Yorkshire charity calls for volunteers to help older people in unprecedented challenge

Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington is appealing for volunteers to be telephone befrienders, shoppers and meal delivery drivers to ensure the wellbeing of self-isolating older people during the coronavirus outbreak.

The charity has made significant changes to its service to help deal with the "once in a generation challenge" including suspending all social activities, home visits and face-to-face appointments and befriending visits with its information service being via the telephone only.

However they will be expanding telephone befriending services to prevent loneliness and ensure the wellbeing of self-isolating older people.

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Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington is appealing for volunteers. Photo credit: Joe Giddens.Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington is appealing for volunteers. Photo credit: Joe Giddens.
Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington is appealing for volunteers. Photo credit: Joe Giddens.
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"We need more volunteers to help us to support older people who are self-isolating, deliver hot meals, do some shopping for them and to make phone calls to check they’re OK.”

They have introduced a hot meal referral service for self-isolating over 70s and vulnerable groups aged over 50, initially limited to Darlington and parts of Richmondshire only, to provide a basic set menu comprising a hot main course and dessert for £5 including delivery.

The charity is working alongside the White Swan, at Gilling West, to provide the nutritionally balanced two-courses into Richmond and surrounding villages, in addition to deliveries from the charities café in Darlington.

The non-for profit organisation hope to partner with other local food outlets to allow us to roll this out to other areas in North Yorkshire including Hambleton, Richmondshire, Harrogate and Skipton.

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They will also run a temporary free volunteer shopping service where volunteers will collect shopping for older people and drop it off at their homes.

Mrs Hunt said due to the necessity of older people having to self-isolate, the charity can no longer rely on its usual funding streams to sustain the services provided.

"To help us to provide these new services Age UK North Yorkshire and Darlington is urging individuals and businesses to consider giving a financial donation to help us to continue our work through this time,” she said.

Launch a local rate helpline number on 0300 30 20 100 for advice and a dedicated email address for concerns at [email protected].

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