Sheffield charity’s PPE plea to help older persons’ scheme make much needed return

31st July 2020

One of Sheffield’s best loved charity schemes helping isolated older people is to return after a five month break, provided bosses can get hold of enough PPE.

Sheffield Churches Council for Community Care (SCCCC) says it wants to equip its army of dedicated volunteers with safety packs including gloves, sanitiser and reusable face coverings so that face-to-face visits as part of its beloved Good Neighbour Scheme can resume.

The scheme aims to reduce loneliness amongst older people who have little other means of company or support, but SCCCC says it needs public support to get its volunteers all of the kit they need.

Amongst the specialist equipment the charity is appealing for are face coverings with transparent mouth sections so that older people with hearing difficulties can lip read conversations.

Tammy Wilson, Good Neighbour Scheme team leader, said:

“Due to the pandemic our scheme was postponed for face-to-face visits, but older people still received support from volunteers through telephone calls and hand written letters.

“As per government guidelines, from mid-August we are now in a position to be able to restart face-to-face visits again, which will be a welcome relief for our service users who have been isolated and lonely for so long.

“To do this, we need to keep our older people and volunteers as safe as we possibly can and so require at least 200 PPE packs ready for when they feel ready to resume. As a small charity which relies on donations, we would be grateful to anyone who could offer these at no cost.”

SCCCC’s Good Neighbour Scheme aims to help the older members of the community by enhancing their quality of life. The service is provided free of charge with the basic aim of helping to combat loneliness for people over 65 living in Sheffield.

To donate reusable fabric facemasks, hand sanitiser or disposable gloves, please send them to Good Neighbour Scheme, SCCCC, Unit 19 President Buildings, Savile Street East, S4 7UQ.