Thank you to our volunteers

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin’s volunteers are the lifeblood of our charity, providing much needed support to older people right across the county. It’s because of these volunteers we’ve managed to continue to support vulnerable older people during the lockdown.

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin’s 37 day centres are usually a hive of activity for older people, but they are temporarily closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, we’ve adapted our services to meet the situation, with volunteers telephoning 500 members, sometimes several times a week in the case of the most socially isolated, to provide a friendly voice and alleviate any feelings of loneliness.

Volunteers in our dementia support team are also in regular contact with the carers that usually attend their groups, checking on their wellbeing and offering them much needed support. Befriending volunteers and telephone buddies are continuing to combat loneliness during this difficult time by calling over 350 older people every week.

Joan Bird, day centre organiser in Newport went the extra mile recently, using the funds normally spent on day centre activities to purchase and deliver fruit and salad boxes from Green Fields of Donnington to all her members. Joan wanted to check in on the older people she would usually see every week at her day centre and provide fresh food at a time when they needed it.

Heather Osborne, Chief Executive of Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, said: ‘We want to thank all of our volunteers, like Joan, who take the time to support older people throughout the year, whether it’s making a phone call or picking up shopping, it makes a huge difference to the lives of older people across the county. It’s been amazing to see everyone come together during these recent months to help older people in our communities. Thank you to all the many volunteers; we simply couldn’t offer the whole range of support services without you.’

If you need help or support during lockdown call us on 01743 233 123, leave a message with your name and telephone number and we’ll return your call as soon as we are able.