Each year we support thousands of local residents to access services that they may not otherwise be able to use. Our Community Responders and Social Prescribers undertake community outreach, conducting hundreds of home visits each year, assessing residents needs and putting in place care and support plans delivered in collaboration with partner organisations.

Over the past three years UCAN has been tasked with providing emergency response to crisis situations. The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented situation where existing support networks and infrastructure were no-longer available. Within a matter of days we established the Community Response Hub, providing telephone support for up to 18 hours a day for people needing urgent medicines, food, help in the home and access to banking services. In partnership with Volunteer Uttlesford and Uttlesford District Council, we deployed over 300 volunteers, tackling in excess of 10,000 help requests during the first year of COVID. With our Community Callers group we have provided thousands of hours of telephone befriending calls and welfare checks, hosted virtual socials online, coordinated the distribution of emergency food parcels and organised hospital transport for residents needing ongoing care. Working with Ace Hounds we have provided hundreds of hours of friendship dog visits, helping housebound and isolated people to maintain a sense of belonging to the community, and improving mood and self-esteem.