MEMBERS of a community have launched a website to help support people through the coronavirus outbreak.

Residents, businesses and parish councillors are among those who have come together to launch 'Rainhill Now' which has gone live.

The site has been set up aimed for those who do not use social media but do use the Internet and email.

It offers contact details of how to ask for help and support, a community chat forum and entertainment such as exercise routines, cookery tips, rainbow drawing and competitions for children.

Sara Barlow, of Rainhill Village Post Office, said: "A group of like minded people in the village where concerned how the vulnerable in our community were going to manage.

"We arranged a support network of volunteers and businesses to offer help in various ways with the Post Office at the heart, acting as a hub. The main purpose of our group is to ensure nobody feels isolated or is left in isolation during the coming months.

"We started with a Facebook page but knew we needed to go further"

Stuart Baggs, founder of the Rainhill Community Support Group Facebook page, added: "As the working party grew, new ideas came to the fore and the group has worked tirelessly to support the community which is why we launched the website to reach out to those who are not on social media but do use email and websites.

"It's all been funded and set up by donations from our community and one of our volunteers, Ronnie, designed and built the site within a few hours and that will now run alongside the current Facebook page.

"Not only does it offer contact details of how to ask for help and support but it will provide distractions and entertainment such as exercise routines, cookery tips, rainbow drawing and competitions for the children plus much more to reduce loneliness and isolation during this difficult time."