Reconnections is a fun and flexible opportunity to make a huge difference to the life of a local older person in your community. As a volunteer you’ll get to know a local resident over 6 months, giving just one hour a week. In that time you'll work with them to encourage, support and motivate them to re-engage with their community. That could be by encouraging them to return to their weekly lunch club, choir or W.I. group, helping them to join an online class using Zoom, or it could be helping them to tick off something from their bucket list! We need you to help we create a supportive environment so they can rekindle old hobbies, try something different or make new friends and ultimately break the cycle of loneliness.
Loneliness is rampant in our community. At any one time in the UK around 1 million people haven't spoken to another person in a month. Over 5 million people consider the TV their main form of companionship. Being lonely can have the same health implications as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and the pandemic has only made the situation worse.
Passionate, friendly, interested, a good listener, keen to make a difference, proactive, encouraging, motivating, compassionate, empathetic, patient
There are many befriending services out there by Reconnections focuses on building community as a means to combat loneliness. Our volunteers help to facilitate new relationships, new activities, new experiences that reintegrate an older person into their community which then keeps loneliness and isolation at bay.
