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Volunteers praised for innovative connections during Befriending Week 2020


By Alan Hendry

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Assistant befriending co-ordinator Elspeth Manson speaking remotely to senior co-ordinator Angie House.
Assistant befriending co-ordinator Elspeth Manson speaking remotely to senior co-ordinator Angie House.

Volunteer befrienders in the far north have been praised for the innovative way they have responded to the coronavirus pandemic.

Angie House, senior co-ordinator of Befriending Caithness, said Befriending Week 2020 was an opportunity to thank everyone who had made the project a success despite the difficulties posed by Covid-19.

The service, delivered by Caithness Voluntary Group, seeks to reduce isolation and loneliness by matching volunteers to older isolated adults who become befriendees. It covers Caithness as well as the north Sutherland communities of Bettyhill and Strathy and there are now more than 60 volunteers.

Befriending Week, promoted nationally by the Befriending Networks, runs from November 1-7 and this year's theme is #BefriendingIs.

"It's a time to recognise what befrienders do, but at the same time I think it's important to thank the community and the befriendees," Angie said.

"It's a two-way situation. It's to say thank you to the volunteers, and thank you to the befriendees who let us come into their lives – because volunteers tell me the great difference that the befriendee makes to them.

"It keeps people connected and at the same time increases people's skills, whether they are a volunteer or a befriendee.

"One finds out about the other's hobbies and interests and so they learn new skills and new tasks. They learn about history, they learn about the culture of Caithness and the north of Scotland."

The coronavirus restrictions meant Befriending Caithness had to adapt from face-to-face meetings to a telephone service, as well as connecting through FaceTime.

The three staff keep in touch with volunteers by Zoom.

"Technology has been great – I don't know how we would have managed without technology, and people have adapted so well," Angie said.

More traditional ways of communicating are also proving popular.

Angie explained: "A lot of elderly people can't get on to technology so they love to receive a card, and even to write a card back to the volunteer. And some volunteers have put little photographs in so that the person they're writing to, whom they've never met, will know what they look like.

"One of our volunteers decided she would put together some newsletters to befriendees with a little quiz or word search. So the volunteers have been very innovative, thinking, 'What can we do to make people connect?' They are doing everything that they possibly can."

Anyone wishing more information about Befriending Caithness can contact Angie House (angie@cvg.org.uk; 07592493048), Elspeth Manson (elspeth@cvg.org.uk; 07592493045) or Kayleigh Sinclair (Kayleigh@cvg.org.uk).


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