Testimonials

Heather - Handyperson

Heather has been using one of Age UK Buckinghamshire’s Handyperson service agents, Ian, to help her since she moved to Buckinghamshire after an accident at home.

“I moved to Buckinghamshire because I had a bad accident with my leg. I used to do all my own jobs, but after my accident I just couldn’t do it anymore.  So I called Age UK Buckinghamshire and they sent Ian to help me. This has been a huge help to me.

He came and had a look at what I needed, he helped put my curtains up and even helped install my new kitchen. My son constructed a book case and Ian fixed it to the wall and built some extra shelves for me. Ian always checks with me that he is doing the right thing and he is doing what I want him to do.

I think there are a lot of opportunities for trades people to take older people to the cleaners. You don’t have to have Alzheimer’s to be not on top of these things, they can be very clever. The Age UK Buckinghamshire agents who come and help, are completely trustworthy, because Age UK Buckinghamshire guarantees this, and that is quite something nowadays! It’s important to feel safe, and I would encourage anybody who needs a bit of extra help, to just ask for it."

Ivor and Matt

Ivor and Matt have been meeting up as part of our Befriending service for over a year. We caught up with them to find out how they have found the Befriending service so far.

Ivor - Befriending Client

“I started using Befriending because I became ill. I’m a person who likes to be out and about doing things, and because I became ill I couldn’t do that. I was confined to the house and I found that very hard work. Having to stay indoors, just waiting for time to go by basically.

I had never been on my own until my wife passed away five years ago. I think for older people being alone is one of the worst things you can get. It really is, because you’ve got no one. It gets to ten / eleven o’clock at night and you just want a chat with somebody.. and there’s nobody there.

Matt arranged for us to go to the RAF museum and see the one Wellington Bomber that’s left. We had a whale of a time, fantastic. I can never thank him enough for that. Usually we just have a chat... we do have a game of dominoes sometimes, he usually thrashes me.

I can only say, if you’re on your own and you need some help, ask for it. Because there is help there, and unless you ask for it people don’t know you need help. I can’t thank Age UK Buckinghamshire enough for pushing me to accept a Befriender, because its the best thing I ever did”

Matt - Volunteer Befriender

"Most people assume that making a difference to someone else's life takes a lot of time and effort, however contributing something as simple as an hour or two a week to chat, have a laugh, play dominoes and set the world to rights is actually no effort at all."

"I feel very lucky to have been matched with Ivor, we are very similar , probably because of our uniformed backgrounds, him being a retired prison officer and me being in the RAF. When we meet its like just meeting any of my other friends, we have become good mates, so for me it has not been an experience that has changed anything."

"Befriending is a great scheme that has allowed me to connect with someone whom I would not have done so if I hadn't joined. It is an opportunity for me to see how easy it is to bridge the generation gap and give me perspective on my life. No matter how small and insignificant I feel my effort is, I know it means a lot to Ivor."

Patt and Louise

Pat and Louise have been meeting up as part of our Befriending service. We caught up with them to find out how they have found the Befriending service so far.

Pat - Befriending client

“My husband died 13 years ago. I could get about more when I first moved here, but now I’m struggling because of my arthritis. My right foot is not good. I can manage in the house with my trolley, but I do struggle to make a meal because I struggle to stand.

It’s exasperating when all your life you’ve been very active. I worked in the woollen mill as a mender. I had three children and worked a lot of different jobs, the last job I had was running as residential home in Halifax for 13 years.

When you see people, the day doesn’t drag. Seeing Louise has made a big difference, because you get to talk about younger things. It just breaks the ice.

I would certainly recommend befriending, it’s very good. It’s only an hour plus a week but its very good.”

Louise – Befriending volunteer 

“I’d lived on my own for a few years previously, so I knew what loneliness could be like. I’m fortunate because I can get out and about and have a good social life. I’m not trapped in my home like a lot of older people are.

I saw an advert for Befriending and thought, that’s something that I can do. I come to visit Pat once a week on a Thursday afternoon and I normally stay for about an hour to two hours. Pat always kindly offers me a cup of tea and I eat a lot of her biscuits! We just catch up on what’s happened over the week. Our conversations get deeper as time goes on, we are definitely forming a stronger relationship.

I’ve always enjoyed older peoples company. All my grandparents have passed away now so it does fill a void for me I think, having that interaction with an older generation as well. There are a lot of older people that need services from Age UK Buckinghamshire that might seem quite small to us in terms of everyday needs. But for that person it can make a huge difference.

It can be flexible with the timings; all you’re really doing is coming and having a conversation with someone, you’re not having to put a lot of effort into it. And you both get so much out of it as well.”