Service provides 'second family' to tackle loneliness

The service was recommended to Una after the death of her husband

A user of a support service for people who are lonely has described those on the other end of the phone as a "second family".

The Good Morning programme, which operates throughout Northern Ireland, offers social phone calls to elderly people who feel isolated or lonely.

Almost 18% of people in Northern Ireland reported feeling lonely "at least some of the time", according to the latest available figures from the Northern Ireland Executive.

Una McCrory was recommended the Mid Ulster service after she felt "very nervous" about living alone following her husband's death eight years ago.

"I didn't know what to do, and I have good family and good friends, but you can't expect them to be dancing to attendance on you all the time," she told BBC News NI.

The telephone friend and alert service runs between 09:00 and 13:00 local time, Monday to Friday, and provides social interaction for older people as well as highlighting different services.

Una told BBC News NI it was "one of the best" decisions she ever made to get involved and she looks forward to every call.

"You make friends there too, and even in town if you meet them they give you a wave and whatnot. It's very, very good."

Libby Hingham says there is "no big referral" needed to use the service

Libby Higham, who helps run the Antrim programme, said: "Sometimes with loneliness, a wee chat can help get someone through from one day to the next, and that's the difference that we make."

Sometimes the calls start with laughter, Libby said, "but in the next minute they're crying and opening up about how lonely they are".

"At times we have had to get people to go around to someone's house because we haven't been able to get in touch with them, and we'll find that they have fallen down the stairs, or slipped in the shower and our calls have saved their lives," Libby said.

"And that's what we're here for."

What started as one or two calls a week has grown to thousands across each of the regional Good Morning services.

"All they have to do is pick up the phone and ask, there's no big referral service," Libby explained.

"I think that's why it works so well."

Eddie told BBC News NI the calls help ease symptoms of anxiety and depression

Eddie Smiles looks forward to his daily calls, saying it makes him realise that he isn't alone.

As well as checking in for a chat, the volunteers remind Eddie to take his medication and have recommended other services, such as a support group he attends at the centre every week.

He said he had been "going into a really dark place", but that the continuity of the calls "helps to build your confidence and lessen your anxiety".

"It has really helped me an awful lot," he continued.

"The staff are absolutely brilliant for caring, it's not just a job, it's a vocation.

"It's something they look forward to and they get as much out of helping us as we do from receiving help and it all sort of balances out in the end."

Volunteer Sandra said the people she speaks to have become friends

Although the service was established primarily to tackle loneliness in older people, many of the volunteers say it has been mutually beneficial.

Sandra McKenna was inspired to begin volunteering about five years ago following her mum's death.

"My mum had gone out into the community and visited old people in nursing homes and people that were living on their own," she said.

"When she died, nobody found her until the following night, and it's stuck with me.

"There's so many people living out on their on their own and if they had a call, at least we would know that and we could go and do something about it."

No two calls are the same for volunteers - some may take a few minutes while others can last an hour.

"They'll tell you things that they might not tell anybody else," Sandra said.

"It's just lovely that you become friends.

"That's like an extended family to me. I really, really love some of them, they're like replacement mothers nearly for me."

Yvonne said volunteering has helped grown her own confidence

Volunteer Yvonne Gilmore agrees with this sentiment.

"I really love this work," she said.

"We've actually come to know each other over the years and they're more like family.

"It has gone from just being 'Hello how are you doing? Hope you're keeping alright?', to lengthy conversations.

"It's an honour and a privilege whenever they do share things with you."

Marie Devlin said demand is so high they are constantly trying to recruit volunteers

When the first calls were made from Good Morning Mid Ulster in 2006, four people were registered. That number has now grown to 1,126.

Manager Marie Devlin said she is "very lucky" to have a dedicated pool of callers making up to 800 calls a day with service users ranging from their 50s to 100.

"We have some very loyal volunteers, but you're all the time trying to recruit," she said.

"It's a very difficult job too - the calls can be mentally challenging and we all have to mind our own mental health in order for us to deliver those calls every day.

"I think there is maybe a stigma attached to saying 'Look, I'm lonely or I feel isolated'.

"We're trying to dissolve that plight; trying to get people out and about in the community, mixing more in the community, but obviously if they're not able to do that, then we bring the services to them and to the home."