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Our volunteers visit, help and befriend people who have become isolated, lonely or out of touch, within the town of Frome, Somerset and the surrounding villages.
Why the community needs us
The people Active and In Touch support have become isolated and lonely through the circumstances that life has thrown at them, maybe caring for a partner for years, moving to a new area, mental health needs or just not feeling confident to try new things alone. With the help of our volunteer befrienders we make a real difference. Our volunteers meet people and spend time with them, find out their needs and interests, and help them to find their own place in the community.
We recognise people's differing needs which is why we have one-to-one befrienders, a small Monday creative group (up to 6 people) and a social Tuesday group. The latter has grown so much, we are now looking for new premises to accommodate our ever increasing numbers. We also have days out, Tea dances and a regular Christmas meal.
In addition, since Jan 21, we have had provided a community volunteer driver scheme to help with safe, friendly and essential journeys.
We have lots of positive feedback from members and some members have gone on to be befrienders in their own right.
We currently have 280 members and 220 volunteers who give over a 200 hours a week in volunteering time. The Charity has a small hard-working, committed team of 4 part time paid staff and a pro-active Board of Trustees, all volunteers in their own right.
Our impact on the community
Although we live in a town with a great community spirit, we inevitably have people who are suffering from loneliness and isolation. It has long been recognised that this causes significant health problems and our aim is to improve the health and wellbeing of individual members and by doing so, our wider community. We work closely with Frome Town Council and "Health Connectors" via Frome medical Practice. We usually get 2-3 referrals a week. Such is our success that neighbouring towns are looking to establish Active and In Touch in their areas. We have also been asked to work with Frome Town Council to take on two schemes that they currently run which will thus increase our reach into the community to help more people.
Your donation will mean that we can carry on this vital work