Good Neighbours get ready to help

An army of volunteers are being mobilised in Spalding with a new scheme aimed at helping those in need in the process of going live.

The Spalding Good Neighbours Scheme is getting in touch with all those who have offered to volunteer ahead of a required interview process that would allow others to enter people’s properties to carry out work such as providing lifts.

But after going through the required legal processes the group is now able to look at doing jobs that don’t require going into people’s homes, such as having a chat on the phone with someone who may be lonely.

Good Neighbour schemes have been a feature of many towns for years, including in other areas of South Holland.

But Spalding didn’t have such a scheme until the Spalding COVID-19 Kindness Team, now known as the South Holland Kindness Project set up a similar initiative during the first lockdown.

The Spalding Good Neighbours Scheme is looking to carry on the work that group started and build on it for the future alongside Lincolnshire Voluntary Association and the YMCA.

Val Gemmell is one of the committee that’s overseeing the project.

“We’ve got some really wonderful people behind the Good Neighbours Scheme from a mixture of backgrounds who are really good and dedicated.

“Thanks to those we’ve been able to set it up fairly quickly and are now looking to help those people that need it.

“We’ve got an overreaching committee and also divided Spalding up into four divisions to ensure that those that need it are able to get that help.

“It’s brilliant that we’ve already got so many willing to help.

“All those wishing to volunteer can still contact us though. It will look good on your CV and be very rewarding.”

The Spalding Good Neighbours Scheme is being chaired by Angela Newton.
She said: “We are really pleased that in the next few weeks we’ll have people in place to carry out some of the things we’re looking to do.

“Letters have gone out to those who responded to the survey we sent out last year and we’d love to hear from anyone else who wants to get involved.”

To get in touch with the team, they have a dedicated phone number – 01775 302123.

They also have a website https://spaldinggns.co.uk/ and can be found on social media.