Yorkshire Ambulance Service

The Age UK Wakefield District Wraparound Service celebrates a new partnership with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

Age UK Wakefield District recently entered a new informal partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust. A number of the Trust’s volunteer Community First Responders (CFRs) have joined the Charity’s Wraparound Team.

Here, as volunteers, they will use their skills to help older people who are isolated, lonely and anxious over the phone.

Age UK Wakefield District created Wraparound as part of the Community Lottery funded Time for Tea project. Now five CFR volunteers have been trained and have started to provide telephone support to people in the district, who are over 50 and struggling during this period of uncertainty.

Spotting a recruitment appeal from Age UK Wakefield District, Laura Williams, Community Defibrillation Trainer with Yorkshire Ambulance Service, made the approach, and Brenda Wardle, Time for Tea Programme Manager, made sure the volunteers received a warm welcome. Wraparound is growing week on week and the team value the able assistance of such highly motivated and well trained
individuals to this important service.

Brett, a YAS volunteer had this to say after his first call... “I’m not sure who enjoyed the conversation more, It was really great to talk to someone so chatty and willing to engage”