A project in Welwyn Hatfield is looking for volunteers to spend time with elderly people who are lonely and isolated.  

Reach Out is a charity that offers companionship and practical support to older people who are medically vulnerable and at risk of hospital admission or have recently been discharged from hospital. 

The charity can assist people by linking them up with a volunteer in Welwyn Hatfield in order to offer support to them in their own home, by helping them adjust or recover from illness, while also lessening social isolation. 

The project works closely with hospital discharge teams, the HertsHelp Hospital and Community Navigation Service and other health and social care professionals who refer clients to the project. 

All clients are also visited by members of Reach Out to make sure that an appropriate match can be arranged that will work for both the client and the volunteer. 

A 2018 survey held by Hertfordshire County Council found that over 21,000 people aged 65+ are believed to be at risk of loneliness in Hertfordshire.  

As a result of this and the Campaign to End Loneliness, the Reach Out project was born. 

To become a volunteers in for Reach Out in Welwyn Hatfield, call 07917 978728 or contact reachout@nhcvs.org.uk