ELDERLY people are at the centre of attention for one young woman who has created a community group to help Oxford’s older residents this winter.

Suzi Braithwaite, a 20-year-old student from Oxford Brookes University, who lives in St Clements, wants to help those who find it difficult to get groceries during the icy season.

She has called the group OxSNOW and is looking forward to getting it started once she has found volunteers to help out.

Volunteers could be either students or members of the community.

The business and marketing management student came up with the idea after seeing an advert on TV showing a young man getting supplies for an elderly man who couldn’t leave his house because of the snow.

Volunteers would help not only after snow, but after heavy frost and ice.

She said: “This highlighted the challenges the snow and frost bring to the elderly and vulnerable including the restriction on daily tasks.

"With elderly grandparents myself I have witnessed first-hand the reliability that they have on my mum when the snow comes. Just to get essential supplies such as bread and milk is huge.”

Miss Braithwaite is launching OxSNOW this year as she noticed there were no other services like it that were currently available in Oxford.

She said: “OxSNOW will really benefit the Oxford community for both volunteers and the elderly. I am hoping to continuously grow the network to become a well-known organisation in the city throughout the winter months, and to eliminate the fear of venturing into treacherous conditions which can easily increase the risk of falls and other injuries.”

She added: “The use of OxSNOW will also enable the elderly to reduce their loneliness and interacting with people which is a key social concern.”

Security checks will be made on volunteers before pairing them with people who need help.

When the paired individual requires their assistance, they can call their assigned volunteer asking them to get some supplies or groceries and bring them to their house with a form of ID to provide reassurance to householders before they are allowed in.

Miss Braithwaite hopes that elderly people will be assigned to two or three volunteers.

Those who would like to sign up as a volunteers can do so at oxsnow.co.uk, email hello@oxsnow.co.uk or call 07375056248 to register their details.