A special tea party was held at the Cheese and Grain, hosted by pupils from St John’s First School, as part of International Friendship month, on Tuesday 24th February.
The event was organised by the Active and In Touch volunteers to celebrate a new partnership with Somerset You Can Do Services (SYCD) that has meant that their volunteer befriending work can continue in Frome and the surrounding villages.
Recently the organisation looked like it was going to have to cease its work due to the phased closure of ViSTA. It is now managed by SYCD who work to support all sorts of different people across Somerset.
Lucia Chadwick from Active and In Touch Frome stated, “International Friendship Month gave us the perfect excuse not only to celebrate our new partnership with SYCD, but to recognise the immense significance of friendship in our lives.
“Having the children at our Active Tuesday Group to serve the cake and teas, and to chat to all our members, was a great way to develop those all-important intergenerational relationships. With the support of SYCD we can now reach out to even more people.”
The tea party was supported by the Community Life team at Frome’s ASDA superstore who donated 60 delicious cakes from their in-store bakery.
Active and In Touch volunteers meet isolated, elderly and vulnerable people and spend time with them, find out their needs and interests, and help them to find their own place in the community.
Each Tuesday it runs the Active Tuesday group at the Cheese and Grain for its members, and each week there is a different activity, from pottery sessions and cooking workshops, to visits to local allotments and local interest talks.
Over the last three years the volunteer befrienders have helped many different people. All their volunteers are now registered with SYCD who provide training and induction.
Anyone who feels they might like to volunteer their time to help others or who may know someone who might benefit from this support can call Lucia Chadwick on 07572 854029, call Somerset You Can Do on 01278 664 180, visit the Somerset You Can Do website on somersety oucando.com or send an email to Lucia.Chadwick@somersetyoucando.org
