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Esther Rantzen’s Silverline is a good idea, says Age Isle of Man
VISIT: Esther Rantzen
AGE Isle of Man chief executive George Quayle has welcomed a telephone support service for the elderly to be piloted in the island later this year.
Last week Silverline was announced by television presenter Esther Rantzen, who founded the children’s telephone helpline service Childline in 1986.
Mr Quayle said that he was keeping an ‘open mind’ on the scheme, adding: ‘I think that while there are lots of facilities on the Isle of Man to support older people I think there are still those who are lonely and isolated and there are those people who don’t get much opportunity to talk with others either face to face or on the telephone.’
He said: ‘If the demand is there it will work and it will give people who don’t normally have an opportunity to ring someone the chance to do so.’
Mr Quayle said that from Age Isle of Man’s experience, it had been found that for some of its clients, visiting one of their day centres once a week was their only outing.
And he said older people sometimes called the charity’s Douglas headquarters because they wanted to have a chat.
He said: ‘I will be very interested to see if it will work. It’s worth trialling.’
He added: ‘It just might be an addition on top of what we do already and a worthwhile addition at that.’
Silverline, a confidential service, will offer advice or information and will link people up with other organisations such as social services or support groups within the community.
Ms Rantzen hopes funding for the scheme will come from company sponsorship as well as individuals.
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Weather for Isle of Man
Sunday 19 May 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 8 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
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