Hayley to Take the Plunge for Friendship at Home
Friendship at Home, a support and befriending service for older people and the families of people with memory concerns, will benefit from the fundraising efforts of a daredevil member of staff from St Hugh’s Hospital.
Hayley Wrightam, the Patient Services Manager at St Hugh’s Hospital in Grimsby, recently won a tandem skydiving experience, which will take place during the Aviation Festival in Hibaldstow on Sunday 30th September.
As a keen supporter of Friendship at Home, which operates in North East Lincolnshire, Hayley immediately got in touch with the team to let them know that she would use the activity to fundraise for them.
Hayley first became aware of Friendship at Home when St Hugh’s began funding two dementia specialists as part of the hospital’s health promotions activities in May 2017.
The group runs a range of weekly sessions which bring together groups of older people who would otherwise face loneliness and isolation.
Age UK reports that 3.6 million older people in the UK live alone, of whom over two million are aged 75 or over, and more than 1.9 million older people often feel ignored or invisible.
Friendship at Home aims to address this in North East Lincolnshire and currently supports 584 people through its services.
At the end of last year, Hayley was instrumental in introducing the group to local entertainer Joan Gorry, who along with Friendship at Home support worker Linda Thomas now leads the Memory Lane Choir run by the organisation.
Hayley said: “When I won the skydiving experience I was initially terrified, but then I suddenly thought it would provide a great opportunity for me to fundraise for an organisation close to my heart.
“Friendship at Home does a wonderful job of offering people opportunities to come together to enjoy activities around music, sports and gentle exercise. It’s a great way for people to make new friends and reconnect with other members of their community.”
Julie Rigby, Development Manager at Friendship at Home, said: “We can’t believe Hayley is doing this amazing challenge for us. Despite her own fears, she is literally reaching for the stars for Friendship at Home.
“Hayley’s fantastic actions will have such a lasting impact on Friendship at Home and will ensure we’re able to bring more people together for many more years to come.”
To donate to Hayley’s fundraising campaign please visit the website: www.friendshipathome.org.uk/donate/.
