Cotswold Friends offers comprehensive support to older and vulnerable adults across the North Cotswolds. Our aim is to help people maintain their independence and to prevent loneliness and isolation. We have seven key services as follows:
- Community Transport Service – Volunteer Drivers help people who cannot drive themselves or find public transport difficult to use, to get out and about to medical, social and practical appointments. We can also provide a Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle.
- Befriending Service – Volunteer befrienders regularly visit a lonely person for a chat and a cuppa, to help brighten their day and keep them connected to their community.
- Carer Support Service – Volunteers help people responsible for the care of another person to take a vital break from their caring responsibilities, helping carers to maintain their own health and wellbeing.
- Community Activities Programme – Getting together with friends and neighbours is a vital part of a happy, healthy community. Volunteer-led group activities include Knit & Natter, Walking Sports and Gentle Walking, Lunch Clubs and Men-in-Sheds.
- Intergenerational Projects – Helping older and younger generations get together through projects such as sixth form students volunteering to visit people in Care Homes.
- Independence Service – Volunteers help people who have lost confidence to regain their independence by supporting them to get out and about again – going for walks, shopping, attending medical appointments, picking up prescriptions, joining local groups and learning useful new IT skills.
- Hospital Support Service – Going into hospital can be a stressful and worrying time. Cotswold Friends volunteers can help people get ready for their stay, pop in regularly to visit and prepare people’s homes for their return with shopping, laundry and more. Our Community Transport Service can also take people to the hospital and bring them home.
Our thanks go to the Chipping Campden Community Trust, which has kindly supported our Transport, Befriending, Carer Support and Intergenerational Services.
Please do get in touch if Cotswold Friends can help you or someone you know. Or could you become a Cotswold Friends volunteer? To find out more Tel: 01608 651415, email: info@cotswoldfriends.org or visit our website at www.cotswoldfriends.org
