Meet the Hertfordshire agent supporting 15,000 households
An estate agency in Hertfordshire is doing their bit to make a difference by leading a small army of volunteers offering support to thousands of households.
Simon Efford, director at Leysbrook, has started delivering postcards to people in the community as a means of communicating with the elderly and vulnerable in the local area.
He told Rightmove that 28 volunteers have teamed up with him so far and that he aims to reach out to 50,000 households in the coming weeks.
“I went through the last recession in 2008 and I remember what it was like,” he said.
“People were absorbed in negativity, so this time I have had to find a positive way to deal with things. We want to help people.
“But if we can’t help people move home we can definitely help the community in other ways. We started delivering postcards with our details on saying that we’re available to pick up shopping and medicine, or are just on the other end of a phone if people want a chat.”
READ MORE: Local agents support the community’s vulnerable
Simon explained that the response has been overwhelmingly positive, with residents calling up just to say thank you even if they don’t need direct support.
He added that a key function of any estate agency is to help its community and to provide a service, and that the current climate doesn’t necessarily have to be a barrier to that ethos.
He said: “We’re doing what we love but in a different way. The feelgood factor is so good and we’re trying to create something to get us all through this.
“It’s been worth every minute. The market is seemingly on hold for the time being, but our core value is to help people so there’s no reason why we can’t carry on doing that.
The agency boss revealed that elder residents in particular have been very welcoming of his team’s volunteer work.
READ MORE: What should I do if I can’t pay my rent?
“I suppose it’s just comforting to know they have someone to turn to if things don’t go right,” he said.
“There are lots of confused, older people out there trying to figure everything out. They’re scared and the shops are a different place right now. The world has changed.
“We had someone who had a fever and wanted some paracetamol. We had to go to four shops before we found some, that’s the reality now.
“We’ve got a fair amount of social media attention from people who love what we’re doing and want to join us. Loads of people have been coming forward.
“So far we’ve delivered 15,000 postcards in about two weeks. We’ve got 28 volunteers, but the aim is to recruit 100 volunteers and deliver postcards to 50,000 homes.”
