Christmas can be a wonderful time of year for many. But it can be a lonely one for others who may be missing loved ones or finding it hard to stay connected to others.
Silver Talk is just one way we help support people who may be feeling lonely or isolated. It’s our free telephone befriending service for people aged 50 and over.
Silver Talk gives people the opportunity to connect for regular, social telephone chats.
We spoke to one of our Silver Talk volunteers and one of our customers who uses the service to find out why they think Silver Talk can help people who are feeling lonely at Christmas.
Bernadette from Newton Aycliffe started volunteering for Silver Talk during the Covid pandemic:
“It’s a lifeline for a lot of people, especially if they live on their own. I live on my own too, so I get as much benefit as they do.
“I think a lot of people get lonely over the Christmas period because you associate Christmas with family. If you have no family, I think people can get quite depressed. All those occasions where families normally come together are the times that people need them more than ever.
“Silver Talk is such a good way to help people. Just getting a short call can let people know you are thinking of them and that can make a world of difference.
“People look forward to the calls and they all thank you at the end.”
Rosemary, an 88 year old Karbon Homes customers from Prudhoe, speaks to her Silver Talk volunteer, Jana every Monday:
“She’s a lovely girl. We both help each other get things off our chest.
“I lost my husband in 1989 and I’ve lived on my own for most of my life since then. I’ve got four sons and they make sure I’m alright, but you can’t expect them to be there all the time. Having Jana call me every Monday is wonderful – it gives you a sense of hope because you know someone is there for you.
“If you can help somebody you feel you’ve completed someone’s day or helped them along a little.
“If you’re worried you can talk your worries over or you can have a laugh with them over memories, or you can sing to them too.”
And with that Rosemary then broke out into a beautiful rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas.’
If you're interested in signing up to Silver Talk, you can find out more and register here or call us on 0191 223 8662.
Volunteer for Silver Talk
Silver Talk runs thanks to the kind of generosity of our volunteers and we would love to grow so even more people can benefit - if you can spare an hour or two each week and enjoy listening, chatting and getting to know people, get in touch now to find out how you can volunteer.
Christmas can be a wonderful time of year for many. But it can be a lonely one for others who may be missing loved ones or finding it hard to stay connected to others.
Silver Talk is just one way we help support people who may be feeling lonely or isolated. It’s our free telephone befriending service for people aged 50 and over.
Silver Talk gives people the opportunity to connect for regular, social telephone chats.
We spoke to one of our Silver Talk volunteers and one of our customers who uses the service to find out why they think Silver Talk can help people who are feeling lonely at Christmas.
Bernadette from Newton Aycliffe started volunteering for Silver Talk during the Covid pandemic:
“It’s a lifeline for a lot of people, especially if they live on their own. I live on my own too, so I get as much benefit as they do.
“I think a lot of people get lonely over the Christmas period because you associate Christmas with family. If you have no family, I think people can get quite depressed. All those occasions where families normally come together are the times that people need them more than ever.
“Silver Talk is such a good way to help people. Just getting a short call can let people know you are thinking of them and that can make a world of difference.
“People look forward to the calls and they all thank you at the end.”
Rosemary, an 88 year old Karbon Homes customers from Prudhoe, speaks to her Silver Talk volunteer, Jana every Monday:
“She’s a lovely girl. We both help each other get things off our chest.
“I lost my husband in 1989 and I’ve lived on my own for most of my life since then. I’ve got four sons and they make sure I’m alright, but you can’t expect them to be there all the time. Having Jana call me every Monday is wonderful – it gives you a sense of hope because you know someone is there for you.
“If you can help somebody you feel you’ve completed someone’s day or helped them along a little.
“If you’re worried you can talk your worries over or you can have a laugh with them over memories, or you can sing to them too.”
And with that Rosemary then broke out into a beautiful rendition of ‘Have Yourself a Merry little Christmas.’
If you're interested in signing up to Silver Talk, you can find out more and register here or call us on 0191 223 8662.
Volunteer for Silver Talk
Silver Talk runs thanks to the kind of generosity of our volunteers and we would love to grow so even more people can benefit - if you can spare an hour or two each week and enjoy listening, chatting and getting to know people, get in touch now to find out how you can volunteer.
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