Community Angels Befriending Service Gets £333 Boost From Waitrose

Published on: 9 Jul, 2020
Updated on: 9 Jul, 2020

Community Angels, a Guildford-based befriending service helping people tackle loneliness and social isolation, has been presented with £333 courtesy of Waitrose’s Community Matters scheme.

Despite Waitrose’s suspension of its popular in-store “green tokens” scheme during lockdown, the Guildford store recognised the much-in-demand Community Angels service.

Anne Thornton (left) from the Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy receives a cheque for £333 from a Waitrose community champion at the Guildford store.

, that operates Community Angels, received the cheque from one of Waitrose’s community champions.

Anne said: “It is such a challenging time for the whole community and so we are very grateful that Waitrose has chosen to support Community Angels.

“Our project has seen a 300% increase in demand for our befriending work during a period when our traditional fundraising events have had to be cancelled.

“This is such an endorsement of the work of our 60 trained volunteers who are reaching out to provide those in need with tailor-made support.

“Even before the arrival of coronavirus, we were seeing a huge demand for visits from our Community Angels reflecting a national increase of feelings of insecurity in people of all ages.

“Our volunteer angels seek to reassure and re-engage people with their community, to enable them to live a full life.

“We hope to be able to return to making home visits as soon as possible, but in the meantime, we continue to take referrals from individuals, from social services, from the police and other organisations, directing support to the areas of greatest need.”

Tel: 07825 799309, or click here for website.

The Guildford Town Chaplaincy was established in 2008 by the churches of the town to serve the people working and visiting the town.

Its award-winning Street Angel project helps some 5,000 people a year, providing a calming presence on the town’s streets, between 11pm and 4am, every Friday and Saturday night.

During lockdown while the Street Angels have had to hang up their wings, the work of the chaplaincy continues through sister projects, namely Community Angels and by providing volunteer chaplains to those who work in the town centre.

Anyone able to help support the work of Community Angels in the town reaching out the vulnerable by donating or volunteering should visit its website.

This story is based on a press release from the Guildford Town Centre Chaplaincy.