8 March 2014

Please note: this news article is in our archive. Articles were correct at time of publication, but should not be relied on for accuracy after the passage of time.

THE Royal Voluntary Service (formerly WRVS) is calling on local residents to dedicate a couple of hours a week to helping older people in their community.

The charity’s Community Meals on Wheels service provides older and housebound residents with much more than a hot meal; the service is a source of vital social contact for people who might not otherwise see anyone else from one week to the next. Royal Voluntary Service volunteers also perform ‘safe and well’ checks to make sure the older people who use the service have everything they need to stay safe, healthy and independent in their own homes.

David McCullough, Royal Voluntary Service Chief Executive, said: “This is a really vital service for older people in the community. Taking someone to the shops or having a chat may not seem like much, but it makes a massive difference to the older people who use the service. Our volunteers are fantastic and really enjoy what they do: they get as much out of volunteering as they put in, but we always need more helpers to meet the growing demand for the service, especially at this time of year.”

Volunteers can choose to dedicate as much or as little time to volunteering as they are able. To find out more about the service, contact the charity on 0845 600 5885 (quoting West Sussex) or visit www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk/westsussex.

Royal Voluntary Service supports over 100,000 older people each month with tailor-made solutions to help them stay independent in their own homes. Through its army of 40,000 national volunteers, the charity runs services such as Good Neighbours (companionship), Community Meals-on-Wheels and Books-on-Wheels to alleviate loneliness and help older people generally. Royal Voluntary Service also provides practical support for older people who have been in hospital through its On Ward Befriending and Home from Hospital services.

* For more information contact Ruth Taylor on ruth.taylor@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk or ring her on 07714 898574.

• Formerly known as the WRVS, Royal Voluntary Service has been helping people in Britain for 75 years.
• Originally set up as the Women’s Voluntary Service in 1938, the charity played a crucial role during the Second World War.
• Whilst keeping the same values of community service, Royal Voluntary Service has now focused its work on helping older people to remain independent and get more out of life.
• Royal Voluntary Service is one of the largest voluntary organisations in Britain with 40,000 men and women helping people in their homes, the community, hospitals and in emergencies.
• The charity is a founding member of the Campaign to End Loneliness, a partner in the Big Lottery funded project, Shaping our Age, a supporter of the Malnutrition Task Force and a member of the Care and Support Alliance, the Falls and Fractures Alliance, Age Action Alliance and the Dementia Action Alliance.
• Royal Voluntary Service has Investing in Volunteers status in recognition of its good practice and effective volunteer management.
• For more information on the Royal Voluntary Service please visit www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk