A SCHEME designed to combat loneliness has been launched by a housing group in the town.

Silver Talk, which is a free telephone support service, will be open to more than 2,000 Your Housing Group tenants from Thursday.

The Warrington-based housing association will run the service from its St Paul’s Court Sheltered Scheme on Bewsey Road.

A team of 10 trained volunteers, who are all Your Housing Group tenants, have been recruited to run the service.

Volunteer Dot Brown, who is chairman of Your Housing Group’s Health and Wellbeing Champions Panel, said: “I am a trained counsellor and did similar work for a number of years prior to my early retirement.

"This is an opportunity to do something with the skills I have, to benefit older and vulnerable people in the local community.”

Volunteers will spend up to half an hour on each call and will make notes so when they next ring they are able to pick up the conversation from the previous week and check how medical appointments or family visits went.

Your Housing Group’s community projects manager, Andrew Edwards said: “We believe it matters to natter. To get a call every week to keep in touch and make sure everything is alright can make a real difference to some people’s lives if they live alone or perhaps caring for someone with dementia .

"Some people just fancy a chat and others need specific advice. We will also take referrals from friends and neighbours as long as they know we’re going to be calling.”

To find out more about the scheme call James Coates on 07795 471359 or e-mail james.coates@yourhousinggroup.co.uk.