Bury Council has agreed to extend the funding it gives the Age UK Bury Befriending Service for a further six months.
It will use £15,000 from the Grace Rigby Fund, which was a legacy fund left by a Bury resident to be used “for the benefit of the greatest number of elderly people in Bury”.
Age UK Bury has benefitted from the Grace Rigby fund since 2019 which enabled the charity to support older people through the pandemic.
Befriending is widely used to support vulnerable and older people, particularly at critical moments in their life such as leaving hospital after an illness, periods of physical ill health, bereavement, or family members moving away.
When the country went into lockdown in 2020 Jane Lees, the Befriending
Co-ordinator, and local volunteers set up a local telephone service, calling older people who could not leave their home but welcomed a friendly chat. When the lockdowns ended, more than 140 people were receiving weekly phone calls.
It was thought that the service would no longer be needed once life returned to normal, but Covid cast a long shadow over people’s health and wellbeing. Some older people have lost the confidence and motivation to leave their home and others had the lost the physical strength to get out and about. As a result, Age UK Bury is still calling more than 140 people per week.
As life opened up after Covid, the befriending service set up cluster groups comprised of people they were calling. People meet at local cafes and events, close to their home and build up their own friendships with one another. Face to face befriending was also set up for people who are housebound and/or those who struggle to speak on the telephone.
People who received the telephone calls said:
“The calls cheer me up. I feel better when I receive a call. If it were not for Age UK Bury, I would be lost with everything I've been through”.
“I really enjoyed the friendliness and compassion on the calls”.
“People have no idea what a simple phone call can make when you have nobody else to turn to”.
Councillor Tamoor Tariq, cabinet member for adult care, health and wellbeing, said: “Age UK Bury do a tremendous job in providing a person-centred service, which is sensitive and flexible to a person’s individual needs. Their work helps to reduce loneliness and social isolation and improve people’s wellbeing, which is why we are happy to extend their funding and wish them every success in their bid for future funding.”
Andy Hazeldine, chief officer of Age UK Bury, said “We are seeking funding to continue this vital work. This funding from Bury Council is a vital lifeline, giving us breathing space while we secure this. We are extremely grateful to Bury Council for all their support over these very difficult years.”
If you would like to know more about volunteering with Age UK Bury, please call 0161 763 9030 or email admin@ageukbury.org.uk
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