14 Oct HELP IN A PERIOD OF CRISES – COMMUNITY MATTERS
By Matt Saunders, Marketing & Communications Assistant
A word that’s been repeated ad nauseam over the last couple of years… “crisis”
And yet sadly, it’s not inaccurate to dub a lot of what we’ve experienced since the beginning of 2020 alone as a series of crises.
As disheartening as this thought may be, please know that there are people out there you can turn to for help.
For one, hopefully, a service many are now aware of is the Torbay Community Helpline, which you can call for a number of causes. The current crisis – Cost of Living, has led to a rise in people seeking financial advice, aid with getting food on the table, mental health support, and then some.
If you’d appreciate support with any of these matters, do call the Helpline – phone 01803 446022, open 10am-1pm & 3-6pm on weekdays, and 11:30am-12:30pm on Saturdays. If it’s outside of those hours, you can also fill in the helpline’s online form, and a member of the team will respond ASAP during open hours – the form can be found at bit.ly/torbayhelpline. The team of staff and volunteers do strive to live up to our tagline of “One call – that’s all”
Torbay Council has also recently set up a page full of resources, contacts, and information specific to the same crisis as well. To find this, you can either search “Torbay Council Cost of Living” on Google/alike and click “Help with the cost of living in Torbay” or go to their website at www.torbay.gov.uk, select “Benefits and support”, followed by “See all…” and then “Help with the cost of living in Torbay”
This column is mainly written by members of our own Community Builders team, who for the past seven years, have been helping with a longer, ongoing crisis – supporting the lonely and isolated, reaching out to those who may wish to reconnect or engage with their communities.
Following the end of the Ageing Well Torbay programme, whose focus was on Torbay residents over the age of fifty, the Community Builders team are now expanding their focus to all ages, so are looking to connect all generations of Torbay.
If you’re interested in reaching out, making new friends, or trying something new, contact your local Community Builder – phone 01803 212638, email [email protected], or you can find their individual contact details on our website, under the “About us” page, at www.torbaycommunities.com
Group of seniors photo courtesy of Freepik.com
