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!! Silver!Line!News! !
To#make#a#donation,#please#phone#020#7224#2020,#or#go#online#www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate#
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February#2015###
Message#from#Sophie#Andrews,#Chief#Executive,#The#Silver#Line#
!!Sophie'Andrews'appeared'on'BBC'R4'Today'
studio'6'Feb'2015'
!Sophie#says:!It!seems!hard!to!believe!that!The!Silver!Line!is!now!entering!its!second!year!of!national!operation!and!that!we!have!received!350,000!calls.!I!am!so!proud!of!the!way!our!staff!and!volunteers!have!embraced!the!challenge!of!responding!to!all!the!lonely!and!isolated!older!people!who!need!our!support!and!friendship.!!!There!are!1200!older!people!receiving!regular!weekly!calls!from!their!volunteer!Silver!Line!Friends.!We!have!started!our!group!chats!called!Silver!Circles!and!the!members!tell!us!they!really!enjoy!them,!and!we!are!embarking!on!a!new!service!Silver!Letters!for!those!people!who!prefer!to!communicate!by!post.!!!Daily!call!volumes!are!averaging!1000!a!day,!and!our!staff!and!volunteers!tell!me!how!much!they!enjoy!talking!to!our!callers.!!We!continue!to!gather!feedback!and!I!thought!you!would!be!interested!to!read!some!of!the!responses!from!our!callers.!!
What#difference#has#using#The#Silver#Line#made#to#you?#'“Knowing'I'can'talk'to'friends'without'feeling'my'
call'is'inconvenient,'whereas'it'may'have'been'
with'anyone'else.'I’m'so'glad'I'plucked'up'the'
courage'to'call'you”'
“A'lot'of'support.'They'provide'a'cheerful'and'
caring'service'and'I'always'feel'more'positive'and'
happy”'
'“Your'support'has'brought'me'back'to'life”'
“I'feel'more'able'to'stop'and'think'for'myself'–'
not'easy'after'years'of'helping'others.'I'even'feel'
more'confident'in'using'my'old'fashioned'
landline'phone”'
“A'big'difference'–'I'feel'that'someone'cares'
about'me”'
“It’s'lovely'to'be'listened'to'without'being'judged'
–'they'come'over'as'real'friends”'
!How#do#you#think#we#could#improve#or#add#to#The#Silver#Line?#“In'my'case'there'was'no'room'for'improvement'
–'they'were'wonderful.”'
'
“It’s'good'to'be'able'to'speak'normally'but'the'
opening'line'with'“how'can'I'help'you”'does'
sound'like'a'business!”'''
!Some#other#comments#we#received#include:##“After'major'surgery'last'February'I'received'a'
weekly'call'from'Blackpool.'This'was'wonderful'
to'know'a'stranger'could'care'whilst'family'did'
not'bother”'
“I'just'thank'Esther'for'doing'what'she'did.'I'
know'you’re'in'the'Blackpool'area,'which'makes'
me'smile'as'I'had'a'hangover'on'my'one'and'only'
visit.'I'try'now'to'make'every'call'different,'
despite'probably'speaking'to'someone'different'
each'time.”'
“You'have'made'an'almost'perfect'match'for'me'
and'my'friend.'We'have'a'lot'in'common'to'talk'
about'and'she'is'warm'and'respectful.'I'have'
tried'several'face'to'face'services'that'haven’t'
worked'out'but'your'service'is'wonderful'and'is'
changing'my'life'for'the'better.”'
!! Silver!Line!News! !
To#make#a#donation,#please#phone#020#7224#2020,#or#go#online#www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate#
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First#Birthday#Celebrations#November#2014#!The!Silver!Line!marked!the!first!anniversary!of!our!national!launch!with!celebrations!at!the!helpline,!at!the!House!of!Lords!in!London!and!at!the!George!Hotel!in!Edinburgh.!Supporters!sponsored!the!parties!to!thank!staff!and!volunteers!for!all!their!hard!work.!!
