Telephone Friends

Introduced in 2014 the Telephone Friends service is ideal for AJR members who would prefer to chat on the phone rather than have someone visit them.

Volunteers and members are paired up and over time they develop a relationship. It’s all very informal – we leave it up to the member and the volunteer to agree how often they wish to speak and for how long, and what topics they feel comfortable discussing.

The service is particularly suitable for older AJR members who live alone and find it difficult to get out of the house. As people get older, it is sadly quite common to feel isolated and alone. Perhaps they have lost their partner and/or friends, or perhaps their own children live far away. Perhaps they are no longer physically able to join social clubs and interest groups. Having a good friend just at the end of the phone line makes all the difference.

Charlotte is one of the volunteers aiming to make a difference. Nearing retirement from her job as an administrator for one of the Royal Colleges, she decided to throw herself into volunteering three years’ ago and currently has several AJR Telephone Friends. She calls each of them once a week on average, just to see how they are and discuss events that are happening in their lives or in the wider world.

Before the first telephone call is made AJR members are sent details of the name of their volunteer and roughly when they will call, along with an introduction to the service and some simple do’s and don’ts. These include an explanation that the volunteer makes the calls, not the other way round (in fact volunteers’ telephone numbers are automatically withheld) although the member can request the optimum days and times for calls.