We are thrilled to share that we are now in the exciting phase of transitioning from development to delivery of our Companionship Calls telephone befriending service. This exciting milestone was marked at our Tilling, Tea and Cake group event in August, where we introduced the service to our community. Kathy, Crowther, our Befriending Coordinator, said:
"I've been with FAiR since March and have been coming along to Tilling, Tea and Cake every month since April to give updates on how the development of the service is going. After so many months of updating on steady but slow progress, it was fabulous to be able to share news of this marvellous milestone at our group event. There's plenty of work still to do, but starting to deliver telephone befriending as we move through September is real progress. The response from the community organisations and community residents and organisations has been incredibly positive and we are eager to begin making a real difference in the lives of isolated and vulnerable older members of our community."
Since the success of Tilling, Tea and Cake, our free monthly event to encourage social participation and support for older people, our telephone befriending service has been a priority. Because without fail, at each Tilling, Tea and Cake, there has been someone who has asked when it’s starting so that they, or someone they know, can start to access the companionship the service will offer.
Through the dedication of our team, including support of our trustees and other community organisations, plus the unwavering support of our community, we’ve been able to reach this stage more-or-less on schedule. So this exciting update also comes with heartfelt thanks to the generous contributions from our fundraising efforts and grants. These funds are vital, as they ensure that we can offer this service free of charge to those who need it most. Successful grant-seeking particularly enables us to increase our services and our reach, to support more people in more ways. We are deeply grateful for the ongoing support, which is helping us turn our vision into reality.
Our telephone befriending ‘pilot’ is ready for take off
Our ‘pilot’ with the telephone befriending platform begins in September, along with our volunteer training, so our goal is to begin providing this service to our community later in September. In the meantime, we are also actively recruiting more volunteers to join our befriending team. Having the funds to deliver a service is of course essential, but the other side of the ‘vital-for-success’ coin is having dedicated volunteers: we can’t deliver befriending services without our volunteers.
So, if you like a good chat, are passionate about making a positive impact and have a few hours to spare each week, we would love to hear from you! Volunteering with us is a rewarding way to give back, and you’ll be playing a crucial role in helping to alleviate loneliness and isolation in our community.
If you’d like to find out more or express an interest in volunteering with us, there are lots of ways to do so. Please take a moment to:
- Look around the website and our volunteer page.
- Got questions? Get in touch by emailing volunteering@fair.org.uk or call us on 01797 458832 or 07386 853349 and leave a message if we’re unable to answer.
- Ready to volunteer? Click in the section below!
Your involvement can make a world of difference and will help ensure our telephone befriending service reaches everyone who needs it.
Thanks to everyone for the continued support as we embark on this new chapter. We’re excited to see the positive impact our service will have, and we look forward to sharing more updates with you soon.
