In hindsight, it was a rubbish joke.

"Helping hands? More like helping hand," I say to Helping Hands' Kathryn Easthope, who has her arm in a sling after being bitten by a neighbourhood dog.

"I know! What am I like?"

Since starting Helping Hands when COVID began, Kathryn Easthope, her husband Anthony and a crew of devoted volunteers have been working tirelessly to help those most affected by the pandemic.

They have delivered toiletries to care home residents, groceries to shielders and thank you boxes to personal carers. Beaches have been cleaned and fundraising projects promoted in a drive to "unite the community against COVID-19 challenges."

You would be hard-pressed to find anyone in Penarth, or perhaps in South Wales, for whom the phrase "doing their bit" is more relevant.

How on earth does she have time for all this?

"I don't," she laughs. "I'm a full-time carer too of my son who has additional needs, which has been really tough during COVID. But it's a team of us doing it and none of this would have been possible without the volunteers. It might have been me that started it off but I'm just one little piece in the puzzle and we've just found that if you really care about something you can make time."

"We've heard lots of people saying: 'Oh lockdown has been so boring'," Anthony adds. "But we've not stopped. When times are difficult you can either get all sad and introspective or you can help others."

At the moment, Helping Hands' hands are full sewing face masks that are sold to fund their various projects. They cost £4 for adults and £2 for childen.

All of their projects have been well-received, but Kathryn says she's been truly shocked by the number masks they've sold.

"It's been huge. People don't want to be using the disposable ones because they're not good for the environment and also these are way comfier because they're 100% cotton. I think the main thing though is that people want to support the cause.

"The busy bees [volunteers] make loads of different patterns, which has made them more popular but takes way more time for us to distribute."

Since joining Penarth Nub News in mid-August, I have been truly astounded by the selflessness of the people I have interviewed. I ask the Easthopes why it is that they have felt so compelled to help others during COVID.

"Honestly, to me I'm always just surprised that everyone doesn't do it," Kathryn says. "If you can help other people, you have to do it."

"If you can see a need and you can fill it, you have an obligation to do so," echoes Anthony.

"So we've been doing all these thank you boxes for personal carers recently because everyone's been thanking the NHS but people are forgetting the difficulties people caring day in, day out are going through," continues Kathryn. "And someone sent me a message saying: 'This means so much, that we're not forgotten.'

"Stuff like that makes it all worth it."

If you need a volunteer to help you (or want to volunteer yourself) call 07745475794 or find them on Facebook @helpinghandspenarth