100 years working with the community, 1908 - 2008
100 years working with the community, 1908 - 2008
Homeline have produced these 6 photos in collaboration with photographer Nadia Bettega and volunteers, staff and scheme members from the project. The aim of the photos is twofold – to raise awareness of the importance of befriending in reducing older people's isolation and how it can improve wellbeing, but also to celebrate the contribution of older people to society-through their life experience, knowledge and skills. We wanted to highlight how much our younger volunteers gain from spending time with the people they visit, and what society loses when older people are left forgotten behind closed doors.
Volunteer Sally says: "I find it rewarding helping someone, Mrs Smith is good company and I benefit from her wisdom ... it has broadened my understanding of older people and how much they have to contribute"
Many people find themselves isolated in older age, sometimes after the death of friends and family, through ill health or disability, or when family move away.
Our volunteers aim to work with people to ease the loneliness and isolation they may feel in this situation, and to support them to access those things which we all need in order to stay happy: keeping up interests, meeting friends, feeling comfortable and secure, good appropriate accommodation, good transport links, new learning opportunities, fair access to leisure, health and social care services.
What services do our volunteers provide?
Older people can receive regular phonecalls each week from our volunteers. The service runs for 52 weeks of the year. Our volunteers and the individuals receiving the calls get to know each other through regular contact, forming a caring relationship and a reassurance to the older person that someone is there to stay in touch, to listen and to care. Calls are made between 11am-2pm on weekdays.
We have volunteers who also visit older people at home. The volunteer and older person get to know each other over time, to provide a friendly and supportive relationship which includes social companionship, as well as enabling older individuals to access additional services and support where needed.
Many older people have told us that they have become housebound and stopped taking regular exercise outdoors because they are afraid of falling. Our volunteers can accompany older people outdoors, to re-build confidence and ensure they are able to take regular exercise, remain independent and don't become housebound.
Our volunteers can provide support after discharge from hospital, providing a listening ear to anxieties and concerns about returning home, as well as opening doors to additional support services and new opportunities.
Contact Hazel Bloor on: 020 7385 9689 or hbloor@creightonhouse.org
Contact Joy Houghton-Brown or Anna Phillips on 020 7385 9689 or aphillips@creightonhouse.org.
Richmond Homeline is a new pilot telephone befriending project set up by Bishop Creighton House in July 2011 in partnership with the NHS in Richmond. This service will run parallel to the Homeline project in Hammersmith & Fulham. It provides a telephone befriending service that supports older people in the Richmond borough who are experiencing isolation and loneliness. The service supports people in their own homes by providing social phone calls from our volunteers to check people are safe and well.
We can also provide hospital visits for our members in addition to the phone service and have close links with other useful services in the borough for older people such as social events, shopping services and face to face befriending services. We will run in partnership with organisations in the borough which provide these services.
We are always looking out for new volunteers and members so if you are interested then please contact jmcghee@creightonhouse.org or call Jana on 020 7385 9689. You can download an application pack for volunteering or a referral form for members using the links below.
All volunteers must undergo training, provide two references and have a criminal records bureau check.
If you think you can promote this fantastic service then please download the posters in the links below.
Click the links below to obtain:
Bishop Creighton House