The Silver Line
Dame Esther Rantzen and The Silver Line
Dame Esther Rantzen founded The Silver Line after writing an article sharing her personal experience of the loneliness she felt after losing her husband. She was astonished at the overwhelming response she received from older people who were experiencing the same effects of loneliness.
Dame Esther is a key spokesperson and trustee of the charity.
The Silver Line
The Silver Line operates the only national, free, confidential helpline for lonely and isolated older people open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.
The helpline has received more than one million calls. Over two-thirds are made at nights and weekends, when no other helpline is available for older people who may be lonely, isolated or confused.
The Silver Line is a charity and relies entirely on donations to survive.
The Silver Line’s friendship services
Silver Line telephone Friends – a regular, weekly friendship telephone call between a volunteer and an older person
Silver Letters - where a volunteer and an older person exchange letters every fortnight. It’s ideal for people who are hearing impaired, and would like a Silver Line Friend, as well as those who prefer the written word.
Both our letter and telephone friendship services involve matching an older person with a volunteer Silver Line Friend. We do this by understanding the older person’s likes, dislikes, hobbies etc, and finding a volunteer with common interests.
There is no cost to the older person, or to the volunteer, for any of our services, which are paid for from voluntary donations to The Silver Line.
Asda and The Silver Line
Sophie Andrews, Chief Executive of The Silver Line, said:
“Asda colleagues carry out such great work in the community both through The Asda Foundation and as in-store community champions.
“We’re hoping they will help us to spread the word to older people about our Silver Letters friendship scheme, which is being supported by the Asda Foundation, as well as helping to encourage people to support us through donations and volunteering.”
