Suffolk Libraries relaunches telephone support service Explore Together, based on its pandemic scheme Phone A Friend

Suffolk Libraries is relaunching a free telephone support service that it first ran during the pandemic.

The Explore Together service will match volunteers with people that are experiencing loneliness or isolation, and are seeking help to find support or a new activity.

Volunteers from the programme will make regular phonecalls and signpost service-users to local organisations, groups and activities.

It is available and free to anyone in Suffolk.

Jane Cox, Suffolk Libraries’ community mental health and wellbeing manager, said: “We’re delighted to launch this new service and hope Explore Together can make a big difference to people who may feel a bit lost or lonely and need some support or advice in how to find things to do.

“Many people can feel isolated, particularly in rural areas – someone may have moved to the area and needs a little help making local links, or maybe someone has recently found themselves on their own and might need a little encouragement to reach out.”

Jane hopes that by offering a personal touch and getting to know individuals using Explore Together, the service will be best placed to help users find what they need.

The new scheme is based on the previous Phone A Friend service which Suffolk Libraries ran during lockdown, and made over 12,000 calls to older and isolated people to give them regular contact with someone.

Explore Together aims to take the best elements of this and give it a new purpose so it can have a bigger impact on people’s lives, with the aim of helping someone to feel less isolated and more engaged in their local community.

People can refer themselves or someone they know by emailing exploretogether@suffolklibraries.co.uk or visiting the Suffolk Libraries website where they can fill in a simple self-referral form, or someone can make a referral for them. A volunteer will then be in contact.

In the initial conversation, volunteers will try and find out a bit about the person and their interests, with the aim of making the person feel less lonely and happier after six months, to a point where regular calls are no longer needed.

The service would be ideal for someone who may have recently moved to the area and is looking for things to do or wondering who can help.

Suffolk Libraries is also appealing for more volunteers who would be interested in making Explore Together phone calls, with those interested asked to email volunteer@suffolklibraries.co.uk.