Happy Tuesday everyone! Today, we have some brilliant news to share with you. Beith Community Development Trust has just received a very generous donation of £70,000 from Impact Funding Partners to help us develop and enrich our Lend an Ear Befriending Service! This remarkable fund comes from their Social Isolation and Loneliness Fund and it’s aim is to combat loneliness and isolation amongst vulnerable members of our Beith community. We couldn’t be happier or prouder to receive this fund and can’t wait to show you how we will utilise it over the coming 3 years.
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What is our Lend an Ear Befriending Service?
The vision for our Lend an Ear project is to create a connected community where nobody feels unheard or lonely. In the years since Lend an Ear began, we have developed our service to suit as many different people in unique circumstances as possible. Weekly we provide 1-to-1 phone calls with our Lend an Ear clients to allow them a safe space to be vulnerable and hear a friendly, familiar, voice on the other end of the line. Alongside this, we also host free bi-monthly afternoon teas where our clients can meet our volunteers face-to-face and enjoy a lovely afternoon of cakes, sandwiches, and warm drinks.
What will this funding mean to Lend an Ear?
With our new funding, we are hoping to be able to reach more individuals who need support, provide more training opportunities to our dedicated volunteers, and organise more events throughout the year for our clients and volunteers to enjoy! Every little bit helps our Lend an Ear project, and we can’t wait to see what we can do next.
How can you get involved with Lend an Ear?
Lend an Ear is a vital service that we provide, and we see first-hand the impact and importance of supporting our community’s most vulnerable members. If you’re interested in providing a helping hand to our Lend an Ear project; here are some ways you can help!
- Volunteer
If you have a compassionate heart and some time to spare, consider becoming a Lend an Ear volunteer! Your empathy, friendliness, and compassion can make all the difference to those in need.
- Spread the Word
Share this news with your friends! The more people who hear about Lend an Ear, the more likely we are to reach those members of our community who need our support the most. You might think of someone in your life; a family member, friend, neighbour or colleague who could use a service like this. Let them know!
- Engage with our other projects and events
Every penny that Beith Trust makes is then put straight back into our community; through projects, training, educational courses, and resources for families. By attending any of our events, engaging with our projects, or even just sharing our news with your loved ones you’re helping Beith Trust act on our mission: to improve the social, economic, and physical condition of Beith, North Ayrshire.
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To conclude
We’d once again like to thank the wonderful Impact Funding Partners for their generosity; this project touches the lives of so many of our community members, and this grant will allow us to continue to flourish and grow. We’d also like to say a massive thank you to our wonderful, tireless, volunteers who, out of the kindness of their own hearts, help us to provide a safe space for our clients, and our project lead Alison Berry for her constant hard work and dedication to this project.
Thank you for reading, and if you’d like to keep updated with our Lend an Ear project, make sure you follow our Facebook page for updates!
