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ELY S elderly and disabled are being offered a new Help at Home service manned by trained volunteers. It is being launched by the city s Care Network and will offer a hand with practical chores for anyone with limited mobility. Tasks could be simply colle
ELY'S elderly and disabled are being offered a new Help at Home service manned by trained volunteers.
It is being launched by the city's Care Network and will offer a hand with practical chores for anyone with limited mobility.
Tasks could be simply collecting a prescription or changing a light bulb or a bigger job such as taking down curtains and those who use the service can ask for help with a one-off chore or more regular assistance.
People will be given a phone number to ring when they need help and there will be a small fee to cover costs.
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But Help at Home will not provide a regular cleaning service as that is already available through Age Concern.
Funded for the next three years by £49,000 from the Lloyds TSB Foundations of England and Wales and a £3,000 grant for this year by the East Cambs Development Fund, organisers raised awareness of the project at a coffee morning on Wednesday last week at Ely Cathedral Centre between 10am and noon.
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Volunteer Lilla Molyneux from Ely offered to help with the new service after reading about it in the Ely Standard.
Lilla, who used to work at the city's Baird Lodge and is now a volunteer there, said: "I have worked in care for most of my life and really enjoyed the work.
"I seem to get on well with the elderly and I felt the least I could do was apply to help. There must be so many people out there who feel isolated."
Helen Randall, at Care Network, said: "I've heard stories of isolated people who would just like an occasional hand with something at home, rather than a regular warden service.
"There are also lonely, housebound people who rely on a wheelchair for mobility, who would love to be taken out for a walk occasionally.
"Once established successfully, we hope to roll it out to other communities in East Cambs and, eventually, to other parts of the county."
It is hoped Help at Home, which will run as a sister service to Care Network's successful Welcome Home from Hospital service, will be launched early in the summer.
INFO: Anyone interested in finding out more can contact Helen at Care Network, 41e Fore Hill, Ely. Tel: 01353 772169.
