By Chris Littley
In these unprecedented times of the COVID-19 epidemic, everyone is stepping up to do their bit and that means caravan owners too.
Staff at a Worcestershire care home put out a plea for caravans and campervans to provide overnight accommodation on site.
The Nightingales care home at Wolverley Court in Kidderminster is trying to avoid bringing in the virus. This means minising carers going away and coming back again, so sleeping at home is no longer an option for many. A number of owners came forward to offer up their vehicles to help solve the problem.
Emily Lote, manager at the care home, told the BBC: “It was so overwhelming to know that everybody wants to help as a community. It was everyone pulling together.”
The appeal reached the ears of willing caravan owners through a successful social media campaign, with many shares across multiple platforms. Contacting caravan sites also had a positive impact, as they helped to bridge the gap between the carers in need and motorhome owners.
It’s not just caravan lovers in Kidderminster who are helping out with their vehicles, as a nationwide campaign entitled Campers for Carers has also been launched. Oli Arnold and Emily Cotgrove got it started after offering their own motorhome to local NHS staff and it was snapped up.
Oli told AutoTrader: “We usually hire out our campervan to holidaymakers, or people wanting to travel Europe. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, bookings have been postponed. We wanted to put our van to good use, rather than it sitting unused on the driveway.
“We posted the offer on social media and were inundated with responses. We were pleased to be able to help a local family, but there were many others that we could not accommodate.”
They now run a Facebook group connecting those in need of accommodation with caravan owners. Cases on the site include NHS staff, carers and households of vulnerable people, such as those with suppressed immune systems.
Have you lent your caravan out during lockdown? We’d love to hear your story.
