Read our new report: ‘A communication lifeline’: How outreach ethos, knowledge and skills supported rapid development of a telephone befriending service during Covid-19.

Following the introduction of the March 2020 Covid-19 lockdown, Age UK Camden identified the need to set up a telephone befriending service. This was a response to the flood of anxious calls from older people, who needed both practical and social-emotional support as they began this period of isolation.

In response to a call for volunteers, they were quickly able to assemble a list of people who were interested in becoming a befriender. The ABC Outreach Team played a major role in establishing this service, named ‘Telefriends’, matching a volunteer to each interested older person and organising regular social calls between them. In early June, 89 older people were receiving calls from 77 volunteers.

This report shows how key aspects of ABC’s Outreach Team practice supported rapid innovation in a crisis situation. It demonstrates how effective, flexible outreach provision adds resilience to systems for supporting older people.

Click here to read the full report.