Godalming-based Watco, the UK’s leading manufacturer of industrial strength flooring products, makes two year commitment to helping improve the lives of elderly through its participation in Age UK’s national telephone befriending service
Age UK’s Call in Time Programme is a national telephone befriending service. 800 friendship calls are made every week by corporate volunteers to lonely and isolated older people. Each volunteer makes just one 20-30 minute call a week, which changes the lives of the elderly by reducing isolation and loneliness, building and improving their confidence, mental and physical well-being, and allowing them to remain independent in their own homes for longer. By sponsoring their staff to fund this activity, Watco will be helping to improve the lives of a vulnerable sector of the community.
Starting in January 2016, a minimum of ten Watco staff will take part in this initiative, with training provided by Age UK, who will pair staff up with suitable elderly partners based on shared interests. Many of the staff already spend a great deal of time on the phone as part of their day to day roles, so this telephone befriending service will integrate easily into their working day.
Marketing Director Jeremy Neaves has been involved with Age UK in the past, so supporting this initiative was an obvious step to take. “There are far too many elderly people in the UK who are suffering from loneliness and by committing to a 30 minute call to make someone’s week is little in terms of cost to the employee”, commented Jeremy.
A recent Age UK survey found:
- 2.9 million people aged 65 and over, feel they have no one to turn to for help and support, that’s one in four older people
- Over a million older people do not speak to a friend, family member or anyone they know for a month or longer at a time
- 81% said being able to talk and laugh with someone is the most important thing of all
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