Caistor church springs into action as family befrienders

Just before lockdown began, a group from Springs Church undertook training with the charity Safe Families to become family befrienders.

The role is to support families who may be vulnerable, need some physical or emotional support, or who simply need reassurance over a short period of time, thereby reducing the number of children who may have to go into care.

Kate Hills, pastor at Springs Church, said: “Since the Covid-19 restrictions we have been asked to support families outside of our immediate 10-mile locality.

“This now cannot be done face to face, but will be done predominantly by telephone or correspondence and may involve delivering shopping and other items to help at a time when some within the family unit may be finding it difficult to balance family life, work, education and finances etc.

“Our befrienders will be someone at the end of the phone who may be able to put things into perspective and give much needed encouragement.

“Things can be lonely for those in isolation at the moment and we wish to ensure that families are supported going into the future.

“We feel this work fits in well with our ethos of ‘Large enough to serve you and personal enough to care’ in our community and beyond, and we are looking forward to supporting families in this way both in isolation and as our ‘new normal’ begins.”

The church has received money from the Lincolnshire Community Trust to help it befriend families outside of its area during the lockdown.

The Springs team of five befrienders is helped by others in the church, who help the charity through donations.