Need assistance?
The Age UK Isle of Wight's Good Neighbour Scheme is a volunteer befriending service, offering support for older people with no-one to turn to. The award winning Good Neighbour Scheme is a cornerstone of our services. Our volunteers provide vital assistance, friendship and reliable support for over 50s on the Isle of Wight.
This is a volunteer led befriending service available to those living on the Isle of Wight.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS IS NOT AN EMERGENCY SERVICE.
How could our volunteers support you?
- Face to face befriending - visiting those who feel lonely or isolated for a cup of tea and a chat
- Telephone befriending - calling regular Neighbours to either have a catch-up or simply check-in to see how you're doing
- Relationship building - helping you to regain confidence after illness or bereavement
- Trips out in the local area, perhaps for a short walk or to the local shop - places you enjoy but may struggle to go to alone
Your Good Neighbour can also put you in touch with our team at Age UK Isle of Wight for:
- Signposting to vital information and Isle of Wight services
- Information on Age UK Isle of Wight and our other services available to improve their health and wellbeing
About Our Volunteers:
We take pride in the quality of our volunteers who support this scheme. When seeking a Good Neighbour for you, we will make informed choices based on shared interests, hobbies, locations and various other factors.
In the best interests of our clients, all our volunteers complete a DBS check before starting with the scheme. They are supported by a designated co-ordinator who will also check in with you regularly to ensure you are happy with the support our Good Neighbour Scheme is providing.
I think someone I know needs this service. Can I apply for them?
We welcome you to tell your loved ones about this service, if you think it could benefit them. Please call or email to discuss this further as we may be able to provide you with support and material to aid you to have this conversation with your loved one.
We can only contact individuals if you can assure us they are happy to be contacted.
Want to help your neighbours? Volunteering for The Good Neighbour Scheme
We have a small network of wonderful volunteers working within every community on the Isle of Wight, who provide vital assistance, friendship and reliable support for local older people who have no one else to turn to.
The type of support that the Good Neighbour Scheme provides can differ from day to day. We try to match you with older residents local to your own area for ease. We ask that you provide us with guidance of your availability, and when the occasion arises within your availability, we would call you to ask if you could help with any of the below:
- Telephone befriending - Calling from the comfort of your own home to check in and have a chat with a local resident
- Face to Face befriending - This could be visiting those at their home or outside in the open air.
- Helping with small home tasks - Simple things like changing a lightbulb can be a real help to those who are less able.
- Administration - This could be letter writing or help with paperwork or simply dropping off something to the local postbox for them.
You can choose which elements that you would like to help support you local residents with. Some volunteers however, would prefer to volunteer their support with one specific role, see below for more info about those options. Email or phone us for further information.
