The power of a weekly chat with Strathcarron’s Compassionate Neighbours programme
For many people living with a long-term or life-limiting illness, the hardest part isn’t always the medical side. It’s the quiet and stillness in-between hospital visits.
That’s where volunteers at Strathcarron Hospice come in. Through its Compassionate Neighbours programme, as part of the wider Compassionate Communities work, people are matched with local individuals for friendship and shared company.
Gillian Gunn, who leads the programme said: “There are a variety of different experiences that the friendship pairings can enjoy, even for people who may not be as able to get out and about, we have VR headsets which can allow a patient to revisit places they’ve been and share the memory with the matched friend.”
The Neighbours programme plays an essential part in the Fankerton located hospice’s care model, extending compassion beyond its services and back into the communities where people live.
By building connection, reducing loneliness and providing practical and emotional support, the programme helps people feel valued, connected and supported through some of life’s most challenging moments.
Gillian said of the programme: “We want to improve the quality of life for everyone, that’s where the matching comes from, bringing people together who may have shared experience or similar passions can help everyone.
“It can also lead to greater conversations as from one topic the two people can suddenly find other things in common such as people they both know or memories they have of similar occasions and events.”
There is no set timeline for the friendships and can last as long as both parties wish, with the hospice deliberately keeping a light touch and stepping back wherever possible, so that a natural connection can develop rather than it feeling like an extension to the programme.
Gillian explained: “We don’t want it to feel like a formal arrangement, we prefer to allow the friendships to grow naturally by taking a step back, there are no timelines or strict meet ups, after the first few we let it grow on its own.
“Certain friendships have lasted up to six years, with volunteers becoming like extended family. Relatives often express gratitude for the dedicated time offered to their loved ones during those years.”
Fiercely protective of her volunteers, Gillian says there’s never a day when she doesn’t appreciate the role they play in the programme.
She said: “They are everything to the Compassionate Neighbours programme, I always make sure they feel heard, if they’ve got questions, I answer them, I also aim to meet them every few months, what they give is more than what you can really put into words.”
More people than ever are asking for a friendly face, and since Gillian took over the programme three years ago the number of friendships and volunteers has continued to expand.
Gillian said: “When I joined, there were 11 friendships, now there are around 44, with the volunteers and people they visit getting to know each other better with every meet up.
“It’s quadrupled in size since I took the role, and there’s also now a waiting list of people in the community hoping to be matched with a befriender.”
For more information on volunteering for Strathcarron or to donate to the hospice, visit the website.