SELFLESS people across North Ayrshire have vowed to help the fight against coronavirus, as it continues to spread.

North Ayrshire Council have launched a new community initiative in a bid to help people impacted by the virus.

They aim to create a support network across all six localities in North Ayrshire to tackle issues that people may face.

Audrey Sutton Director of Communities at North Ayrshire Council confirmed that the council are putting plans in place to help out.

And she pledged that community support will also be able to benefit from funding if required.

In a post she said: “We at North Ayrshire Council would like to hear from any groups who are organising local support mechanisms for the impact of coronavirus. We will do all we can to provide relevant practical support, including some funding if required.”

In Stevenston, one store is stepping in to help locals by launching a delivery service.

The post office shop has fast-tracked plans to start taking essentials to people’s door to protect vulnerable people or those who have to self-isolate. They have already helped a man who is self-isolating to protect himself as he recovers from surgery. His wife contacted the store to ask if they could deliver which they agreed to.

Owner Manpreet Bawa insists he is fully stocked on supplies except on hand sanitiser which he says is currently a four to six week wait to get back in.

He said: “We are doing this to help out the local community as much as we can. We always wanted to do something like this, but the current crisis prompted us to bring it forward to help out older people or anyone who isn’t able to get out the house.”

“We just want to get out there to protect the most vulnerable in the community.”

A Saltcoats cafe has also launched a delivery service, with a team of volunteer drivers ready to help.

Café at the Station want to spread love, not disease and have established a text service to help residents who become trapped in their own homes due to the virus.

A Facebook post from the café read: “We will be staying open for as long as possible and will do everything we can to support the local community.

“We have volunteer drivers who will help us to deliver emergency provisions to those who are self-isolating and have nowhere else to turn to.”

“Furthermore, we have volunteers who can chat or pray with you over the phone if you find yourself socially isolated.”

The council want to reach out to the selfless individuals and groups who are planning to provide support to the most vulnerable residents, as the number of cases of COVID-19 continues to rise.

A spokesperson for North Ayrshire Council said: “There are a number of community groups currently being set up in. We are gathering information on these so that they can be integrated into an overall community support network and key hubs will be established in communities.

“Our early actions include establishing locality leads and contacts with local resilience partners which include community associations, community councils and community responders.

“We have also identified a community information lead who will circulate information to the key community hubs in each of our six localities.

“We are currently working on locality network lists for locality leads to add in to in respect of volunteers, drivers for drop off runs (food parcels, prescriptions), food prep/cooking via community centres and anyone prepared to do letter box drops, walk dogs, run messages, do a daily phone check etc.”