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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Message from Sophie Andrews, CEO The Silver Line

I’m delighted to introduce our first

Silver Line Friends newsletter, written

for and mostly by volunteers. I’d like to

thank everyone for joining us at The

Silver Line and making such a

difference to the lives of older people.

By training as a Silver Line Friend you

have made an important contribution

to the success of our new charity.

There are now 1000 older people

receiving weekly friendship calls from

volunteers as well as more than one

thousand calls being answered by our

helpline staff each day and night.

I know from my own experience as a

Samaritan for over 20 years that it

makes a real difference to the people

we support to know that we are giving

our time freely and that we have a

genuine interest and care about them.

It’s so important to the older people

you are befriending to know that you

are doing it because you want to and

isn’t just a job or something you have

to do. You have chosen to give your

time and that in itself is a great gift.

We were thrilled to hear that many of

you would like to speak to more than

one person and we are now trying to

match Silver Line Friends to those

older people who are still on our

waiting list. We are a small team so

please bear with us and we’ll get back

to you as soon as we can.

We are developing other ways for

older people to enjoy friendship and

conversation such as Silver Circles

(group conference calls), Pen Pals

plus we are also looking to develop

other volunteer roles. There are more

details in this newsletter.

I believe that what makes our service

so special is our focus on bringing

alive and celebrating the wonderful

stories older people tell us. So many of

them have been in virtual isolation, or

feel so lonely because they have no

one they can really chat to, reminisce

with or laugh and cry with. They may

have people around them but still feel

very alone. We don’t judge and we

don’t have a measure for loneliness –

what we say to our callers is that if you

think it’s for you, it’s for you

I hope you enjoy our first volunteer

newsletter and that you will want to

contribute to the next one.

Please do get in touch with me at

Sophie.Andrews@thesilverline.org.uk

if you want to make any suggestions

about how The Silver Line can improve

our service to older people.

And thank you, once again, for all that

you do.

Sophie

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Thank You for your training feedback

The feedback we have received from

you this year at training has been

invaluable in shaping our ongoing

training. It has been great to know

what we’ve been doing well and also

what we could have done better.

Since March we have trained over 800

volunteers as Silver Line Friends

nationwide at 36 face-to-face days and

through 87 telephone conference call

sessions. Thank you to everyone who

attended one of these and thank you

to everyone who completed an

evaluation to let us know what we did

right, and equally important, what we

could have done better.

We have been very encouraged by

many evaluations telling us they felt a

sense of connection to The Silver Line

after training, as well as feeling more

confident and understanding the

expectations of the befriending role.

We have also been pleased that many

of you considered your face-to-face

day fun, informative and relaxed, and

the interactive style of the conference

calls an enjoyable and effective way to

train volunteers unable to attend in

person.

However some of you told us you

would have liked the following:

More role play

Case studies and real examples

of difficult calls to discuss

To listen to sample calls

More opportunity to interact on

the conference call

Volunteer Feedback

Overall, how would you rate the

information and training you have

received so far?

We have already trialled adding case

study discussions to both our training

formats. We have received positive

feedback from attendees who say it

gives them greater confidence, and

that it is good to discuss the various

situations and share ideas with other

volunteers. We will now look at ways

to incorporate your other suggestions.

So once again thank you for all of your

feedback and your help with improving

Silver Line training for new volunteers.

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Friendship Feedback Forum

We have received some fantastic

befriending stories from volunteers

already and we know this is only the

tip of the iceberg. Thank you to

everyone who has taken the time to

write to us with their experiences so far

– please do keep them coming!

…………………………………………….

“It was with some trepidation that on a

Sunday evening in early July I entered

the Silver Line website, pressed on

Contacts and then on Call. Through

the magic of technology, which I have

to admit, I do not understand, I was

immediately talking to my first Silver

Line friend.

It went better than I had anticipated.

We quickly found common interests –

Indian cooking and then some military

history. What a combination! 30

minutes passed very quickly!

An hour later and with greater

confidence I called my second friend

and discovered a wonderful lady who

was in the Land Army during the

Second World War. She could write a

book about her experiences which

included – forging her father’s

signature on the application form (yes,

really) and then running away from

home in the middle of the night to join

up in Wales. That call lasted 40

minutes.

Since then every Sunday evening has

been very special, and only last

Sunday both my friends said how

much they enjoyed our newly formed

relationship. That really makes the

whole thing very worthwhile and it is a

privilege for me to have such

interesting people to talk to.”

