News / Lottery befriends the over 60s
THE POPULAR Shetland Befriending Scheme has been given more than £260,000 to run a five year programme helping people aged 60 and over to stay at home.
The 10 year old scheme based in Lerwick’s Market House currently employs four people who match volunteers with young people aged from 7 to 25.
The growing demand for a similar service to support older folk has led the Big Lottery Fund to grant Voluntary Action Shetland £264, 960, which will provide 100 per cent funding to expand the scheme.
The money will be used to employ a new development worker who will recruit volunteers, set up a training programme and establish a series of activities and social events for the over 60s.
Project co-ordinator Colleen Flaws said she believed that such a scheme could help old folk stay in their own homes for much longer than they do at the moment, easing pressure on the islands’ busy care homes.
Ms Flaws said she was regularly being asked to provide a befriending service for older people, with requests coming from old folk themselves, their families and from agencies working with them, such as the council’s social work department.
“Care workers may be allocated half an hour to go in and help someone and they don’t have the time to sit down and have social contact with them or take them out for a run,” Ms Flaws said.
“That connection with someone is really important for people’s health and mental well being, so they don’t feel so isolated and will help them bide in their own homes.”
The organisation currently has 34 working volunteers, but there is a demand for more people to work with young people.
The scheme will be looking to recruit new volunteers for older people by the end of the year.
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