‘Buddy’ project for isolated care home residents rolled-out across North Wales

A HEARTWARMING project supporting elderly care home residents will be rolled out across North Wales.

Driven by the community interest company Book of You, based in Ruthin, the Care Home Buddy scheme has been extended to include Wrexham, Flintshire, Anglesey, and Gwynedd following a successful pilot programme in Denbighshire, Conwy, and Pembrokeshire.

Volunteers attend residential care homes weekly after being paired up as a ‘buddy’ with a resident who may feel isolated, lonely, and anxious, without friends or family to visit them regularly.

Post-pandemic this has been a significant issue, according to project manager Danielle Jones, who is leading a campaign to recruit 100 volunteers who will commit an hour a week to the initiative.

“The response we had in Conwy, Denbighshire and Pembrokeshire was so positive we knew we had to reach out even further,” she said.

“Volunteers sign up for 12 weeks, but the majority stay on for longer because friendships and bonds are made, they want to continue being there for their ‘buddy’, which is lovely.

“There has already been a lot of interest and we are welcoming new volunteers and care homes by the week, so there is an appetite and demand for this project.