Age in Spain launches Friendline
A NEW TELEPHONE FRIENDSHIP SERVICE FOR OLDER ENGLISH-SPEAKING PEOPLE IN SPAIN
One of life’s great pleasures is making a new friend – finding someone who shares your interests, your priorities or maybe just your sense of humour. But making new friends often gets harder as we get older (even before we take Covid into account). That’s why Age in Spain is launching Friendline.
Friendline is a telephone friendship service that connects people who want to rekindle the joy of chatting to a friend with volunteers willing to give a little bit of their time on a regular basis. Reaching out and volunteering for Friendline can give an older person something new to look forward to in their week and help them avoid the negative effects of loneliness and isolation.
If you live in Spain and are interested in joining Friendline then get in touch using the link below. If you know someone who you think would benefit then you can also contact us, using the “refer someone” link further down this page.
What Age in Spain ask:
You have a landline or mobile phone.
You are able to receive a 30-minute phone call at a regular time each week.
You give Age in Spain some information about yourself so they can find the best Friendline match for you (please note that this is a new service and it may take a few weeks to find the best match for you).
What Age in Spain will do:
Find a Friendline volunteer that is the best match for you.
Train and background check our volunteers to make sure you have confidence on the person calling you.
Please bear in mind that the telephone befriending service may not be useful for people with memory loss, dementia or mental health issues who need a higher level of support. These conditions may affect the person’s ability to build a telephone friendship and, in some instances, could even cause distress.
CONTACT web ➡️ Age in Spain
Age in Spain
15/12/2020
What is Friendline?
Today, Age in Spain is launching Friendline a new, free telephone friendship service to connect older people living in Spain with volunteers, through a weekly phone call with someone with similar interests.
In a world where new technology often leaves some of us behind or makes us feel left out, Friendline offers people the joy of a friendly conversation.
Why now?
The Christmas and New Year period is a time when older people can feel particularly lonely or isolated. When you add the impact that Covid 19 has had on all of us (literally distancing us from friends and family), Age in Spain decided now was the time to give older English-speaking people in Spain something to look forward to in 2021.
This is also a time of year when lots of us want to make a contribution to our communities. Volunteering for Friendline takes just one hour of your time each week and gives you the satisfaction of knowing you have made a difference.
Age in Spain will match older people with trained volunteers who have similar interests to ensure that both people will look forward to the weekly calls. Friendline calls could be a highlight of each week.
Director of Age in Spain, Helen Weir, said: “Friendship is the best first line of defence against so many of the problems older people can face. As we get older there is a real risk that our worlds get smaller and we have less chance to make friends. Friendline is a way to do something positive
about that. It really doesn’t matter what the conversation is about, it might be sport, ballroom dancing or your garden. What Friendline offers is a human connection with all its benefits. Friendline can be a lifeline”
Get involved
If you are an older person living in Spain and you are interested in receiving Friendline calls, you can find out more at www.ageinspain.org/friendline, by calling Age in Spain on +34 93 220 9334 or by emailing friendline@ageinspain.org Age in Spain would also love to hear from anyone interested in working as a volunteer on Friendline.
You can also refer a family member or friend living in Spain to Friendline if you think they would appreciate a regular call.
Friendline is a free service.
Background
Age in Spain supports older English-speaking people living anywhere in the country.We provide accessible and independent information to help people get the most from their lives in Spain and participate fully in their communities. We are a charity (asociación benéfica) registered in Spain and are dependent on charitable donations from trusts, foundations and individual donors to make a real difference to people’s lives.