Douglas McAllister MP for West Dunbartonshire has congratulated Jamestown, Alexandria local Audrey Mutongi-Darko on receiving the British Empire Medal for services to Tackling Loneliness and Isolation in Older People in Scotland.
Audrey is the founder of The No. 1Befriending Agency, based in Glasgow. The No. 1 Befriending Agency was formed in September 2016 by a group of professionals who, while working as carers for older adults, frequently found that the people they cared for longed for meaningful interaction, in addition to the simple, mechanical acts of care they received.
On receiving this honour, Douglas said;
“Congratulations to Audrey on the very well-deserved honour in recognition of her outstanding contribution towards ending loneliness and isolation in older people and all at her Glasgow based No. 1 Befriending Agency, it sounds like a wonderful organisation.”
Older people are sadly especially vulnerable to feeling lonely, as they often have a very limited number of social interactions each week, mostly due to mobility issues. In order to tackle this loneliness and isolation, the group created a befriending service where trained volunteers visit isolated older people and spend time with them, having a friendly chat over a cup of tea.
The befriending service is free of charge and is increasingly popular among older adults who wish to receive person-centred care that takes their wellbeing seriously.
The No.1 Befriending Agency’s work is funded from the Glasgow Communities Fund, the National Lottery: Improving Lives, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, and the People’s Postcode Lottery Trust.
Leave a Reply