Surely there must be five or ten people in Salford who have their own cars and a bit of spare time to give people with life-limiting illnesses such as strokes, heart and respiratory diseases a lift to hospital so they can get to vitally needed appointments?
With ambulance services stretched and people having to travel further to the new `specialist' units suffused throughout Greater Manchester, demand for charity transport is growing.
"We prioritise those needing ongoing treatment for chronic conditions, maybe those living with cancer and are isolated and have no other form of transportation" explains Suzanne Roberts, Volunteers Manager at the Being There Salford office "We do always advise people that hospital transport might be available but the feedback we've had is that they would prefer a door to door service when they are very ill, so they are not waiting around.
"We plug the gap in some respects" she adds "We help prevent people not going to hospital appointments because can't they get transport or it's delayed. By enabling them to get to hospital we are also enabling them to stay independent in their homes longer. We get a lot of requests from people who don't have any family support or who are isolated and have no other means of getting there."
Volunteer drivers can just donate as much time as suits, from a few hours to a few days, with Being There sorting DBS checks, training, supervision, mileage, parking permits and ongoing support.
As well as drivers, Being There is also looking for volunteers who can befriend ill people and spend a bit of time supporting them...
"The main skill is being able to listen" says Suzanne "Most people who we help are looking for emotional befriending support. Some have limited mobility and might need help with practical things like shopping, but they might also have visual or hearing impairments, so it's things like reading letters and papers to them."
Being There also runs a social on the first and third Wednesday of every month in Eccles for people who are isolated, and volunteers are also needed here for things like helping out in the kitchen and just being around.
"There's a mixture of roles for volunteers" Suzanne explains "We have people involved in helping to raise funds or increasing awareness of the charity by manning stalls in Gateways. There's opportunities to get involved in a few different things depending on time commitments and what volunteers want to do."
To find out more see the Being There website – click here
Or email salford@beingthere.org.uk
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