Community Network has been awarded the runner up position by the SupportActionNet Awards 2009 for its work with retired seafarers!
Sponsored by the Ashden Trust, the competition is for projects or examples of support work that have delivered outstanding outcomes for vulnerable people.
The judges comments are below:
"I loved the thoughtfulness behind this project – seeing a very specific and un-recognised need and responding so appropriately to it. It is how the world changes – through the building of grass roots communities – sharing histories and building friendships. Wonderful."
"Innovative in that it tackles a client group that I’ve never heard mentioned before but must suffer terrible isolation. The genius is that it uses something that people already have – a telephone. Also it is spreading and therefore is evidently having an impact."
The Community Network project, Seafarers Link, was set up earlier this year in response to research carried out by the Maritime Charities Funding Group which found that many former seafarers (trawler men and sailors from the Royal and Merchant services) have great difficulty adapting to life on shore following retirement. The research highlighted how this engendered feelings of social exclusion and loneliness, which often lead to depression and other health problems.
Seafarers Link tackles the problem by linking up retired seafarers through telephone support and friendship groups. This provides the opportunity for them to make new friends, engage in new activities, discover shared histories, and feel less isolated.
Following the success of a pilot project in Hull, other groups have been set up on Merseyside and in Wales. Sue Robinson, Community Network’s Social Inclusion Officer, said: “We are delighted with the result, as we feel it recognises how telephone social and friendship groups can make a real difference in improving the lives of vulnerable people.”
Community Network has been supporting vulnerable and isolated people through innovative use of the telephone for almost twenty years. Its charitable work is funded by grants and profits from the telephone conferencing services it provides public and third sector organisations.
For further information about Community Network call 0845 619 9992 or visit www.community-network.org
