Could you be a befriender? Your city needs you!

A SOUTHAMPTON charity, partnered with us at Love Southampton, working towards eradicating loneliness and isolation in the city says it desperately needs more volunteer telephone befrienders to help its service users (July 2020).

Communicare, which ran lunch clubs and activities for isolated, often lonely, residents pre-restrictions, says, as people ‘return to normal’ with work and social commitments, understandably, many can’t commit to making calls.

The charity’s Manager, Annie Clewlow says: “We are currently in touch with more than 600 of the city’s residents and have waiting lists for others who need help. We had an influx of volunteers at the start of the lockdown when people were furloughed and had time on their hands, and we knew we would lose many of these as they were able to go back to ‘normal’ once restrictions started to lift. But our service users still remain mostly at home for safety reasons, so we desperately need more telephone befrienders.

“Those we help were already isolated before the lockdown and, as they may be still at risk from COVID-19, they still can’t mix as they would have done before the pandemic struck.

“Our service users are mostly aged 70 plus and have wellbeing issues, and may be classed as vulnerable, so still need to minimise face-to-face contact. To add to this, we’re unable to safely hold our usual social gatherings to help get them out of their homes and chatting to others on a weekly basis.

“We’re keen to hear from anyone who may be able to devote 30 minutes, twice a week, to call someone who is lonely and isolated. They would really welcome a friendly voice on the end of the telephone to chat to. Research has showed that lacking social connections is as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and increases the likelihood of mortality by 26%, so the work our befrienders do is crucial to the wellbeing of our city’s residents.”

Communicare is a friendly, neighbourhood charity that enriches the lives of lonely and isolated people in and around Southampton. 

“The services we provide are staffed by our committed, kind-hearted Communiteers, who volunteer and give their time freely. They act as good neighbours, generously making regular befriending telephone calls, safely driving people to urgent medical appointments and doing shopping for those unable to leave home at the moment, as well as providing other practical and emotional support.”

Normally Communicare’s services are linked to hosting face-to-face social events, such as regular lunches and tea parties for service users, but the charity, understandably, is unable to organise these currently due to ongoing Government restrictions on gatherings.

“While we don’t require volunteers for these events, we still have lots of people who need a friend on the end of the line who can give them some time for a chat. It is a lifeline to many and really brightens their days.”

The charity’s Good Neighbours’ Network normally supports nearly 400 individuals/families annually, covering more than 2,300 tasks including one-to-one befriending, transport to activities, such as the regular lunch clubs and tea parties it hosted before the lockdown and shopping for, or, pre-COVID-19, with, those it helps. 

Annie continues: “Our service is free to users, although beneficiaries are invited to make a donation if they are able, and Communiteers are offered expenses.”

Communicare is inviting people from all walks of life and of all ages who have an hour to spare each week, two 30-minute slots, to get in touch.

“Anyone who volunteers for us now will have their application and our recruitment process fast tracked. With the Government’s support, we’re getting references and DBS checks done as quickly as we can, so volunteers can be operational as soon as possible 

“Those wishing to help with befriending will go through our recruitment process as normal, with all the same policies applying. This will mean that we are confident about the safety of those we are trying to help.”

To find out more about Communicare, please visit www.communicareinsouthampton.org.uk.