HC-One donates £100,000 to Esther Rantzen's helpline for elderly

Home care provider HC-One has announced a £100,000 donation to The Silver Line, a free, national, confidential helpline founded by Dame Esther Rantzen which offers information, friendship and advice to older people.

Less than three years after its launch, The Silver Line Helpline received its one millionth call, with over 1,600 calls received from older people in just 24 hours.

As a founding partner of The Silver Line, the donation from HC-One will go towards its national appeal to raise £1.65m to ensure its night time services can continue.

Founder of The Silver Line, Dame Esther Rantzen, said: “I knew there was a need for the helpline but to answer one million calls in such a short space of time is desperately sad.

“Our callers tell us that nights can be the worst times of all when they really need someone to talk to and confide in.

“We’re really grateful for this amazing donation from HC-One which will go towards helping us to keep the vital night-time service going.

“We urgently need more donations from wonderful friends and supporters, like HC-One - who are doing so much to ensure we are always there for the people who need us most.”

Helpline support

In August 2011, Ms Rantzen wrote about the loneliness she experienced since being bereaved and living alone. Overwhelmed by the response from older people who shared her experience, she was invited to make a key-note speech at a conference at which she came up with the idea of creating a helpline in order to support vulnerable older people, signpost them to projects and services, break through the stigma of loneliness and isolation and tackle the problems of abuse and neglect.

Following the successful pilot which was independently evaluated by the Centre for Social Justice, The Silver Line was awarded a £5m grant from the Big Lottery Fund in September 2013 to support part of the first two years’ operation.

The Silver Line Helpline provides three functions to support older people:

• A sign-posting service to link them into the many, varied services that exist around the country;

• A befriending service to combat loneliness;

• A means of empowering those who may be suffering abuse and neglect - if appropriate to transfer them to specialist services to protect them from harm.

10,000 calls every week

The Silver Line Helpline receives around 10,000 calls every week, with over two-thirds of calls received at night and weekends from people who are lonely and isolated.

Joe, 81, who called the helpline following the death of his wife of 52 years, said: “It was so helpful. I had just lost my wife and I liked the fact that there would be someone there to speak to at any time, even just to say ‘goodnight’ to.”

Jane, 81, said it reassures her to know the helpline’s there. “If you need somebody late at night, you don’t always feel you can call the family in case you worry them but The Silver Line is there.”

HC-One’s donation of £100,000 will cover the cost of 20,000 calls to the helpline.

Dr Chai Patel, HC-One’s chairman, said: “We know that too many older people are affected by loneliness and The Silver Line shows there is an effective solution to tackle isolation.

“HC-One is very proud to support The Silver Line’s national appeal with a donation that will pay for 20,000 calls. That’s 20,000 times people will be able to access the companionship and support they need.

“We are delighted to be part of such an important project and playing an active role in our local community.”

The HC-One Foundation previously donated £150,000 to the older people’s helpline as part of the programme.

The Silver Line is available 24/7, every day of the week, including Christmas and Bank Holidays. While calls are free for older people, the service relies on donations to cover the costs of calls.

For more information, visit: www.thesilverline.org.uk

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