How we help

Over 1,200 volunteers, and a small number of paid staff, help us offer a range of services across the UK and the Republic of Ireland. These include*:

Our information booklet and searchable online guide, Wise Guide, life-improving advice for over-65s , offers advice about claiming benefits and other services. Informal but authoritative, the Wise Guide is drawn from our in-depth experience of helping thousands of older people across the UK.
Live Wires, our telephone friendship service, allows isolated older people to have a facilitated, regular group discussion about a common interest.
One-to-one volunteer befriending provides regular face-to-face or telephone support to those in greatest isolation and helps sustain and build their social networks.
Our social activity groups bring people together to get involved in an activity of their choice, supported by a volunteer organiser.
We can offer practical support such as mobility aids and, in some cases, even emergency grants for some older people on very low incomes.
Our skilled, experienced benefits advisers, working with our trained local volunteers, can provide detailed assessments and casework and support for those who need it most.

*Not all of our services are available everywhere and, unfortunately, we can only help as many people as our resources allow.