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25'November'2014'House'of'Lords'in'London!
Our!host!and!ambassador!Baroness!Greengross!cut!the!cake!with!Silver!Line!community!champions!Bob!and!Dorothy,!ambassador!Nicholas!Parsons!and!in!the!middle!of!the!picture,!our!President!Dame!Esther!Rantzen.!!
We!!announced!a!new!partnership!with!the!Care!Quality!Commission!to!reach!out!to!older!people!who!are!cared!for!in!their!homes!and!in!residential!care,!helping!CQC!respond!to!any!issues!or!concerns!and!to!identify!cases!of!good!practice.!!And!we!launched!the!new!Silver!Line!Christmas!film.!This!was!created!by!M+C!Saatchi!with!the!production!company!Smuggler!who!donated!their!services,!and!starred!Leslie,!a!caller!and!professional!actor.!#Silver#Line#caller#Leslie#talks#about#the#filming#Having!worked!for!many!years!in!the!theatre,!when!I!was!asked!if!I!would!take!part!in!a!commercial!promoting!the!Silver!Line,!I!reckoned!I!could!take!it!in!my!stride.!I!was!not!even!required!to!speak!any!dialogue!!
I!had!done!a!little!television!work!–!a!few!episodes!of!the!original!Crossroads,!small!parts!in!thrillers!like!TroubleXshooters,!that!sort!of!thing.!But!it!all!happened!many!years!ago!and!nothing!prepared!me!for!what!I!was!to!encounter!at!the!location!in!the!prosperous!north!London!suburb!of!Finchley.!Modern!techniques!have!moved!on!somewhat!since!those!days!!!The!first!sequence!would!take!up!about!five!seconds!of!screen!time!but!took!us!at!least!half!an!hour!to!complete,!involving!a!multitude!of!takes.!I!don’t!think!I!was!doing!anything!particularly!wrong.!I!have,!after!all,!had!quite!a!lot!of!experience!looking!out!of!windows.!But!it!was!supposed!to!be!Christmas!and!our!kind,!sympathetic!director!wanted!me!to!look!happy,!then!happier,!then!even!happier.!After!about!the!tenth!attempt!I!reminded!him!of!the!famous!comic,!Buster!Keaton,!who!was!told!by!an!irate!director!to!look!happy,!to!which!Buster!replied!angrily:!“I!am!looking!happy”.!!
!!We!worked!backwards!through!the!plot,!involving!various!changes!of!costume!and!finishing!up!in!my!pyjamas!X!a!somewhat!confusing!way!of!acting!compared!with!my!theatrical!experience!!I!felt!privileged!to!be!part!of!such!a!professional!team.!It!was!also!an!event!full!of!nostalgia.!I!found!myself!back!in!an!environment!not!dissimilar!from!that!in!which!I!had!spent!so!many!happy,!productive!hours!in!the!professional!theatre.!!
!! Silver!Line!News! !
To#make#a#donation,#please#phone#020#7224#2020,#or#go#online#www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate#
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GOOD#NEWS!#The!Silver!Line!was!selected!as!one!of!the!three!charities!in!The#Times’#Christmas#Charity#Appeal.!The!Appeal!was!launched!with!the!interview!with!John!(pictured!below).!!#Lifeline#for#Japanese#PoW#facing#his#final#
enemy#.#.#.#loneliness#!
