For 9 years Hour Community has been providing support to the older and vulnerable people living in Framlingham and the surrounding villages, by way of Community transport to medical appointments and hospitals, a mental health drop in café, and dementia friendly lunch club, a befriending service, two Trishaws for cycling experiences and a help in the home service for those who can no longer do the little jobs that they used to do without thinking.
Since the outbreak of Covid 19, the local community has turned to Hour Community to provide an action plan for both the short and long term needs of those most in need in the local population.
The charity has shown great resilience by adapting to increased and varied needs of those it aims to support, this includes a new delivery service for shopping, medication and meals on wheels.
Unfortunately, the lockdowns have meant that they have had to stop any face to face get together and the anxiety levels of those individuals who used to attend the mental health drop in café, and dementia friendly lunch club and their families, were increasing exponentially so the teams from the Worry Tree Café and the Forget me Not Club set up a befriending service, and now focus their time on offering support and advice over the phone.
East Suffolk, has a disproportionate number of over 65s compared to the rest of the country. 25% of the population of Framlingham (4000) is between the ages of 65 and 84 compared to the national average of 15.6 % and it is expected that this will increase 60% by 2039. Hour Community estimate that Framlingham and the abutting 9 villages, that they operate in, have over 2500 people who are over 65, a large proportion of whom live on their own and have no means of transport.
The anxiety levels of individuals with mental health issues, and their families, has also increased during the Pandemic and something the charity’s Worry Tree Café, will be focusing on addressing in the coming months.
Enabling the elderly and those experiencing mental health to retain their independence is so important, but the fear of Covid is making them anxious and vulnerable, and a lack of social interaction with others is having a profound effect on their general wellbeing, it’s a real problem and one that Hour Community are focused on addressing.
In the coming months, as they start to help the rebuild of this community, this organisation will continue their shopping and prescription delivery service and will also be expanding their Furniture project as well as opening a men’s shed in the coming months.