A new report, funded by Public Health Wales, highlights how vulnerability emerged in Wales during the Coronavirus pandemic, and how the voluntary and community sector (VCS) has played a critical role in tackling this challenge.

VCS representatives across Wales participated in the research, sharing their experiences in identifying and responding to those most in need during the pandemic. The report highlights that vulnerability was quick to emerge, exacerbated when individuals were unable to access support from particular resources, services and local infrastructure.

Key needs that emerged as a direct result of Coronavirus and the restrictions put in place included worsening mental health due to anxiety and loneliness, economic insecurity due to strained household finances and job loss, digital exclusion, and a loss of many face-to-face services. These emerging vulnerabilities were found to cluster together and were often patterned along pre-existing lines of social inequality.

The research highlights that the VCS has been pivotal in helping to tackle isolation and loneliness, address the consequences of digital exclusion and broker access to statutory services and fill in gaps in provision during this time.