A new initiative in Worcestershire has been designed to combat loneliness and isolation.
Welcome to The Together Campaign, a new campaign from Onside Advocacy, supported by their month-long appeal TechTober2020.
PLUS is a charity service delivered by Onside Independent Advocacy, Worcester, providing one to one support to the over 18s in Worcestershire who are feeling lonely and isolated.
The Together Campaign encompasses the true meaning of community; it is about the coming together of local charities, businesses and the public to support the most vulnerable adults in Worcestershire. They have developed a PLUS Tech Pack which aims to support Worcestershire’s vulnerable and lonely by getting them online so they can access extra support via a Safe Place Facebook Group.
With the recent restrictions brought into force due to COVID-19, a greater number of vulnerable adults are fearful of the heightened risks not to mention the added complexity of the winter season, and as Christmas approaches many people in Worcestershire are facing the prospect of a Christmas alone.
Shutting off communication from others can have an enormous effect on people’s physical, emotional and mental health. Research tells us that significant loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day and it can increase the risk of many worrying physical conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive decline, Alzheimer’s disease, and even death.
The PLUS Tech Pack allows them to get the people they are supporting online and logged in to the Safe Place Facebook Group. The group is closely monitored and every member is formally identified by their Case Worker. The Group is a place where they can connect and get to know other PLUS members from the safety of their homes. There will be workshops delivered by local experts, regular face to face coffee sessions using the new Rooms facility and posts with helpful advice and updates about the PLUS Service.
The PLUS Tech Pack comes in a branded protective bag and includes:
- A communication device, i.e. a smart phone or tablet, with a charger
- A helpful User Guide
- A personal note from you to them and promotional information about your business
- Information about Onside and the many other services that they offer
By sponsoring one, or more PLUS Tech Packs, you will be contributing towards the support that the campaign is currently giving to vulnerable adults in Worcestershire who feel alone and completely isolated from their community. Onside’s PLUS Team has been supporting these people since April of this year, and throughout the pandemic and will continue this vital work during the coming months and hopefully years.
You will become the official sponsor of a PLUS Tech Pack(s) and will be promoted on social media platforms every time your pack is hand delivered out to a PLUS Member. You will also be tagged in real life stories to inform you and the public about how much your PLUS Tech Pack is benefiting a vulnerable adult in Worcestershire.
PLUS Tech Packs are £190 to sponsor. Your sponsorship will support 2 people per year for hopefully years to come depending on the communication device’s lifespan. 5 years is the average lifespan of consumer electronics which would mean your sponsorship will cost just over £3 per month.
Please get in touch if you would like to support The Together Campaign either by sponsoring a PLUS Tech Pack or by giving a contribution via the Just Giving Page.
There is also an opportunity for people to donate their time as a PLUS TechMate (techy and social media savvy people who will support the process of getting the people we support online safely).
The campaign is already underway thanks to support from OCM Business Systems Limited, Hearts for Hope, The Big Badge Theory, Rich Print and Copy & Comms.