With there being a direct link between loneliness and mental health issues, Age Concern Epsom & Ewell have teamed up with Epsom & Ewell High School - Winners of the Schools Mental Health Gold Award.
The school’s Year 13 Media Studies Students Edward Schofield, Toby Watson, Lauren Taylor and Molly Colclough have created the charity’s online video campaign for The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2019.
The students interviewed and filmed dedicated Volunteer Befriender Amanda, Befriender Client, Richard who turns 100 next March and Tehmina, the daughter of one of their Befriender clients who has 3 young children.
They captured the needs and benefits of the amazing befrienders service that Age Concern provides for the older community in Epsom & Ewell and have highlighted the many emotions associated with the issue of loneliness. You can watch the amazing videos on Age Concern Epsom & Ewells YouTube Channel.
Age Concern really engage with their Befriending Service clients and introduces them to a DBS checked, trained and carefully matched volunteer befriender. Age Concern Befrienders help clients to deal with social isolation and loneliness and give their clients the confidence to widen their social circles.
In order to sustain their Befriending Service, this December Age Concern Epsom & Ewell are raising funds with the help of The Big Give Christmas Challenge 2019 #ChristmasChallenge19. They are working to alleviate social isolation and aim to limit the feelings of loneliness in the local older community #LimitLoneliness. Social isolation can very quickly result in depression and can lead to further health problems, which can put extra strain on our national health services.
Talking of her experience as an Age Concern Volunteer Befriender, Amanda, said, “everyone’s got the same goal, to support the local elderly.”
Richard who turns 100 next March has been matched with his befriender for over a month now and said, “to me now this is home, I wouldn’t be anywhere else but here.”
Tehmina, who is a working mother of 3 young children, has had to juggle children, work and her elderly mother, but with the help of an Age Concern Befriender “it has increased her quality of life....and for me, it did the same.”
Help to support Age Concern Epsom & Ewell’s Befriending Service and donate between December 3rd from noon until noon on December 10th. Donations made during this time will be doubled, which means that one donation has twice the impact #onthedouble.
You can donate toward this amazing local charity at http://bit.ly/ACEpsomlimitloneliness from midday on December 3rd and help older local people to feel less alone. #LimitLoneliness
Age Concern Epsom & Ewell is an independent local community charity, serving the over 65’s in the local borough since 1947. We provide a wide variety of services to the older community, such as Information & Advice, Medical Transport Scheme, Home Visiting, IT support, Men’s group, Monthly Sunday Teas and an amazing Befriending Service.
