Omaze provides Age UK Norfolk Befriending Boost

A partnership with Omaze has seen Age UK Norfolk receive a donation to help fund its vital befriending activities and support older people in Norfolk.

Age UK partnered with Omaze and their Million Pound House Draw last year, which offered participants the chance to win a luxurious £4 million Lake District property and £250,000 in cash. The draw raised £5,250,000 for Age UK – the highest amount Omaze has ever raised for a charity partner. The money has been split between Age UK’s national services and local Age UKs across the country, including Age UK Norfolk, enabling the Charity to extend its befriending offering.

The donation will help to fund Age UK Norfolk’s telephone befriending service which provides weekly, friendly phone calls to those needing a little extra connection.  One volunteer, Pamela, who supports the service by making phone calls, said “Regular calls to a lonely older person can make a huge difference and knowing that makes it worthwhile. We talk about all sorts of things - family, the ups and downs of life, experiences- good and bad, worries, the crazy world we live in, but we also laugh a lot. We have a good connection and it's more like a friendship than a ‘role’.”

Meanwhile, a befriending member told us, “I'm so grateful for the calls, and everything you have all done for us. You are angels and I can't say enough about how you have helped us.”

James Oakes, President of Omaze, said: “Everyone at Omaze is delighted that our biggest ever raise for a charity partner is already helping Age UK have a huge impact – supporting older people across the UK, including in Norfolk. Omaze offers people the chance to win amazing houses, while introducing charities to new audiences they might never otherwise reach – it’s a real win-win for both entrants and our charity partners.

We’re immensely proud that the Omaze community has now raised over £100 million for good causes across the UK – funding life-changing work in communities up and down the country.”