January 4 2023

Bedford charity Friends for Life, which provides a much needed befriending service to elderly and isolated care home residents, is aiming to triple the number of people it can support thanks to a major grant from the Harpur Trust.

The funding has enabled them to appoint a new general manager this month (January) to drive ambitious plans to boost the number of volunteers who can visit lonely residents living in the Borough’s care homes.

Friends for Life which currently has 50 volunteer befrienders is also embarking on plans to broaden its range of outreach activities.

New GM, Jane Eimermann, brings with her a wealth of experience from other charities and will lead the charity’s small team of staff and volunteers.

Chair of the Board of Trustees, Terri Harrington, welcomed the £65,000 grant funding which is phased over three years: “This funding from the Harpur Trust has really helped us to step up our plans. It will make an enormous difference to us and to the people who need us.

“We know there are hundreds of older people in local care homes who would benefit from our befriending and other services. With more volunteers we can begin to reach them and provided much needed support to enrich what can be very lonely lives.

“The impact of the pandemic in the last couple of years has added to the social isolation experienced by so many older people who have no family or close friends to visit them. Our volunteers provide a lifeline service to bring a friendly face into their world.”