THE importance of seemingly mundane tasks has been thrown into sharp focus by the coronavirus pandemic, which left a whole section of society wondering how they were going to cope.

Outings like a trip to the shops or to collect a fish and chip lunch suddenly became impossible during lockdown, particularly for the sections of society which were told to isolate for health reasons.

But in Settle, those journeys have been quietly and effectively continuing – albeit carried out by volunteers while those who have to stay at home have had their needs met by others.

That has meant both practical and emotional needs have been addressed while residents have endured many months effectively confined to their homes.

Settle’s Age UK North Craven charity has been running an effective car-based community transport scheme for many years, with volunteer drivers providing a personal service to escort residents who need help on personal journeys like hospital appointments.

The pandemic has brought fresh challenges and that service – including the drivers who make it a success – has evolved to meet the changing needs of the communities it serves.

So while the personal transport element of the service remains available, including help to get people to Covid-19 vaccination centres, new innovations have helped to ensure those needing help have had the assistance to help keep their lives as comfortable as possible – even down to the tiniest of details.

A fish and chip service was established with Settle’s The Fisherman’s when it became apparent there would be a demand from residents for a traditional hot meal delivered to their door and that has proved enormously popular, with different drivers taking on runs in their own locality to ensure orders are delivered while the food remains piping hot and enjoyable.

New technology means payments can be taken by telephone, meaning deliveries can be made swiftly enough to make the service viable.

A ‘crafting’ service has also been introduced to help tackle boredom among those who would otherwise remain at home with few opportunities for entertainment except the television.

Craft boxes have been created, with a range of goods to provide both entertainment and mental stimulation, including wool for knitting, jigsaws and puzzle books and are delivered to those who want them.

The deliveries also allow for the additional and much appreciated advantage of human contact, with volunteers able to have a socially distanced chat as they make deliveries.

Sometimes that allows for extra help, such as helping to get birthday cards in the post, which may be relatively insignificant jobs in a society struggling with Covid-19, but are of great personal importance to those involved.

Volunteer driver Ann Bott has been involved as a driver since 2007 and has found the work personally satisfying in addition to knowing it provides a helping hand to those in need.

She responds to calls from the Age UK’s office, which until last year had been to take people to appointments. “You deliver people, wait for them and take them home again. People are so grateful,” she said.

That service has remained through the pandemic, though with safety measures including no front seat passengers, mask wearing and open windows where possible now part of the routine.

“I was asked if I would be available on Fridays to deliver fish and chips as a shop in Settle had started it off. It has been very popular and we deliver them as quickly as we can,” she said.

Insulated storage boxes help but the need for swift delivery means there is little time to stop and chat, which is a feature of the craft box deliveries, where time is less pressing.

That also allows Ann to check whether anything else is needed: “Sometimes they will ask if you can post something for them. If you can do that for them, it is brilliant, it means so much to them,” she said.

Giggleswick resident Elsie Butler had not needed to use the Age Concern car scheme before coronavirus struck, but she has been making use of both their fish and chip deliveries and craft boxes since they were introduced last year.

The 90 year old is a committed knitter, producing garments for her nine great grandchildren amongst others, and is grateful for the wool delivered in the crafting boxes.

She described both services as “absolutely wonderful”, saying “I am a knitter and use quite a lot of wool, but they have brought me quite a lot.

If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, Elsie has been known to change the time of an appointment to avoid missing out on Friday fish and chips.

“Fish, chips and mushy peas, for £5, brought right to your doorstep and they are red hot. What is there to complain about?” she said.