A COMMUNITY group in Malmesbury is harnessing the power of social media to help those hit by crisis.

HEALS of Malmesbury have set up the HEALS Crisis Fund Group which is an online forum where people can post requests for items that are needed by those who have fallen on hard times.

Residents can then response instantly to the requests, providing them with everything from food to clothing, furniture to toiletries.

The HEALS team has been helping people in Malmesbury and surrounding areas in times of need for the past five years, supporting sufferers of domestic violence and homelessness among other things.

Speaking about the group Gavin Grant, chairman of HEALS, said: “Crisis can hit an individual or family without warning.

“In the last year our town has seen two homes destroyed by fire. The people concerned find themselves homeless having lost their possessions.

“While their housing provider puts a roof over their heads nothing else is provided.

“This new HEALS Crisis Fund Group comes from our experience of how we helped local people to support these and other individuals in crisis.”

It is hoped the group will provide a one-stop-shop for helping the most vulnerable in north Wiltshire, utilising the expansive social network that Facebook has developed.

“Social media can be abused and cause real hurt to vulnerable people, but ‎it can also be a fantastically powerful tool for good to help vulnerable people,” continued Gavin.

“This new Facebook group is a really quick, easy and very effective way to help people who really need it.”

General manager at HEALS, Alison Cross-Jones, said: “As well as those made homeless by fire, we have also supported a family who fled their home due to domestic violence and two gentlemen found sleeping in cars.

“Again we found them places to go but these are empty shells. There were no beds, fridges, cookers, chairs or anything else we all take for granted in a home.”

To find out more about the group search HEALS Crisis Fund Group on Facebook, or visit healsmalmesbury.com for more information on HEALS.