Appeal for volunteers to end loneliness for Lincolnshire veterans

A widower since 2019, Peter found out about the RAF Association’s Connections for Life service when he called the charity to renew his membership.

His career in the RAF began with National Service in 1949, and he became a clerk for three years, as part of the Airfield Construction Wing.

He served at several stations in the UK and Germany, and, like so many RAF veterans, settled in Lincolnshire. After 60 years of marriage to Gill, since her death he often finds himself alone and he has been speaking to a trained befriender once a week since the middle of last year.

Now he looks forward to speaking to Judith from London saying: “I don’t often see people these days, so it’s lovely to speak with Judith every week.

"We talk about anything and everything, life in general and the state of the world, especially at the moment. I was particularly lonely during lockdown, so the weekly calls really gave me something to look forward to.”

The veteran is not alone. There is a rising demand across Lincolnshire for the RAF Association’s Connections for Life service - and with that comes an urgent need for volunteers

Currently the service has 1,800 people in need of regular friendship phone calls, and only 750 volunteers to support them.

RAF Association Connections for Life manager Sam Squire said the charity had seen growing demand

for telephone friendship over recent months.

He said: “While many people are starting to get their social lives back on track after the worst of the pandemic, older and more vulnerable people are struggling to do this for a variety of reasons.

“Two years of very little, if any, social contact will, no doubt, have taken its toll on these people’s ability and opportunities for socialising going forward. Indeed, we know that many of our beneficiaries have lost loved ones during the pandemic, leaving them to face the future alone.

“In addition, those most at risk of serious illness from COVID-19 are likely to continue to restrict their face-to-face social activities, so telephone friendship will, quite literally, continue to be a lifeline for them.”

Sam said the charity’s existing volunteers came from all kinds of backgrounds, and that, while an RAF connection was helpful, it wasn’t necessary.

“The main thing is that our volunteers are happy to chat about a range of topics, and use their conversations to brighten people’s day,” he added.

The RAF Association’s Director of Welfare and Policy, Rory O’Connor, said: “Loneliness affects tens of thousands of people across the RAF community. Whether it’s a veteran struggling to adapt to life

after service, or a family member facing difficulties alone, loneliness can be devastating to people’s

mental and physical health.

“Our volunteers help to fight loneliness with friendship, creating a resilient, empowered and thriving

RAF community of people who are able to remain independent.”

More information about volunteering with the RAF Association’s Connections for Life service is

available at: rafa.org.uk/connectionsforlife