‘It is so fulfilling’ – Volunteer tells of joy brought by role in South Yorkshire befriending programme

When the pandemic hit organisations such as the South Yorkshire Housing Association (SYHA) and Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC) were quick to set up befriending programmes and connect volunteers with isolated, older people through the phone on a regular basis.

Now, with lockdown restrictions still in place, the need for these services has become even greater – with dozens of people signed up to receive these vital telephone calls but not enough buddies to provide them.

Pam Hankinson is first and foremost a customer of SYHA but has been involved with the team on a number of volunteer projects over the years, the most recent being the befriending programme.

Through her role, the 76-year-old has forged friendships with two women who she is in communcation with on a weekly basis – one through the phone and the other with whom she now writes letters.

Pam explained: "One of the ladies is deaf and when I first rang her she didn’t know why I was ringing her or who I was. But it became very difficult because even though I got more used to understanding what she’d said, she was finding it difficult to hear me.

"I said why don’t I come and visit you – this was just as lockdown ended in June – so I visited her in her garden and we social distanced. It was lovely to talk to her because we could see each other, we could sit opposite each other and she could understand every word I said.”

During this conversation Pam discovered the woman was an avid reader but was struggling to get hold of new books, leaving her stuck re-reading ones purchased 30 years ago.

So, using her connections with the LiveWell service which is managed by SYHA, Pam arranged for some books to be delivered to the woman’s home.

“It made her even more isolated really,” Pam said. “I rang the LiveWell people who had told me about her and asked if they had any access to books. They were then able to deliver some to her.

"One day she told me she’d read the books so I ordered her one from Amazon and had it delivered to her house, she was really pleased with that.”

Seeing the benefit her role has made to the lives of those she is communicat with and her own life as well, Pam is now urging others to sign up and become a telephone befriender.

She added: “I get as much out of it as they do. I know they’re pleased that I’ve called and I recognise if I get a letter who it’s from and post one straight back.

“Honestly, it is so fulfilling. I would encourage anyone to get involved with these services.”

The Star has launched the ‘Buddy Up!’ campaign in the call for more befriending volunteers.

To get involved email [email protected] and mark your message for the ‘Buddy Up!’ campaign.

The Star has launched a new Buddy Up! Campaign calling on more people to sign up as volunteers to help provide befriending services to isolated people. For more information on that, see our article here.

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a digital subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.