If you're feeling vulnerable or lonely, we're here to help – and now we're just a phone call away

The Covid-19 pandemic has stopped long-term volunteer Chris doing her job as usual – so instead, she's taking calls on our support line 

Last updated 28 March 2023

As a former nurse and British Red Cross volunteer of 35 years, Chris is used to stepping in to help whenever needed.

As a key part of our psychosocial support team, she was there providing emotional support and advice to those affected by the London bombings in 2005 and flew out to Tunisia following the terror attack in 2015. 

But now in these strange new times, she found another way to help on the front lines of the Covid-19 emergency by taking calls on our support line. 

Chris does six shifts a week as a supervisor and call handler for the support line. “[When I heard about the support line] I felt it would help me to volunteer because I felt that I was doing something of value and that I was able to contribute in some way,” said Chris. “The fact that I am able to be part of this response from home is uplifting and enabling me to play my part.” 

Chris says the support line has proven to be even more of a lifeline for some. “Some people are ringing just because they’re lonely and want to chat,” said Chris. “I had a lovely chat with an older lady about her garden and the fact she didn’t have any seeds. So I made a suggestion about where she could get some seeds by post and she went away quite cheery to think that she could get some plants and do a little bit in her garden.”

Letting people know that help is at hand

The support line aims to direct people to their local services or community hubs, while letting them know what their options are. For those in urgent need of help, staff and volunteers can refer them to Red Cross emergency response teams in their area. 

“[These are] people who do not have any way, no local community, no family, nobody to go and get shopping or medicine,” said Chris. “I had one operator who had somebody on the phone and they’d been trying for two weeks to get their cancer drugs and they now only had two days left of them, so I put that through as urgent. You can flag the really important ones and make sure that they get dealt with as priority cases.”

YOU CAN FLAG THE REALLY IMPORTANT [CALLS] AND MAKE SURE THEY GET DEALT WITH AS PRIORITY CASES.

_{Chris, support line worker}

Chris first began volunteering with the British Red Cross in 1985 as a first aid trainer. Seeing Red Cross volunteers’ impact first-hand, both the UK and abroad, has kept her loyal to the organisation. 

“It’s about making a difference to real people. I used to go and visit care schemes and various volunteering schemes and seeing how they interact with somebody who wouldn’t get that support in any other way is brilliant – it would really refocus me on why we’re here to make a difference,” said Chris.

And while she is looking forward to one day being able to help people face-to-face once again, for now she is happy swapping the frontline for the phone line. “I hope our efforts are getting to the right people and helping them to bear this difficult time a little better,” said Chris. “I trust the emergency support team and I am so proud to be a part of it.”

 

Get help if you are feeling lonely and want to speak to someone.

Call our support line to speak to our lovely volunteers between 10am and 6pm every day. You can get help to cope with loneliness. You can find help accessing essentials like prescriptions and food. We can offer advice about where to turn for financial help with money, rent and bills. And we are always here to listen if you just want to talk.