A brand new befriending service has been launched by social landlord Isos Housing to help stop older people becoming isolated or lonely.
The Silver Talk service is run from the Isos office in Hexham, but is available to older Isos residents across Northumberland.
Residents can request one or more calls per week, so they always have a friendly, caring call to look forward to.
Lindsay Warren, team leader in the Supported Housing Older Persons team at Isos, said: “We want to help prevent our older residents becoming isolated, as we know it is an increasing problem which has a particular impact in smaller, rural communities.”
The service is free to Isos residents, most of the current volunteers are older people, and they are all trained, police checked, and properly supervised. Isos covers all volunteers’ travel costs to and from the office on Burn Lane in Hexham.
Residents can request one, two, or more calls every week at times that are convenient.
A number of Isos residents are already receiving calls. One Silver Talk caller from Corbridge said: “I absolutely adore the phone calls. They help me relax and I find it very therapeutic. The volunteer I speak to is lovely and easy to talk to. I’m really pleased with the service.”
Isos is looking for volunteers to join the team who staff the Silver Talk hotline.
If you’d like to volunteer, please contact a member of the Supported Housing Older Persons team on 0300 300 1505. Similarly, if you’d like to receive a Silver Talk call, you can call the same number to register your interest.