Colin

……………………………………………

“The first few calls involved lots of

small talk and getting to know each

other. We spoke about birds, her

garden, my new niece, travel etc. I

was beginning to understand that my

new friend had had a difficult few

months as she mentioned a few things

in passing, but I think we both felt it

was too early to go into detail. As the

weeks have progressed and the trust

has increased, we have started to

discuss some of the issues she has

had. I try not to offer advice, I try to

listen, empathise and make helpful

suggestions. I don't find this hard as

my friend is remarkably positive.

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

From her perspective, I know that The

Silver Line calls have a hugely

beneficial influence on her life. She

tells me how she looks forward to our

call all week. She says that she tells

me things that she couldn't tell anyone

else, very deep and poignant things

that I think she wants to get off her

chest. She says that she feels that she

can say these things to me as we don't

meet and it would never cause a

problem. I think she find this cathartic.

My friend is clearly going through a

process of rebuilding her confidence

and I'm very sure that The Silver Line

call is aiding that hugely. I don't think

that it's anything particular that I am

saying, more the fact that I am there

for her to say it to.

Another positive note in this has been

meeting another volunteer Francis, he

and I are now good friends and see

each other once a week!”

Stuart

……………………………………………

My friend seems to really like hearing

stories about my dog and always ends

asking me to give her a pat from her.

She tells me she looks forward to our

calls and did once say “I don’t know

how I would manage all that pain

without you.”

Dinah

……………………………………………

“I was curious to see how my first

experience with The Silver Line would

work out after the initial training, and

how the first conversation would go.

Would there be long silences? My

Silver Line Friend is an 80+ year old

who worked in the oil industry and he

straightaway said that he did not think

he would have much in common with

me, a retired solicitor. Also I was not

sure how lonely my friend really was

as he has a son and daughter living

nearby. I need not have worried.

You have got to be both a good

listener and a good talker to make the

relationship work. I have also realised

that having family nearby does not

mean that he does not benefit from

having a Silver Line Friend. After all for

90% of his life he is not with them, and

anyway I think he gets great pleasure

from telling me about them.

I have greatly enjoyed my experience

with The Silver Line.”

John

……………………………………………

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

“I have just spent five minutes viewing

a Russian video on Facebook. The

video depicted a series of 'simple acts

of kindness' carried out by motorists -

stopping to aid an elderly person cross

the road, helping someone get to their

feet after falling over, picking up a

kitten which had strayed onto the road

and so on and so forth. I tried to

remember when I last witnessed any

such act.........This is the essence of

why I have become part of The Silver

Line, to contribute and help where I am

able. I am officially classed as 'a

pensioner' but am fortunate in that I

am reasonably fit and well, have my

mobility, a good network of friends and

a degree of financial security. After six

months of 'retirement' and having the

freedom to do 'whatever I wanted

when I wanted' (oh how I dreamed of

these days when working full time) it

all began to feel very shallow with little

personal satisfaction, then I heard of

The Silver Line and the light bulb

clicked!

I can do that - and yes I find that I can.

Then this week my Silver Line Friend

told me how much they looked forward

to these weekly calls and I feel great.

One hour per week is not a lot to me

but it is worth a lot.

To anyone considering volunteering I

say go for it ....... at the back of my

mind I keep thinking it could be me just

wanting someone to chat to........”

Sue

……………………………………………

“As a new SL volunteer I was a bit

nervous the first time I called my

potential Silver Line Friend as I didn’t

know what to expect. Although I had a

brief on her background, I still had to

have a pen and pad with a few topics

jotted down for opening up

conversation and ready to take notes!

This helped in the early stages of our

relationship, so as not to forget

anything important, like the names of

children, grandchildren, pets & special

dates – those that can be referred

back to with care and with interest.

Our conversations tend to flow and

cover a wide array of topics from

current affairs to our own world views.

We have developed a good rapport

over the weeks with lots of smiles and

laughter and we both look forward to

catching up on any events and news in

each other’s lives from week to week.

She always says that my calls are like

a “tonic” for her and I have been

complimented, being told that I am a

good conversationalist and that she

really enjoys our chats, and looks

forward to the next.

Our Silver Line Helpline service is

bringing some new input to my friend’s

life along with a fresh, if not different,

view of the world out there and a

reconnection with life outside of her

own environment. My experience as a

Silver Line Friend has also enriched

my life. When my working day is done

& I come home to an empty home, I

too have found myself feeling lonely. I

can understand and empathise with

how easily isolation can creep up on

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

one until it takes hold. If I can help one

person, feel less isolated or lonely and

part of the human race again, then I

am rewarded tenfold.

Our work is very worth the

commitment!”

Patricia

……………………………………………

“Since I started calling my lady she

has gained a lot of her self-confidence

back. She is now going out quite a lot

because she has joined one club, and

has since had the confidence to go on

to do other things with people that also

go to that club. She now goes out at

least one evening a week, and get

this, through one of the clubs she goes

to she made a friend who recently

asked her if she fancied going away

for a few days. They had a wonderful

time together in Scarborough, so much

so they have booked to go again in a

couple of weeks’ time.”

