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Mischievous laughter rings out as two ladies chat with each other; friends sharing common interests and private jokes – but their friendship is more than that; it’s the personification of Age UK’s volunteer befriending service offered in Lincoln and South Lincolnshire.
The ladies are Kath and Ann, united by Age UK’s determination to reach out and offer the hand of friendship to lonely and isolated people in the community, which has just been bolstered by a donation of £59,000 from Lincolnshire’s Freemasons.
Kath’s the service user. She said of Ann: “She’s a brilliant lady; always laughing. She has made a massive difference to me.” Ann, the volunteer, said of Kath: “She has a wicked sense of humour. We have weekly giggles. We share common interests; enjoy gardens and birdwatching, read the same sort of books, enjoy the same kind of TV, and we’ve been to the cinema together.”
It might not seem much but it’s life-enhancing. The scheme provides isolated and lonely people with a volunteer befriender, offering companionship on a regular basis either by telephone or in face-to-face meetings. The service is available for individuals for as long as it is needed, and is seen by many as a lifeline as more people understand how loneliness is affecting their physical and mental wellbeing.
The Freemasons’ £59,000 donation is from their charity the MCF, and will fund a second volunteer co-ordinator enabling the charity to strengthen the scheme, particularly in South Holland and South Kesteven. By doing so it will help the organisation to sustain the quality standards it aspires to, and help it to be ‘approved’ in a regular third party assessment of its work.
Nicki Lee is Volunteering Manager at Age UK Lincoln & South Lincolnshire. She said: “The Age UK befriending service is a long-term commitment. Once people join us they tend to stay for the long term.
“The people we befriend become friends, just as Kath and Ann have done, and some ask for help with things we wouldn’t normally provide. Sometimes they have no-one else to ask, and that’s when befriending morphs into something else.
“We always try to bring people together who we know will get on; the service succeeds by having the right mix of people.”
Being a volunteer befriender doesn’t mean you have to live in Lincolnshire. One volunteer was a student at the University of Lincoln, but has since moved to London, and makes her phone calls from there.
Another does live in Lincolnshire, but struggled to have conversations with his client, who was suffering from dementia – but that didn’t stop him singing, so his volunteer was able to take song lyrics with him, and the pair shared singsongs.
Nicki added: “We’re very grateful to Lincolnshire Freemasons for their generous grant, which make a huge difference to the lives of older people especially in South Lincolnshire, where we see a greater need. As a result we’ll be able to offer more opportunities for people to get involved and benefit from increased social connections and the new friendships they create.
“We also aim to encourage more people to get involved through volunteering, to enjoy the fun and friendship it brings.”
Dave Wheeler, Lincolnshire Freemasons’ Provincial Grand Master, said: “I’m really pleased we’ve been able to help Age UK with this hugely important programme to reach out to lonely and isolated older people in our county. Research shows that loneliness can have the same effect on an older person’s health as smoking ten cigarettes a day. It’s a serious situation Age UK is working hard to challenge.”
To access the service or to volunteer, call 03455 564144.
