Good Neighbours offer lifeline to the elderly

Published: 3 March, 2011

• THE NW3 Good Neighbour Scheme, run by Age Concern Camden, is a lifeline to many older people. I can’t imagine it costs very much to run as all the Good Neighbours are, like me, volunteers, with only a few part-time coordinators to organise activities.

I visited a 90-year-old woman weekly for four years. Many times I was the only person besides carers she saw all week, as she had no living relatives.  

Besides the obvious positive mental impact my visits made, I frequently got Betty help for medical issues, alerted my coordinator about a friendly “financial advisor” who was stealing money from her (consequently there was a police investigation), got action when there was a fruit fly infestation (carers ignored it) at her flat and helped her with many other small tasks that made life a little easier for her. 

 Surely the Good Neighbour scheme is in keeping with the Big Society idea. How could I as an individual help an elderly person like Betty without a council-run initiative like this? 

I urge Camden not to cut this vital service to older people.

KATHY LORASO

Holmdale Road, NW6