Lifeline for lonely and elderly people in Littlehampton

Hans Frankham carries out one of the story telling sessions

A PROJECT which aims to throw a lifeline to legions of lonely and elderly people in Littlehampton has launched this week.

Arun Counselling Centre, based at Dove Lodge, in Beach Road, is inviting pensioners or those who feel isolated to join a scheme called Sharing your Story.

Those who take part will be offered the chance to tell their life story to a counsellor – recalling past experiences and present concerns, too – before joining a weekly group full of others in similar positions.

The scheme is a brainchild of centre director Anna Barnard, 74.

The project will target those living in and around Littlehampton who have lost their confidence and often have no one to talk to.

“Typically they may be widows or widowers who’ve become increasingly cut off from the communities in which they live since their spouses, on whom they depended for companionship and support, died,” Anna said. “Or they may be single older people who had absorbing jobs but now find themselves remote from the lives they used to lead.

“It’s sad that so many older people feel invisible. They don’t have anyone to talk to because the younger people around them are so bound up in their busy lives. Families, too, are becoming more and more fragmented. Grown-up children often move away; some seldom visit.

“The result is that more and more older people feel they no longer have a voice. What we are offering is a chance for them to tell their stories to a counsellor in a safe environment and without interruption.”

The scheme was launched with the help of a substantial grant from Sussex Community Foundation and a smaller one from Arun Health and Well-being Partnership and Littlehampton Town Council.

Anna was inspired to set up the project when she heard the story of an older woman who had become withdrawn and isolated.

“The fact is, everyone has a story to tell and many elderly people have led rich and interesting lives. It’s just that nobody knows about them.”

The Sharing your Story project urgently needs extra funding to enable it to continue long term. For information on donating or to join the project, call 01903 714417.