Medway Voluntary Action needs your help!

An important message from Dalia Halpern-Matthews, Befriending Programme Manager for MVA.

“I wonder whether you would be interested in linking with the Befriending Programme in terms of volunteering for your staff team? We have linked up with Simon Cook at Mid Kent College in this way, and have found that their staff who have taken part in the programme have gained an enormous amount from the experience.

Over the first lockdown period our volunteers were making 150 calls per week to isolated and lonely people in Medway. They literally saved lives.

Last month the referral numbers we had for our service were more than four times what we had this time last year, and more than double even April’s figures (our highest ever)- the level of loneliness and social isolation in Medway is rising alarmingly. But it can take less than an hour of a volunteer’s time to make a transformative change in someone’s life.

We have also begun a digital inclusion programme for those who are isolated and have no access to the digital arena. If you might be able to help this programme with any digital champions, IT which you are replacing, or a donation to the programme we would be delighted to hear from you!

If this is something you would like to discuss further, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Kind regards,

Dalia

Dalia Halpern-Matthews

Befriending Programme Manager

07534 435283/ 01634 564939