Linda

…………………………………………….

“Each week when we have our

conversation, I can feel that the calls

mean a lot to my Silver Line Friend

and she tells me how important it is for

everyone to have someone to talk to.”

Judy

……………………………………………

“I have two Silver Line Friends; a

lovely gentleman of whom I am very

fond, who is very easy to talk to and

says things like: "I wouldn't tell anyone

else this....." which makes me feel very

privileged. And a sweet little lady who

talks without, seemingly, pausing to

draw breath.

I enjoy my Silver Line Friends

immensely and they say that they look

forward to my calls”

Anne

……………………………………………

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Going Postal!

Volunteers can now exchange post

with their Friends and we also have an

exciting new Pen Pal volunteering

opportunity for those who enjoy putting

pen to paper.

Many of you have expressed a wish to

be able to exchange birthday cards,

postcards, photographs, recipes,

poems and many other paper-related

things with your Silver Line Friend.

Whilst we still ask you to stick to the

important boundary of not exchanging

gifts, and anything of monetary value,

we are more than happy to facilitate

the exchange of any of the above.

All you need to do is pop your note or

card in a stamped envelope - ensuring

that the content you would like us to

forward is left unsealed. Please

include your full name, address and

the first name of your friend that we

are sending it to, and we will forward it

on!

Post them through to:

Silver Line Friend Post

The Silver LIne

Minerva House

42 Wigmore Street

London

W1U 2RY

Silver Letters

We have also been receiving requests

from older people (particularly those

coping with hearing loss) for a Pen Pal

Friend so we are going to pilot Silver

Letters. If you would be interested in

becoming a Silver Letter Volunteer and

picking up a pen and using the written

word to help someone feel cared for,

then please email volunteer.newsletter@thesilverline.org.uk

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Going the Extra Mile

Some Silver Line Friends have been

busy out in their local communities,

raising awareness and making sure as

many people know The Silver Line

number as possible.

Silver Line Friend Jane emailed us

back in May, concerned that older

people living in her local community on

the Isle of Wight might not know about

The Silver Line. She wanted to know

whether we could post her any

promotional material so that she could

distribute it in the library, the local

surgery and various businesses in

order to spread the word.

As you can see from the picture we

are now pride of place in a window of

the main high street. Thank You Jane!

If you would like to do something

similar to Jane please contact volunteer.newsletter@thesilverline.org.uk

…………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Lives, Loves and Losses

In this section of the newsletter we would like to celebrate good news amongst our

volunteers, but would also like it be a place that we can celebrate the lives of any

Silver Line Friends that may have passed away.

For our very first edition we would like you to join us in saying a big

congratulations to Mary from Plymouth and her new husband, who got married

in June after 20 years of being together!

Please feel free to email your news to volunteer.newsletter@thesilverline.or.uk

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Meet the Silver Line Scotland team, who are working incredibly hard Monday to

Friday delivering The Silver Line Helpline and befriending service to older people

across Scotland.

The Silver Line Scotland currently has

seven volunteers within its Helpline

team ranging from students to

someone who is 80 years old – and all

ages in between! They say: “we all live

and learn from all our different

experiences in life!” One of their

Helpline volunteers, Laura-Jane, has

written a short piece about her

experience with The Silver Line

Scotland so far:

“I spent several months volunteering

with Age Scotland, carrying out

Keeping in Touch' calls with service

users awaiting a Silver Line Friend

match. The time I spent with the team

was both rewarding and challenging,

as I spoke with a wide variety of older

people with a range of needs across

Scotland. The team were incredibly

friendly and really made me feel like I

was helping them make a difference. I

am so glad I had the opportunity to

witness what this important

organisation works with every day, but

the most rewarding part of my job

definitely came from the older people I

spoke with, who were so grateful for

our calls and for The Silver Line

service.

I got so much out of my experience I

ended up becoming a Silver Line

Friend. I hope that through sharing my

time I can give a little something back

to a generation that all too often seems

to be overlooked or forgotten.”

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

News in Brief

We’ve compiled some recent news items that concern isolation and loneliness

amongst older people across the UK, as well as updates that may be of interest to

you as Silver Line Friend volunteers.

Friends of the Elderly reported

in August that there will be a

40% rise in older people

reporting loneliness by 2030

due to the rise in the internet

cutting off local services. To

read the full article click here

In July The Independent ran an

article that told us Britain has

become the loneliness capital of

Europe. So how did we come

so lonely? To read the full

article click here

We have a growing number of

fantastic, and very different,

companies now working with us

as volunteers. Most recently,

Consultus Care, Mishcon des

Reya and Vodafone – so a big

thank you for joining us in

supporting older people and for

giving time and encouragement.

