Neighbourly scheme receives a digital helping hand to reach out to Leighton-Linslade community

It is hoped that having this web presence, which has been supported by the town council, will help people access information about this voluntary scheme and find out how they can request assistance.

The Good Neighbours scheme has been operating in Leighton Buzzard, Linslade and Heath and Reach since 2014 and is run purely by volunteers from the community. They aim to support older, lonely and/or isolated community members through activities including companionship, support with tasks such as shopping, lifts to appointments, trips out, prescriptions collection and form filling.

The town council has created a sub committee with a focus on people aged over 55 in the parish. Supporting Leighton-Linslade Helping Hands was an identified action that came out of the survey which took place in June last year.

“We realised this longstanding community group was hidden from view on digital platforms”, said Cllr Steve Owen, chair of the older people sub committee.

The council says the ability for people to make connections during the pandemic is essential and digital platforms have become more important than ever before. It has set aside a budget to further develop ideas for increasing access to information that the generation of ‘silver surfers’ will benefit from.

While lockdown has restricted much of what the volunteers can do face to face, the long-term relationships they have built up with those they help has been continued through regular phone calls and socially distanced support.

The Leighton-Linslade Helping Hands volunteers are police checked (DBS) and fully insured for all the support they offer residents. Their services are freely offered by volunteers, with out-of-pocket expenses being reimbursed by those who use their service (e.g. fuel, parking charges, shopping costs etc).

The scheme is always looking for new volunteers, if you are interested contact 07581 799273 or email [email protected].

To find out more, and if you would like to request support, go to their website leightonlinsladehelpinghands.org.uk or contact them directly on the above helpline number or email address.