!!To!read!the!full!article,!go!to!http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/timesappeal/article4278340.ece!!The!Times!carried!a!total!of!ten!articles!about!The!Silver!Line!and!interviews!with!callers,!community!champions,!volunteers!and!staff.!!!We!are!grateful!to!everyone!who!took!part!particularly!Zillah,!Jean,!Bob,!Leslie,!Lesley,!Emma,!Gill!and!Chris.!!!We!are!delighted!to!announce!that!the!Appeal!has!raised!almost!£150,000!from!readers!including!£25,000!from!our!Founding!Partner!Swiss!Re!and!an!anonymous!donor.!!Here!are!links!to!two!more!articles!which!are!not!behind!The!Times!firewall!so!you!can!access!them!freely.!!http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/timesappeal/article4286566.ece!#
Small#talk#that#helps#to#fill##a#big#lonely#space#
#
!Emma#is#a#volunteer#Silver#Line#Friend#
“From!a!selfish!point!of!view,!it!has!expanded!my!horizons.!I!have!got!to!see!another!viewpoint.!There!is!a!big!age!gap!but!I!get!to!see!things!from!her!point!of!view!and!where!she!is!coming!from.!It!has!made!me!more!aware.”!!!http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/public/timesappeal/article4305933.ece!
Lifeboatman’s#turn#to#be#saved##from#a#deep#sea#of#loneliness#
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!!Christmas!Jones!spent!30!years!saving!lives!with!the!local!lifeboat!service.!He!is!86!and!lives!alone.!“My!wife!has!been!in!a!home!for!two!years,”!said!Mr!Jones,!who!was!born!on!Christmas!Day!in!1927.!“I!have!no!family.!I!never!see!anybody.”!
!! Silver!Line!News! !
To#make#a#donation,#please#phone#020#7224#2020,#or#go#online#www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate#
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The#Silver#Line#Christmas#Card#2014#
The!Silver!Line!Christmas!Card!was!designed!by!Irene,!one!of!our!Community!Champions.!It!was!sent!to!all!our!callers!and!their!Silver!Line!Friends,!courtesy!of!Royal#Mail!whose!donation!made!it!possible.!Many!thanks!to!Irene!and!Royal!Mail.!
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Over!Christmas!2014!the!Silver!Line!answered!twice!the!number!of!calls!compared!with!2013!and!300!older!people!who!were!alone!over!Christmas!received!a!call!from!staff!and!volunteers.!!
Thanks!to!the!staff!and!customers!of!Ladbrokes!who!supported!us!in!every!shop!around!the!UK!and!raised!a!fantastic!£75k!for!The!Silver!Line.!!!
We!would!also!like!to!mention!Ember#Inns!for!hosting!Xmas!and!Boxing!Days!dinners!in!their!restaurants,!and!for!their!“50p!on!the!bill”!fundraising.!!!
We!are!delighted!to!have!been!named!Time#Inc.’s!Charity!of!the!Year!partner!for!2015!&!16.!!!
On!launch!day,!staff!at!the!HQ!in!London!made!a!Silver!Line!of!coins!by!replacing!chocolate!ones!that!had!already!been!arranged!in!a!great!curling!line!around!their!reception.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
We!are!looking!forward!to!working!in!partnership!with!the!staff!and!their!many!magazines.!
Congratulations#to#our#Community#Champion#Bob,#pictured#here#with#Esther.#He!was!featured!on!TV!in!the!best!of!Sports!Relief!2014!and!the!Best!of!Gogglebox!over!Christmas!and!New!Year.!
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We#don’t#(only)#want#your#money!#
There!are!several!ways!that!you!can!help!us!which!don’t!need!any!money;!Do!you!or!one!of!your!family!work!at!a!company!or!organisation!which!selects!a!charity!for!which!to!raise!funds!each!year?!!We!would!welcome!your!help!by!nominating#The#Silver#Line.!!!
Recycle#for#us.!!Printer!ink!cartridges!or!even!old!cars,!both!yield!donations!for!us.!!http://www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate/recyclingX2/!
Next!time!you!are!sending!flowers,!buy!them!at!Charity#Flowers!and!a!donation!of!15%!will!be!made!to!us!for!every!bouquet!purchased.!http://www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate/shop/flowers/!
