VOLUNTEER befrienders and car drivers are being sought by Tavistock Area Support Services (TASS) as demand for its services increases after the covid pandemic.

TASS, which is based at the Ancourage Centre, is seeking people who can spend a couple of hours each week visiting someone in their own homes, offering company and a chat.

The befriending service has around 20 volunteers but needs more as demand grows.

Outreach worker Cathy Hipsey said a lot of people were still isolated as they had got used to living that way during covid but also a lack of transport and mobility problems meant that attending groups and activities was more difficult for some people.

‘The demand is increasing and we are getting a lot of referrals coming in from health and social care especially from the wider community — we go as far as Yelverton and Lifton,’ said Cathy. ‘We need people who are happy to donate a couple of hours of their time to be a friend to someone on their own and have a bit of a chatter with them.

‘It’s about being their eyes and ears really, expanding their world.’

Cathy said taking something in your bag like a copy of the Tavistock Times was a good starting point to get a conversation going.

‘Some volunteers enjoy taking their “friend” out for a drive or to a local café,’ she said.

No experience is necessary and TASS will be starting a training course for new befriending volunteers on Wednesday, October 19 at the Ancourage Centre (next to the bus station).

The course is from 10am to noon each Wednesday morning for three weeks, at the end of which volunteers will be introduced to a ‘friend’.

The organisation is also seeking drivers for its three minibuses used to take people on trips and to bring them into Tavistock to attend some of the groups run by TASS, and for its community car scheme.

Presently TASS runs a stroke club, Parkinson’s group, memory cafe, physically challenged group, macular disease society, music and movement group, a ‘love to move group for people less physically active, Tai-chi, art group, table tennis and bingo.

It runs outreach groups in Milton Abbott, Horrabridge and Lifton, all of which need volunteers too to keep them running.

General manager of TASS Paula Anscomb said: ‘We are urgently seeking to increase our volunteer community car scheme drivers and our minibus drivers.

‘We currently have 17 volunteer community car drivers, and eight volunteer minibus drivers. All are doing a fantastic job, and because of demand they are doing much more than what is expected of them.

‘We have a higher demand for medical appointments than we do drivers, there are three primary reasons for this. Some of our drivers have retired because of their own health, others have moved away from the area to be closer to family and thirdly, we are seeing an increase in appointments, which are almost at pre-pandemic levels.

‘We don’t like disappointing any of our service users, as we understand that for some the anxiety of getting to an appointment can impact on health when they are already feeling vulnerable.

‘Please call Bernice our transport coordinator who will give you all the information you need on becoming a valued volunteer driver for TASS.’

For more information on becoming a volunteer or to book a place on the befriending training course, please contact the Anchorage Centre for a volunteer pack, in person, by phone 01822 616958 or by email to [email protected]