Telephone Support Service 

Having someone to talk to on a regular basis can make all the difference to your week. If you are over 65, feeling lonely or isolated, living in Sheffield and would like to talk to someone on the telephone on a regular basis, please contact us. We can match you up with a friendly volunteer who will ring you regularly to chat with you about whatever you wish to talk about. You never know, you may become good friends and enjoy your conversations, putting the world to rights.

Frequently asked questions 

Will it be the same person each week?

Yes, once you have a volunteer, the same person will ring you, at a time to suit you. That way you really get to know each other, and build a friendship! You will also get occasional calls from the coordinators, just to check all is well.

How often does the volunteer ring?

Most volunteers ring every week, but your volunteer will discuss this with you.

Who are the volunteers?

Our volunteers are a mix of people; male, female, older, younger…...some can ring in the day time, some in the evenings or weekends..all are very friendly, have completed the SCCCC induction program, and have had a D.B.S check (police check). If you have any special interest, we can sometimes find a volunteer who has the same.

My older family member does not speak English,can they still receive phone calls?

Our Inclusive Community Care coordinator Rehneesa is available on 0114 2505292 to discuss your requirements. Where possible, we aim to match volunteers and older people according to their needs (e.g. someone who speaks the same language, from the same cultural background or lives locally)

What will we talk about?

Anything and almost everything! Our volunteers have training and guidance in finding subjects that you might like to chat about, and they are very friendly people. TV is always a good starting point, as is favourite childhood holidays.

What do you tell the volunteer about me?

The volunteer has you name and phone number, and if you wish, your address (some volunteers will write or send cards, too). The Good Neighbours coordinator will talk to you about what else you would like your volunteer to know.

Can I have my volunteers number so I can contact them?

We ask that you contact your volunteer via the office number which is 0114 2505292. We will send you a card with this number on, so you can keep it by the phone. We will then ask the volunteer to contact you.

Can my volunteer visit me at home?

If you wish to have a home visit please ring the office, and we will talk to you about our ‘friendly visiting’ service.

What if I don’t get on with my volunteer?

Our volunteers are lovely people, but if you feel you are not getting along, please ring the office number, and we will stop the phone calls. If you would like a different person to ring we can arrange that, or we can stop the calls altogether.

I worry that my volunteer is spending a lot of money calling me…

Our volunteers are paid any out of pocket expenses.

I struggle to hear on the phone…will this work for me?

It may be difficult.We can try calls to see if they work for you, but if they don’t, we can offer our penpal scheme, and later when visiting resumes, you can be on our waiting list for friendly visiting.

Contact Tammy Wilson on 0114 2505292 or email her: tammy.wilson@scccc.co.uk to refer yourself to the scheme.

Remember there are no strangers here, just friends you haven’t met yet.