Manchester charity starts campaign to help end loneliness in the elderly

The accumulator challenge invites groups to come up with fundraising ideas with a budget of £50 provided by the charity.

Alex Neil, operations manager for Cyril Flint Befrienders, said: “Rather than putting requests out to be selected as business charity of the year we thought this was a fun way to get different people involved and it’s actually turning out pretty well.”

The accumulator challenge started on 1^st April and is running until 30^th September. Groups can join the challenge at any time as long as their fundraising is completed within this time.

The charity hopes the money raised by the accumulator challenge will be enough for them to take on a new member of staff.

With over 100 elderly people on their waiting list, Miss Neil said: “At the moment, we can’t meet the demands that we’re receiving.”

There has been a lot of interest in the accumulator challenge with a “variety of groups” already signed up. These include businesses, women’s institutes, and the charity’s own volunteers.

[pullquote]“We try to reach socially isolated or lonely, older individuals in the community and we match them up with a volunteer befriender.”[/pullquote]

Ideas put forward by the groups involved include cocktail evenings, and dress down days. A team from PHMG are “thinking of putting on a concert.”

On whether the accumulator challenge can help Cyril Flint Befrienders in its mission to end loneliness and isolation in the elderly, Miss Neil said it will raise their profile, allowing them to reach more elderly people and attract more volunteers.

Cyril Flint Befrienders was set up in 2012, in response to an article in the newspaper about Cyril Flint, a pensioner from Trafford who was to spend his 20^th Christmas alone after the passing of his wife.

The charity match up elderly people with volunteers from the local community who are asked to dedicate an hour a week to visit the person in their home.

Miss Neil said that the befriending service leads to improved “self-esteem” and “confidence” in their clients because they have someone visiting them who is not under any obligation but enjoys seeing them.

More information about Cyril Flint Befrienders, the accumulator challenge and how to get involved can be found on their website , Facebook or twitter.