We work across Dumfries & Galloway

A Listening Ear is a volunteer-led befriending service launched in Wigtownshire in 2020 as a community response to the increased loneliness and isolation faced by many older and vulnerable people a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

But as demand for our services increased, it soon became clear that there was also a desperate need for an ongoing befriending service across Dumfries & Galloway to help tackle the hidden isolation that has existed long before the Covid pandemic, not least amongst older people, carers and those with long-term physical and mental health conditions. 

Given that A Listening Ear was an informal support service set up to respond to the immediate crisis that Covid presented, we knew that if we were to keep our existing services going and expand further to meet the need across the region, we had to develop into a formal charity with proper governance, structures and systems. We also knew that we needed funding for some support staff to help us develop and to make sure our volunteers were being properly recruited, trained and supported.

With assistance from Sleeping Giants Community Development CIC, a small capacity building social enterprise based in Dumfries and Galloway and working across the South of Scotland, we secured some funding to help us to recruit a part time Volunteer Co-ordinator and to help us get the foundation stones in place to develop A Listening Ear into a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation, ready and able to meet the needs of isolated and lonely people across the region.

This work (which was led by a steering group of volunteers and members of the Sleeping Giants team) took place over the period of a year and included:

• finding out the needs and experiences of our clients (people who had received telephone befriending), volunteers and partner agencies across the Region with regards to befriending services
• using this information to develop a roadmap for the way ahead which clearly outlines our vision, mission, values, and purpose
• constituting as a Scottish Charitable Incorporated Organisation which the steering group felt would best support the delivery of the organisation’s plans over subsequent years
• undertaking a process of leadership, management, and governance training and improvement work including developing a new policy handbook to support our work
• developing a fundraising strategy to support the organisation’s activities, growth and sustainability and applying for funding to enable us to expand across the Region over the next 2 years
• developing a robust communications strategy so that as many people as possible are aware of the organisation’s work and how to get involved.

Given our very small beginnings, A Listening Ear and our volunteers have grown from strength to strength over the last year, with trained volunteers continuing to provide high quality befriending, signposting, information on issues such as health, housing and benefits and referrals to other appropriate agencies.

Although we are still a very young organisation with limited capacity, we now have 20 volunteers providing a listening ear to isolated individuals in other parts of Dumfries and Galloway over the phone, face-to-face or via the Zoom app.

We believe in community - no one should feel isolated or lonely. Our help is open to anyone over the age of 18. 

If you feel you could benefit from our service or would like to find out more, contact us today.