We!have!guaranteed!places!in!RideLondon[Surrey100##(2!Aug!2015)X!The!100!mile!Olympic!legacy!cycling!event!replicates!the!2012!road!race!route!leaving!from!Queen!Elisabeth!Olympic!Park,!winding!through!the!Surrey!countryside!and!finishing!in!front!of!Buckingham!Palace.!
!! Silver!Line!News! !
To#make#a#donation,#please#phone#020#7224#2020,#or#go#online#www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate#
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86,000!people!have!entered!the!ballot!for!places!and!we!have!a!limited!number!of!them.#
The#Royal#Parks#Foundation#Half#[#11#Oct#2015!!!A!13.1!mile!route!takes!in!the!capital’s!landmarks!on!closed!roads!and!four!of!London’s!Royal!Parks.!!This!sold!out!within!2!hours!and!is!the!UK’s!most!popular!half!marathon.!
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Silver#Skydive#Day#[#31#May#2015!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!If!you!have!always!wondered!what!skydiving!would!be!like,!we!can!offer!you!the!chance!to!try!as!part!of!a!large!group!on!the!inaugural!Silver!Line!Skydive!Day!at!Brackley,!near!Oxford.!!No!prior!training!is!necessary,!and!you!will!receive!full!instruction!on!the!day.!!
Skydiving!is!normally!very!expensive,!but!we!can!offer!the!chance!to!jump!for!free!if!you!can!fundraise!for!us.!To!find!out!more!about!our!challenges!call!Chris!on!020!7224!2749!or!email!fundraising@thesilverline.org.uk!
Fundraising#volunteers#wanted!############################If!you!have!thought!about!fundraising!but!don’t!know!where!to!start,!we!have!produced!a!pack!with!a!few!ideas!to!help!you.!We!can!send!one!to!you!or!you!can!download!it!online!at!!
https://www.thesilverline.org.uk/wpXcontent/uploads/2014/11/webXFundraisingXguideX2014.pdf#
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Our#President#and#Founder#Esther#Rantzen#was#created#a#Dame#in#the#New#Year’s#Honours.#Here#she#is#pictured#next#to#the#Silver#Line#Scotland#birthday#cake.#She#says:##
“I’ve!never!been!the!target!of!so!many!jokes!about!pantomimes!before,!nor!had!so!many!versions!of!“There!is!nothing!like!a!Dame”!sung!to!me,!nor!been!called!Dame!Mum!by!my!own!children.!!!All!of!which!is!great!fun.!!!But!there!is!a!serious!side!to!the!wonderful!Honour,!contained!in!this!year’s!New!Year!Honours!List.!!!According!to!the!citation,!it!is!specifically!for!services!to!children!and!older!people,!in!other!words!for!the!work!of!ChildLine!and!The!Silver!Line.!!!!Which!is!a!wonderful!recognition!of!the!skill!and!commitment!of!so!many!volunteers!and!staff!on!both!teams.!!!!
ChildLine!is!28!years!old,!and!has!transformed!the!lives!of!3.5!million!children.!!!But!The!Silver!Line!has!also!achieved!a!miracle.!!!In!one!short!year!we!have!taken!over!300,000!calls,!and!our!Silver!Line!Friends!and!the!staff!in!charge!of!Caller!Care!have!made!literally!thousands!of!friendship!calls!to!isolated!older!people.!!!!So!my!Honour!is!not!for!me,!it’s!for!you.!!!!Thank!you!for!everything!you’ve!done,!and!continue!to!do!to!answer!questions,!alleviate!loneliness,!and!above!all,!make!it!clear!to!older!people!that!they!are!valued!and!that!we!care!about!them.!!!!
!! Silver!Line!News! !
