Pembrokeshire Schemes

From Pembrokeshire Council website:

Good Neighbour Schemes: What is a Good Neighbour Scheme?

Some people already act as good neighbours but in many of our communities in Pembrokeshire there are still people who need support. As communities change some people can feel that they have been left isolated within their own community.
The Good Neighbour Scheme can help to lessen the distressing effects of some of these changes, providing a safety net to young and old.

• provide easy access to help and support for all residents living in the community, should they need it
• offer a friendly, local service, responding to calls for help from any member of the community
• can help to ease the impact on the community caused by the decline in services and facilities such as public transport, shops, Post Offices, doctor’s surgeries, pubs etc
• can reduce the feelings of isolation and exclusion experienced by some individuals if families and friends move away in the search for employment, education or affordable housing

How Do Good Neighbour Schemes work?

All Good Neighbour Schmes operate within a community

• Voluneers are recruited who are willing to help others in their community
• A small group of volunteers form a Coordinating Committee to oversee the running of the scheme
• A mobile phone acts as the central contact number and can be passed on to different volunteers willing to be duty co-ordinators
• A duty co-ordinator will answer a call, take all relevant information and then look for the most suitable, available volunteer to undertake the request
• The duty co-ordinator can also act as a link to other sources of help and information, if it would be more appropriate for another service to deal with the request 

Types of services that may be offered

• Domestic support such as shopping, cooking, dog walking or befriending.
• Transport to visit relatives or for leisure purpose (if normal transport is not available), lifts to
  appointments at the doctors or hospital or facilities such as day centres or lunch clubs
• Household assistance including form filling, letter writing, minor repairs and maintenance
• Practical assistance with minor household repairs such as changing a light bulb or taking rubbish to the tip
• Help troubleshooting and using computers and electronic devices such as dvds, videos,etc
• Help during snow or flooding
• Providing information on other services available in Pembrokeshire

What support is available to help set up a scheme in your Community?

• The Good Neighbour Scheme Co-ordinator is available to support all Communities in establishing a scheme
• Offering support, information, and guidance for Community members
• Help to source a start up grant
• Support with criminal records checks and insurance

For further information contact Rachel Gibby, Good Neighbour Scheme Co-ordinator
Phone: 01437 764551
Email: goodneighbours@pembrokeshire.gov.uk