We are delighted to announce that the National Lottery Community Fund have awarded us with a grant which will enable us to continue to deliver our Sandwell Together telephone befriending scheme. Sandwell Together provides valuable support to isolated and lonely people across Sandwell by a team of trained volunteers.
Sandwell Together was established in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and has been running now since March 2020. During this time we have received nearly 300 referrals and recruited a total of 110 volunteers. The project has made such a difference that we decided to continue out of lockdown and beyond in recognition that social isolation and loneliness remain significant issues that need to be addressed.
As well as providing a valuable lifeline to those we have supported throughout the life of this project, our volunteers themselves have also benefitted significantly from getting involved. Volunteers have told us how beneficial the service has been to them, stating that they feel they have made a real difference and done something really useful with their time.
We are of course extremely grateful to the National Lottery Community Fund for their support.
For more information on either becoming a Sandwell Together volunteer or to refer someone in need of a friendly listening ear please call 0121 520 8070 or email sandwelladvocacy@btconnect.com