CHARITIES have mobilised to ensure one of Glasgow’s most vulnerable communities is given the support needed to stay safe during the coronavirus crisis.

Concerns had been raised that Roma residents of the city would miss out on vital health information given in English.

But Govanhill third sector bodies Community Renewal and Govanhill Community Development Trust (GCDT) have created resources to share Covid-19 information.

And they are being backed by the four Govanhill primary schools.

Annie Macfarlane, chairwoman of Govanhill Housing Association, of which GCDT is a part, said: “This health crisis has come as a shock to all of us, and there is a lot of information to take in.

“Govanhill Housing Association is working very hard to contact our tenants from all nationalities and cultures to ensure they are aware of the ongoing situation, and to help in whatever way we can at this very unsettling time.

“In the wider community, the GCDT has been providing information in various languages via Facebook videos, as well as over the phone.

“As you can imagine, the phones have been ringing off the hook.”

GCDT has also set up two Mutual Aid Groups for Govanhill in English and Romanian to enable people to link in with others for support.

The Facebook pages for both have already attracted dozens of members keen to help out in their communities.

Annie added: “We have also been working very closely with other community groups.

“We know that Coronavirus, and the restrictions needed to protect the community will hit those with the least hardest, we are doing whatever we can to alleviate the situation.”

At Community Renewal staff are working to get information out to the Roma community on a Facebook site where translated information has been shared.

Ann Hyde, project lead at Community Renewal, said the service had posted information videos in Romanian, Romanes - Romanian and Slovak versions - and Slovakian.

These include what to do during the current lockdown.

Advisers Ioana Di Mambro, Emilia Gaziova and Sabrina Janicka are running an online help service, which has received more than 200 enquiries.

The charity is also running online activities for the young people who usually attend its youth groups.

we are also running an online actions with the young people that usually attend our groups.

Official information has been translated into Slovakian and Romanian and can be printed off as a flyer to give to any neighbours people might be worried about.

On Allison Street the Govanhill Housing Association satellite office has been posting information signs in various languages on its front doors.

Glasgow City Council’s “community connector” is in the process of connecting local organisations to make an accessible directory of service providers.

Police Scotland has an officer from the Czech Republic deployed in the area who is directly engaging with the Roma community.

The schools in Govanhill are also open with volunteer teachers providing education and childcare for families of key workers and vulnerable families.