Dear
Colleague
It is
with regret that I have to inform you that from the 1st May 2019 we will not be accepting any new
referrals for our befriending service.
This is
due to two key issues:
1. Derby and Derbyshire
Clinical Commissioning Group decided that they will no longer fund befriending.
Derbyshire County Council is still supporting us.
2. Our waiting lists
are high and the board of trustees took the decision that going out to visit
clients to put them on a waiting list was not good use of staff time and raises
expectations we can’t meet.
Linda
will be spending the next few months out and about in Erewash to recruit more
volunteers to support our direct services including befriending. The trustees
have agreed to revisit this in six months’ time and if more volunteers are
recruited we will be opening up the list again.
We know
that the service is desperately needed and as far as we are aware, ours is
currently the only Befriending service in Erewash. We are doing everything we
can to ensure that the service continues.
I am
collating any responses to this to feed into our funders to highlight the
impact this would have if we lost the service.
If you
have any further questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Kind
regards
Stella
Scott
Chief
Executive Officer
