Shropshire charity scheme sees 15,000 pen pal letters exchanged
Shropshire based charity Omega hit an important milestone recently, in its drive to reduce loneliness and social isolation among vulnerable and elderly people.
Its pen pal programme Letterbox, which pairs lonely people with volunteers from across the country, has now seen over 15,000 letters exchanged, with each letter bringing social connection and comfort to someone feeling lonely. Loneliness is a growing health issue, with 5.3 million people across the UK saying they feel lonely often or always. The pen pal scheme is just one of the programmes Omega runs to help make a difference.
Adam Heywood, Letterbox Coordinator, said: “A hand-written letter or card from a friend landing on the doormat to enjoy with a cup of tea is one of life’s simple pleasures, and is a rare treat these days. For our clients, who are socially isolated and may be housebound, in poor health or elderly, receiving a thoughtful, personal letter regularly can be an absolute lifeline, boosting their spirits and helping them feel less alone.
"We support people of all ages, with both clients and volunteers enjoying a regular activity which is creative, gently sociable and mindful. What’s more, recent research found that reading and writing is good for cognitive health, and can lower risk of dementia by almost 40 per cent.”
The Letterbox scheme has been running for over eight years and is free and confidential. Coordinators in Omega’s Shrewsbury office recruit and carefully match volunteer pen-pals with clients for regular friendly letter exchanges, where they share stories of their lives, families, interests and sometimes even photos and artwork. All correspondence is sent and monitored via the Omega office, and no personal addresses or surnames are shared, meaning the scheme is fully safeguarded.
Letterbox currently has around 200 dedicated volunteers exchanging letters with around 300 socially isolated clients – but is always on the lookout for new clients who would benefit, as well as more pen pal volunteers. Omega also runs a number of other programmes aimed at increasing the wellbeing of people who are socially isolated. These include Chatterbox telephone befriending, and Pupil Pals, where children from local primary schools learn about loneliness and create artwork and cards to be sent to elderly clients. Omega works with over 150 referrers, including NHS social prescribers, GPs and the hospice sector, to identify the people who most need support.
Linton Waters, Chair of Trustees for Omega said: “Seeing over 15,000 letters exchanged makes me feel extremely proud, because we know that every one of those letters touches someone’s life, and brightens up their day. The contributions of our amazing volunteers and supporters mean Omega can continue to successfully run Letterbox and our other programmes. The work we do is really important in helping to combat loneliness in our local area and further afield. I’d like to thank every individual who has contributed to our work to date.
"We are always looking to expand our work to reach more socially isolated people. You may know someone who is lonely and would benefit from receiving a regular letter from a pen pal. Or maybe you are a keen writer who could write a letter every month to someone in need? You may be in a position to make a small donation to our work, or become a corporate partner. Please visit our website omega.uk.net to find out how you can get help, volunteer or donate. Every contribution helps us work towards ending isolation and loneliness.”
