Arms.

Volunteers have also started baking treats to send out with these food deliveries, and for VE Day, Monica made cream teas to go with the hot meal and cakes.

Rev Tara Hellings has also set up a food bank fund, which residents in the village have kindly donated to. This is used to buy food boxes each week for those who need a little extra support.

And on Good Friday, local musician James Deane performed a roof-top gig for neighbours and residents, streaming the impromptu concert on Facebook Live. He raised £579 for the Frimley Health Charity.

As well as the cream teas, on VE Day, Izzy, joined by Helen and Chris Dyne, Mark Henley, Ahmed Abdeldayem and Cedric Gonzalez, organised a float decked out with bunting, gramophones playing wartime tunes, Churchill’s speech and God Save the Queen, while dressed in 1940s costume and social distancing all the time.

Mark pulled the float in his Land Rover while Ahmed and Cedric wound up the gramophones. The rest of the team on foot followed the float waving flags and collecting money.

“It was so lovely to see smiles on people’s faces as they stood at their gates and we went past,” said Izzy. “All though we couldn’t all be physically together, I think for some people just seeing other from a far cheered them up and boosted morale.”

The float went around the village for more than three hours.

Izzy added: “We initially started a Just Giving page with a target of £400, with those who donated going into a draw to win a 1935 gramophone as first prize and a boxed handmade glass poppy, by glass artist Helen Dyne.

“This final figure has now reached £1,633 for The Motor Neurone Disease Association. Thank you to all who donated and supported this. The team had a fabulous day making and parading with the float and hope the residents enjoyed it, too.”

Last, but not least, the village has also teamed up with the BP Garage on the Odiham Road to redistribute unsold food to those struggling to feed themselves.

“Every evening they donate their reduced M&S food,” said Izzy. “This is then distributed to key workers in our village.

“So far I have delivered to more than 70 families since lockdown.”

And not just that, but just for fun, every Thursday in support of the NHS, Izzy and the BP staff dress up to bring yet another smile to villagers’ faces.