Senior Customer Service Advisor, Laura Peters, has volunteered for a local befriending scheme called the Generation Project. The project aims to reduce isolation and loneliness in elderly residents in the Wythenshawe and Northenden area.
Laura meets a local elderly resident on a weekly basis as well as making regular phone calls. When asked why she took part in the Generation project scheme, Laura commented: “I think it’s important to invest time (not just money) in our community- you can’t buy friendship and human interaction. Plus I have old grandparents and I’d like to think that if they are lonely someone would be there for them. I had a new year’s resolution to double my volunteering hours so better late than never! As a generation we are living longer, we’re all going to end up old one day and the demand is so high for this, I would encourage anyone to get involved!”
Laura visits a lady in her early 90s who has lived in the same house since 1930. Laura explains: “I really enjoy my visits; I get to hear about all of her memories being in the house and during the war. She tells me about her trade as a high class dressmaker and all the wedding dresses she has handmade! Unfortunately she had to give this up to work in a factory making weaponry during the war. She has no immediate family apart from a niece who lives far away so it can be very lonely at home on her own.”
When asked what she enjoys about the befriending scheme, Laura answered: “I love that I make a small difference to someone’s life- it gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside! I love that I’ve made a friend and learnt so much about the local area, the war and how things used to be around here. The hardest part is leaving her each week!”
You can find out more information about the Generation Project by following this link: www.thegenerationproject.co.uk