Volunteers at Age Concern Cowplain dish up lunch delivery service to keep up support for elderly community during lockdown

A dedicated team at Age Concern Cowplain, based at the Borrow Centre, have been working to beat isolation and make sure their clients are still supported and connected.

The centre usually hosts a lunch club three times a week for 40 people, but has now adapted its offering to provide a takeaway and delivery service.

Liz Wood, manager, said: ‘The take up on the takeaway service has been absolutely brilliant, and it means we have some face to face contact with our elderly community.

‘I can check on their wellbeing which is really good. The ones that actually come into the centre [to collect], we can check in on them as well.

‘They have been isolated for over a year now really. The fact that we can actually adapt is fantastic really, it’s a lifeline to them.’

The team also provides a befriending service to help people feel less isolated, and has had a great take-up on their weekly telephone support.

Alongside this, volunteers are helping with small amounts of shopping, a prescription collection service and advice on Covid-19.

Liz, who is one of the only paid staff at the 95 per cent self-funded charity, said: ‘We have found this really challenging, having our revenue basically become non-existent.

‘In normal times it’s a really busy center. We have lots of groups that come in, we have a podiatrist service, a memory cafe once a month.

‘Havant Borough Council has been absolutely brilliant and the wellbeing team has given us some funds so we can adapt and keep the service going.’

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Secretary Laura Amey, who has volunteered at the centre for a year, said: ‘Everybody here is of a caring nature, it would be great if we could get more clients in.

‘I think Liz does an excellent job liaising with all the clients and getting funding into the centre.’

When asked why she likes volunteering, Laura said: ‘It’s a sense of achievement. I love speaking to the clients when they come in to collect their meals. I just thoroughly enjoy it.’

For more information about the services or becoming a volunteer, phone (023) 9226 6423, email [email protected] or visit ageconcerncowplain.org.uk

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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