Active and In Touch Frome has received a cheque for £1,850 for their volunteer befriending service from The Coventry Building Society in Frome.
The charity says, “The generous donation will be used to help reach out to people in our community who are suffering from isolation and loneliness.”
The money is the result of the latest fundraising event that the staff at the Frome branch of The Coventry Building Society has put on in their year-long campaign to raise money for Active and In Touch Frome.
At the cheque presentation branch manager, Ramzan Sharif said,“The staff are really keen to help raise money and offer their support to this wonderful charity. We have come up with lots of ideas to generate further funding through the year and we are also looking forward to bringing our staff along to the Active Tuesday Group where we can help chat to members.”
Active and In Touch Frome is a group of local volunteers who are available to visit, talk with, and gently support people with getting involved in groups or activities. They say, “Our volunteers visit, help and befriend people who have become isolated or out of touch with the community around them. The people we support have become isolated and lonely through the circumstances life has thrown at them, maybe caring for a partner for years, moving to a new area, or just not feeling confident to try new things alone.
“Recent research has shown that loneliness doesn’t just make people unhappy, but that it has an effect on mortality too. Loneliness is also associated with poor mental health and, more surprisingly, with conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension and dementia.
“Once people become depressed and anxious, they can find it increasingly hard to re-connect with society, becoming more and more isolated. Poverty and ill-health are key triggers for isolation but it can affect anyone, including those from affluent backgrounds.
Lucia Chadwick, service manager said, “Active and In Touch volunteer befrienders spend time with those who wish to use our services, find out their needs and interests, and help them to find their own place in the community. Over the last seven years many different people have been helped by the befrienders, in many different ways and for many different reasons.
“Currently the project has around 70 active volunteers helping to support people in Frome and the surrounding villages. Our youngest member is 23 and the oldest member is 99! Since the project first began, our wonderful volunteers have helped change the lives of well over 300 vulnerable, isolated, lonely people in our community.”
In 2017, Active and In Touch Frome became a registered charity, No.1172434. The charity receives support from Frome Town Council and they have a new office at Frome Town Hall, Christchurch St West, Frome, BA11 1EB.
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 or Di Roberts on 07572 854029/ 07468 859453, visit activeand intouch.org or send an email to enquiries@active andintouch.org
Above: LR Claire Jones, customer service assistant; Jenny Kettle, community champion and customer service assistant; Alan Didymus and Lucia Chadwick of Active and In Touch; Jack Tricher, customer service assistant and Ramzan Sharif, branch manager.