We are also working with the

Rotary Club in London who

have offered their time and

considerable experience to join

forces with The Silver Line. We

will train 50 of their members to

become Silver Line Friends by

October, with many more to

follow!

Over 3,500 retailers will donate

to us at no extra cost to you, if

you simply shop online via Give

as you Live. Join and start

shopping today to help us beat

loneliness.

We’re always interested to hear of any stories or news items that may be happening

in your local area, and remember you can keep up to date with our news stories via

Twitter and Facebook too.

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Swiss Re and The Silver Line

Corporate volunteering is a fantastic way for companies to offer their staff the

opportunity to ‘give something back.’ At Swiss Re the volunteer training was

organised during the working day and 8 members of staff attended the session.

Sally-Anne is one of our Corporate Silver Line Friends.

“Swiss Re were one of the founding

partners for The Silver Line and as a

result extremely supportive of

employees volunteering.

My friend and I were matched a few

months ago and although I was

nervous when I made the first call - I

wanted to make a good first

impression! - I had nothing to worry

about as we appeared to hit it off

straight away sharing our

backgrounds, family circumstances

and interests. We enjoy subjects such

as sport and travel and generally have

quite a lot to talk about every week.

Our conversations are definitely 'two

way' and I really look forward to our

Sunday evening chat. For me, I am

very interested to hear about how his

week has gone and his views in

general. Plus he has a wicked sense

of humour which makes me smile a

great deal.

The technology is very easy to use as

well as reliable, this helps to make it

easy to ensure I call at the agreed time

each week.

I am hopeful that my friend and I will

continue to enjoy our calls long into the

future.”

Sally-Anne

In our next newsletter we will introduce you to another of our corporate

volunteer teams. If you think your company would be interested in becoming a

Corporate Volunteer Partner, please get in touch!

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

Upcoming Events

There are some exciting things on the horizon with our 1st year anniversary

approaching. We also have a growing number of fundraising opportunities for

volunteers to potentially sink their teeth into.

The Silver Line First Year

Anniversary

On November 25th The Silver Line will

be one year old! To celebrate this first

incredible year as a national charity we

hope to hold volunteer events around

the UK for volunteers to attend to

celebrate, and collectively share their

experiences so far. Please click here

to let us know if you would be

interested in attending an event in one

of these provisional locations.

Santa Fun Run

We have purchased a limited number

of spaces for the Santa Fun Run which

is being held in East London’s Victoria

Park on the 7th December 2014. Over

2,000 people are expected to take part

raising funds for hundreds of different

charities. You can choose to walk, jog

or run - 5km or 10km - dressed as

Santa whilst raising money for The

Silver Line. To register your interest

and find out more please contact

please click here.

Skydive for The Silver Line

Have you ever fancied jumping 12,000

feet from the sky for charity? Paige did

just that in memory of her grandfather

who sadly passed away earlier this

year, and has so far raised an

incredible £720 for The Silver Line. For

information on how to experience your

own skydive please order your

information by clicking here or to make

a donation to Paige’s growing fund

please click here -

https://www.justgiving.com/paige-

dennis/

We would also welcome ideas if you would like to organise your own fundraising

event, please email fundraising@thesilverline.org.uk

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Volunteer Newsletter - Autumn 2014

New Volunteer Roles

In addition to the new Silver Letter volunteer role we mentioned earlier in the

newsletter, we also have three other new exciting roles we are starting to recruit for.

Lead Volunteer

The overall purpose of this role will be

to provide mentoring and support to a

group of Silver Line Friend volunteers

at the direction of the Volunteer

Manager. In addition, a Lead Volunteer

will provide help with the monitoring

and delivery of the befriending service,

and as necessary provide additional

support and liaison with older people.

Lead Volunteers must be able to

commit 8 hours a week.

Community Engagement Volunteer

The overall purpose of this role is to

inspire groups and individuals about

the work of The Silver Line and the

impact of isolation and loneliness on

older people. Community Engagement

Volunteers will raise awareness of the

service The Silver Line offers and help

us to encourage people to volunteer.

This is a flexible volunteer role.

Community Fundraising Volunteer

The overall purpose of this role is to

help us raise money and awareness

about The Silver Line in your local

community. Community Fundraising

Volunteers will need to have good

knowledge of their local area, be

enthusiastic and have a can do

attitude. This is a flexible volunteer

role.

For more information about any of these roles including becoming a Silver Letter

Volunteer please email volunteer.newsletter@thesilverline.org.uk and we will send

you further details.