happy to chat

Working together to End Loneliness in North Tyneside

Loneliness is an issue that is growing in awareness in our society. The Government recently launched a new website – Let’s Talk Loneliness – to bring together organisations, resources and inspirational stories to get more people talking about loneliness. One of their first case studies featured Minn Marshall, a beneficiary of North Tyneside VODA’s Good Neighbours project, which looks to team up volunteers to provide support to isolated residents in North Tyneside with small tasks and errands typically associated with a good neighbour.  

Minnan 89 year old resident of North Tynesidewas put in touch with the project by her warden when she started struggling with her shopping. Minn now attends Good Neighbour’s weekly shopping trip, supported by one of our volunteers. Minn said: “I really look forward to Tuesdays now and don’t know where I’d be without the Good Neighbours. 

VODA has managed the Good Neighbours project in North Tyneside for a number of years, including a weekly supported shopping trip to Tesco in North Shields and volunteers who use their skills to help out beneficiaries with odd jobs that they can no longer manage themselves. We recently secured funding to expand this project to the west of the borough and have appointed a new project coordinator to recruit new volunteers and beneficiaries to support this growth. Part of this expansion is a new weekly shopping trip to Morrisons Killingworth every Thursday at 1pm. If you would like to find out more, or to get involved, please contact [email protected]

This winter, as part of the North Tyneside Winter Support Network, VODA facilitated the distribution of keep warm packs and emergency food packs to residents who need extra support during the winter months. The keep warm packs included a fleece blanket, hot water bottle, thermometer, thermo mug, thermal socks, hats, gloves and snood. Alongside this, volunteers have made almost 200 draught excluders so far, which have been distributed to the Bay Foodbank and Walking With in North Tyneside.   


In 2019, 
VODA secured funding for a new partnership – Ending Loneliness in North Tyneside  to bring together like minded organisations to work in collaboration to tackle social isolation and loneliness in the borough Over the next four years VODA, Age UK, Citizens Advice and North Tyneside Carer’s Centre will be increasing our capacity to deliver services that improve people’s wellbeing and increase their connections within the community. Whether it’s volunteering, attending groups or engaging in social activity, each organisation in the partnership can provide a wide range of activities for all ages to reduce feelings of loneliness.  The partnership launched in Killingworth on Thursday 6 February as part of ‘Time to Talk Day’ 2020. 

VODA’s Ending Loneliness Project coordinator has also been working to identify new ways of working when tackling social isolation and loneliness. North Tyneside has a wealth of activity and community groups available to residents, but information can prove difficult to find. That’s why the partnership keen to increase awareness and public engagement with the SIGN Directory.  

The SIGN Directory is an online directory of over 200 providers of community services and events for the residents of North Tyneside. Based on the information available on the SIGN, Directory, VODA has produced the first in a series of ward-focused information booklets which list activities based on health, socialising, volunteering, learning and mental wellbeing. ’Things to do in Wallsend and Howden’ is available via GP surgeries, community venues, local libraries and the VODA website, with leaflets for other wards currently in development. 

Happy to Chat is another initiative that launched this winter. VODA is working in collaboration with members of the SIGN Network and Whitley Bay Big Local to develop Happy to Chat schemes across North Tyneside to help reduce loneliness and social isolation. The aim is to recruit volunteers who are willing to Chat Happily with other residents who would like company or conversation. The aim is to encourage people to show kindness to one another, take time to listen to others and make connections in the local community.

Volunteers will wear Happy to Chat badges so that people know they can approach them to chat. The scheme will then hopefully be extended to include cafes that are willing to host a Happy to Chat table on a regular basis, with volunteers available to sit and chat with people who would like to chat. Launch events were held at the end of January at the Beacon Centre in North Shields and Whitley Bay Big Local, with fortnightly events (Tuesdays 10am to 12pm) held at the Beacon Centre and regular events at Whitley Bay Big Local

To find out more email [email protected] or call 0191 643 2626.  

You can search for activities and events on the SIGN Directory here

 

 

 

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Happy to Chat in North Tyneside

We were delighted with the success of the Happy to Chat launch in North Shields at the end of January. We had a range of different people and organisations get together to share a chat and a cuppa. Whitley Bay Big Local also held a similar event to launch the scheme in Whitley Bay.

There will now be fortnightly events on a Tuesday 10am to 12pm at the Beacon Centre, starting 11 February (excluding 3 March) and Whitley Bay Big Local will be running regular events, keep an eye out on their social media pages. The aim is to expand this scheme out to local cafes and other organisations in the hope to get the people of North Tyneside starting new conversations over a cuppa.

If you would like to know more, please contact Josie Robinson

Thank you to North Tyneside Council for coming along and producing this video.

 

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New Happy to Chat scheme to launch in North Tyneside

VODA is working in collaboration with Whitley Bay Big Local and members of the SIGN Network, to develop ‘Happy to Chat’ schemes across North Tyneside to help reduce loneliness and social isolation.

Residents can sign up to be volunteers and will be given Happy to Chat badges to wear out in the community, so that anyone who feels isolated or lonely will know that they can approach them for a friendly chat. The Happy to Chat volunteers will be given a short information leaflet outlining key services available if they are concerned about the wellbeing of anyone they chat to. It’s about kindness, taking time to listen to others and making connections in the local community.

The aim is to extend the scheme further to identify cafes that may be willing to host a Happy to Chat table at a regular time or day, which would allow volunteers to sit at the table and be joined by someone who would like company and conversation.

There are two launch events coming up in North Shields and Whitley Bay and residents are encouraged to call in to find out more, have a cuppa and a chat pick up a Happy to Chat badge if they are happy to head out into the wider world to Chat Happily.

Working with the Beacon shopping centre in North Shields, Happy to Chat will host a fortnightly scheme in the space directly outside of the library in the shopping centre. They are holding a launch day on Tuesday 28 January 10am to 3pm and welcome anyone who is interested to pop along and have a chat. Going forward, this event will happen every other Tuesday, with the times to be decided based on the findings from the launch.

Whitley Bay Big Local is holding the Whitley Bay launch event on Thursday 30 January from 10am to 3pm at their community building, 158 Whitley Road and will be developing a weekly session going forward. The WBBL Community Building is an inclusive welcoming space and they are inviting everyone to call in on the day to find out more about Happy to Chat.

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