We would like to thank Walton Charity for their generous grant to help us upgrade our IT system, which will enable staff to lay the foundations for expanding our befriending service.
CHEER has been supporting retired people in Elmbridge for over 65 years with free advice, guidance and support. Our popular befriending service normally includes visits to people's home and social events, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, this hasn't been possible. Instead, we have been reaching out to our clients by telephone and providing a lifeline to older people struggling with social isolation.
Older people are among the hardest hit during the current pandemic. The effects of lockdown and lack of social interaction is increasing loneliness, and recent research has highlighted the impact the crisis is having on older people's mental health.
Julian Mobbs, newly appointed Chairman of Trustees for CHEER, said: "We are delighted that Walton Charity is supporting our work in this way. CHEER has had to operate very differently during the Covid pandemic with our staff team working from home. This, and the increased need for our services, has put extra pressure on our IT infrastructure. The grant will enable us to update our systems so that the team can provide CHEER's much needed services more effectively."
