Sarah Cox, Lead Co-ordinator at Clifton based charity Good Companions, gives an update of what they got up to on the lead up to Christmas:
Happy New Year 2021! In the December edition of Clifton News we showed a few preview snippets of plans for our Christmas ‘party in a bag’ which Good Companions planned to distribute to service users in the Clifton, Wilford and Silverdale areas of Nottingham (and a few further afield). Our small, Clifton-based charity ultimately distributed 169 party bags with the support of our lovely volunteers so that service users could enjoy their party treats at home for a ‘group tuck-in’ on the afternoon of Monday 14th December.
Good Companions supports isolated, vulnerable and lonely older people and our services have never been more in need than during this current pandemic period. As well as providing support with food deliveries and collection of medications, we continue to provide an outreach service and phone befriending scheme. We held a carol singing event on Zoom for service users and volunteers on the Tuesday 15th December – this was the last of our twice-monthly Zoom friendship sessions before Christmas
We are so thankful that support continues to be extended to us by local individuals and businesses, as well as other charitable organisations. We would like to give a special mention to the Summerwood Community Garden who, as well as donating 169 potted hyacinth bulbs which were included in our party bags, also cooked and supported with the distribution of plated Christmas meals for those who would otherwise be alone at Christmas without the means to have a festive hot dinner.
Our ability to continue to provide our outreach service in the current ‘at home’ state has been possible due to extra-ordinary income from a variety of funding sources. With the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine currently being rolled-out to older people in our communities we now are able to consider the very real possibility of re-opening our friendship groups and Home Visiting Scheme once social distancing rules allow for this.
If you would like to receive regular contact with one of our phone befrienders, or to make a referral for an older relative or neighbour to receive support, then please phone Good Companions on (0115) 878 6182or email sarah@goodcompanions.org.
Likewise, if you wish to volunteer with us or make a donation we would love to hear from you.
We wish you a happy and healthy 2021.