We All Need Friends

1
We All Need Friends
2
Isolation

• Incomers into a rural or seaside idyll
• Neighbours
• Family
• Post office/Shop closed
• Transport

3
Research

• Older People identify that the three most
  important factors that give quality to life are
  (M Farquahar - 1995)
• Family
• Activities
• Other Social contacts
• Link between health status and social isolation
  shown by Lincoln Gerontology Centre at La Trobe
  University in a study for US Dept for Veterans
  Affairs - 1996-98

4
Our Response

• Dealing with the larger picture
• Local strategic input
• Develop projects to counter social isolation -
  Lunch Clubs
• Drop In
• Reminiscence Group
• Befriending and long term visits
• Chair-Robics etc.
• Social isolation also affects the young.

5
Best Practice includes

• Accreditation
• Robust way of evaluating the project
• Networking
• Constitution
• Plan for sustained funding
• Transparency
• Increase in use
• A shared common vision

6
Befriending - Our Project

• Needs a co-ordinator to
• Identify by referral initially visit those who
  need visiting
• Identify and train visitors as an on-going
  process
• Match visitors and those visited
• Monitor progress

7
Our policies and procedures

• Establish policies and procedures
• Establish a training programme
• Evaluation and monitoring procedures.
• Bench-marking

8
Engagement

• With within the community to find volunteers,
  using the press, local networks
• Establish links with local professionals and
  service providers to identify those who need
  visiting.
• Establish a steering group for monitoring
  purposes
• Identify those who can input into training
• Identify financial resources
• Ethos of value and respect for volunteers

9
Sustainability

• Maintaining numbers regular assessment of need
• Valuing visitors with training support
• Identifying financial support.

10

• Be A Friend!
• Team Parish of Louth Befriending Project
• Peta Hill, Parish Community Worker,
• Team Parish of Louth, Upgate,
• Louth, Lincs.
• 01507 610752
• pcwpeta_at_btconnect.com