Six hundred strong Arnside volunteer team provide vital link for vulnerable in need of medication

The group has also been producing PPE equipment including gowns, masks and visors for care homes and health surgeries in South Lakeland, as well as delivering food and groceries to those in isolation, and online mental health and education projects within the community.

The group, which is based at Arnside Sailing Club, has faced challenges though.

Simon Whorral, from Arnside, who helped set up the group, said that Rowlands' Pharmacy has not been taking card payments over the phone, meaning volunteers have been put in greater risk when having to go back and forth between vulnerable people and the pharmacy.

He said: "Since the start of lock down we have been delivering meds for the only pharmacy in the village.

"They have not employed any more delivery staff so we now do the majority of the deliveries.

"This is the same across many rural areas where Rowlands are the only pharmacy.

"Self isolating residents have been able to pay over the phone for just about everything, from food to loo roll.

"But not at Rowlands pharmacies.

"To minimise the spread of the pathogen between volunteers and residents we try not to take money, we take photos on our phone of shopping lists rather than handling them.

"We have pushed Rowlands locally and nationally via our MP Tim Farron to change their policy and take card payment - but this is not their 'corp policy'.

"So we still do the work putting our volunteers - their customers - at risk, whilst we support their bottom line!"

Rowlands Pharmacy has said that restrictions with financial regulation and data protection has created challenges with payments over the phone.

A spokesperson said: "Due to restrictions with financial regulation and data protection we have been met with a number of challenges to allow payments to be made over the phone.

"We have been working hard with our PDQ supplier and EPoS provider to develop a solution which will enable us to relax the restrictions in place.

"Over the course of the last week, testing has taken place and we anticipate we will be able to roll out telephone payment transactions over the coming week to all branches.

"We would like to take the opportunity to thank all of the volunteers that are helping to deliver lifesaving medication to patients.

"We are all working under incredible challenge circumstances and doing the very best we can to keep our pharmacy teams and the patients we serve, safe during these uncertain times."

In contrast, Simon said that the volunteer group had put a card payment system in place within 25 minutes.

He said that the group had been left with little choice but to take cash payments.

He said: "If we don't risk it and take the money then they wander down to the pharmacy themselves, totally breaking their self isolation.

We have poor old dears ringing up coughing and we have to send one of our volunteers to pick up money off the resident take it to the pharmacy and then return goods and change to the resident.

"It's a massive risk and totally unnecessary."

The group has also been running a huge drive to make PPE equipment. It has its own cutting and crafting room at Arnside WI.

You can contact the group on Facebook, on email [email protected], or call 07375 839182.