To#make#a#donation,#please#phone#020#7224#2020,#or#go#online#www.thesilverline.org.uk/donate#
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So!when!I!go!to!the!Palace,!I!will!tell!whichever!Royal!Person!I!meet!that!you!are!amazing,!that!the!callers!all!tell!me!so,!and!they!say!that!now!thanks!to!you!they!have!a!reason!to!look!forward!to!tomorrow.!!!Beryl!wrote!a!letter!to!me!recently!to!say!that!after!her!husband!died!she!felt!like!giving!up,!but!she!told!me!that!after!she!had!plucked!up!the!courage!to!ring!our!helpline!and!pour!her!heart!out!to!“a!lovely!woman,!that!night!I!had!a!good!night’s!sleep!for!the!first!time!since!my!husband!died.!!So!I!thank!you,!and!he!would!thank!you!too.”!!And!so!do!I,!for!allowing!me!to!shine!in!your!reflected!glory.!!!Many,!many!congratulations.!!!!With!fondest!love!to!all!The!Silver!Line!team,!
!(or,!as!the!LK!Bennett!sales!assistant!called!me,!Miss!Esther!Dame!!)!!!!
And!by!popular!demand!here!is!a!close!up!of!the!wonderful!cake!baked!for!us!by!Emily#B’s#Bakery#for!our!London!birthday!party.!Thank!you!!!
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If!you!would!like!to!contribute!an!article!or!feature!to!the!next!newsletter,!contact!sarah.caplin@thesilverline.org.uk.!
A!volunteer!Silver!Line!Friend!asked!us!to!include!her!eulogy!to!her!friend.!It!is!a!moving!tribute!to!a!powerful!Silver!Line!Friendship.!
My!friend!and!the!value!of!our!telephone!calls#
I!only!had!5!months!of!calls!with!my!friend!and!she!passed!away!just!before!Christmas,!really!without!me!realising!she!was!so!poorly.!In!her!initial!request!for!a!friend!to!talk!to,!she!had!asked!for!someone!interested!in!'current!affairs'!and!I!found!that,!although!she!had!huge!lapses!of!memory!about!her!own!life,!she!had!indeed!retained!many!strong!opinions!on!the!state!of!the!world!and!liked!to!talk!about!such!matters.!!
She!did!not!have!many!friends!or!visitors!at!all,!and!was!only!taken!out!once!a!week.!She!said!she!could!not!concentrate!for!very!long!and!that!her!interest!in!television!and!radio!was!minimal.!!I!encouraged!her!to!resume!her!poetry!writing!a!little!and!through!that!I!found!out!that!she!had!a!great!sense!of!humour.!!Whilst!she!could!not!remember!the!names!of!any!of!her!favourite!poets,!I!discovered!that!reading!Pam!Ayers!to!her!made!her!chuckle!and!chortle.!
Her!health!clearly!was!not!good,!but!apart!from!saying!everything!ached!from!her!head!to!her!tummy!to!her!legs,!she!did!not!explain!further.!!In!hindsight!I!think!she!knew!she!was!dying,!if!not!from!the!beginning!of!our!friendship,!certainly!in!the!last!few!weeks.!!I!was!aware!that!she!stopped!going!out!altogether!and!that!there!seemed!to!be!an!increase!in!visitors!latterly.!
This!has!led!me!to!realise!the!absolute!value!of!friendship!telephone!calls.!!Our!relationship!was!not!coloured!by!physical!appearance,!the!need!to!nurse!or!care!or!even!make!cups!of!tea.!!I!did!not!feel!the!need!to!fuss!around!her!X!instead!she!was!able!to!be!herself!with!me!X!she!let!me!prattle!on!about!my!own!activities!X!indeed!she!encouraged!me!to!talk!about!my!life,!particularly!interested!in!my!participation!in!a!debating!group.!!She!was!able!to!retain!her!independence!of!thought!and!opinion!without!being!hampered!by!the!shortcomings!of!her!failing!health.!
I!learnt!a!lot!from!this!friendship,!and!will!value!the!few!months!we!had!of!speaking!together!once!a!week.!!I!also!will!miss!her!very!much.!!
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