Cockermouth Linking Lives

The Pitch

Problem statement

Cockermouth Linking Lives aims to reduce social isolation and loneliness in the CA13 area. Our aim is to provide a befriending service to anyone who is lonely or isolated by meeting with them in their own homes or a neutral venue for around one hour per week. Most scheme members are 65+ and have often been bereaved. We aim to befriend first and then involve them in various community activities to help them build up a network of friends. Most referrals come via the surgery or social services. Scheme members are proven to benefit by staying in their own home for longer and having reduced risk of heart disease, dementia, diabetes and shortened life expectancy.

Solution

The goal of the project is to reduce Isolation and Loneliness in the CA13 area of Cumbria. We also aim to reduce the pressure on health and social services by helping to keep people in their own homes for as long as possible. The funding will enable us to employ an additional member of staff for 4 hrs per week. As a result we expect to be able to increase the number of Link Friends we visit every week from around 75 to over 100.

Why are we best placed to deliver?

We have been operating in the CA13 area since October 2019 and are well established in the locality and currently have over 50 volunteers who visit around seventy five lonely and isolated people for an hour per week. We have an excellent relationship with our local surgery and with health and social care providers. We are affiliated to a national organisation 'Linking Lives UK'. All of our volunteers are enhanced DBS checked and undertake a range of training including safeguarding, awareness of dementia, disability awareness, communication and etc. We also hold weekly and monthly events for the lonely including games and craft activities helping them become more involved in the community.

Focus Areas

Delivery plan

Budget breakdown

Beneficiaries

50 people

Who will benefit

Expected impact

Linking Lives reaches out to people who are lonely or isolated in the Cockermouth and surrounding area. We welcome referrals from health and social care providers, families and friends and individuals themselves. Currently we are visiting or calling 75 Link Friends for one hour per week, but demand continues to rise and we would like to do more. Additional funding would improve our recruitment function and help us to increase provision to 100 + visits per week.

Track record

Since launch in 2019 we have received over 180 referrals, mainly from our local surgery, but also from many health providers, social care agencies, relatives and friends. Many of our Links are elderly and bereaved. We have recently increased our paid staff from 12 hours per week to 16 hours per week and a successful application will mean we can increase this to 20 hours per week. We speak to volunteers and Links every 4-6 weeks to check on progress and feedback is overwhelmingly positive and we record this. We have volunteers and Links who are willing to speak to funders about their experience. Recent comments include, 'I don't know how I would have managed without her', 'He's helped me through some dark moments', 'We always have really interesting conversations', I don't know how Sue managed to find me someone that shares so many interests with me'.