Happy@Home: Tackling isolation and supporting independent living through befriending

Happy@Home helps to reduce the feelings of isolation for older people across West Northamptonshire, enabling them to remain living independently in their own homes.

This is done through befriending where a local volunteer will make regular on-going visits to an older person and look to build friendships, offer support and help people to feel less isolated socially. Volunteers (visitors) and residents are matched and this takes on boards people’s interests, skills and experiences.

For some elderly people a Happy@Home volunteer may be the only person they see in a week, and Happy@Home relationships can transform lives, helping people to enjoy a day out, reminisce about days gone, create new friendships in later life and receive a little help in navigating the maze that can be modern life and technology.

The befriending is also complemented by a series of Happy@Home events that take place throughout the year around the Daventry District that bring people together and celebrate later life.

If there is someone that you know that may benefit from a referral, or for more information on the project, visits and availability please contact Nicola via email or telephoning 01327 300614.

Get Involved

Volunteers are key the project as they visit our older residents in their own homes and take them information about services in their local area.

The project also recruits volunteers for social events which bring isolated older people together.

Below are a few ways you can help out Happy@Home. If any of the below interest or inspire you do get in touch and check out our Getting Started page.

A Happy At Home Befriender provides friendship to an elderly person who finds themselves isolated from the local community.

This involves a weekly visit to someone in the community at their home and introducing them to our information pack with leaflets which direct them to local activities and resources. It’s a great chance to sit, have a cuppa and a chat where they are the focus for conversation, initially you are likely to be the only person they see in a week.

To help tackle isolation in older people in our area, Happy at Home run a range of different events from our New Street Centre base and beyond.

We are always looking for helpful and creative people to help bake cakes, set up rooms, help on-the-day running and come up with ideas for future events.

You can also help continue and grow the Happy@Home befriending service and activity schedule by fundraising. We would be delighted to hear from anyone interested in raising funds for the project, either through one-off sales and events or something more long-term to help establish networks with businesses and other funders.

Fundraising is a vital part of the project and you would be playing a large role in helping older people stay living independently in the Daventry District. For more information please get in touch with us to discuss further.