A campaign launched by Highland health chiefs to tackle loneliness has had an “extraordinary” offer of help – from an 88-year-old woman in Spain.
NHS Highland set up a dedicated website for its “Reach Out” campaign, inviting people to sign a pledge to commit themselves to doing something of their choice to help make people feel less lonely.
And within days of the campaign’s launch, a woman living in Spain made a pledge through the site to strike up a weekly email correspondence with anyone in Scotland who feels lonely.
“Our campaign has been very well received throughout the NHS Highland area and beyond,” said Joanna Macdonald, the board’s director of adult social work.
“But to get an offer of help such as this is quite extraordinary. It’s a fantastic gesture.”
Making her pledge in a “Letter from Valencia”, the woman wrote: “Should any persons, feeling isolated and alone in Scotland and having a computer, would like to correspond by email weekly, I am prepared to dedicate time to ensure I regularly fulfil that commitment.”
NHS Highland has directed the woman – who has asked for anonymity – to the voluntary organisation Befrienders Highland, but anyone who wants to take up the offer was urged to email info@reachout.scot.nhs.uk
The campaign was launched on May 20 at Drakies Primary School in Inverness, and the board plans to hold a series of regional launches throughout the north over the next few weeks.
