GWR grant to help tackle isolation and loneliness in Frome

Active and In Touch will use the funding to purchase plaques, coasters and car stickers to provide an ongoing source of income for its operation in Frome and surrounding villages.

GWR’s franchise agreement with the Department for Transport includes a commitment to supporting community and not-for-profit organisations by aiding a number of initiatives.

Active and In Touch offers befriending support to anyone who feels isolated or out of touch with the community around them.

Manager Dougie Brown said:

“The people we support – now numbering 250 and rising – have become isolated and lonely through the circumstances that life has thrown at them, maybe caring for a partner for years, moving to a new area, health issues or bereavement.

“Our volunteer befrienders (currently 172) meet and spend time with them, find out their needs and interests and help them to find their own place in the community. When possible, occasional trips are organised, social gatherings are arranged on a weekly basis and these run hand-in-hand with visits to members’ homes and regular telephone calls.”

The charity also works alongside other groups and has recently taken over the running of Shop for Me, which supports 35 people, and Frome Community Drivers, which provides about 150 trips a month.

GWR Community Manager Emma Morris said:

“We have a specific pot of money designed to support community and not-for-profit organisations. Active and In Touch aims to combat loneliness and these items will help it to secure an annual income for its invaluable work.”

To find out more about Active and In Touch please visit activeandintouch.org

Notes to editors

First Greater Western Limited, trading as “Great Western Railway” (GWR), operates trains across the Great Western franchise area, which includes South Wales, the West Country, the Cotswolds, across southern England and into London. GWR provides high speed, commuter, regional and branch line train services, and before the covid-19 pandemic helped over 100 million passengers reach their destinations every year. GWR was recently awarded an extension to its direct award franchise (called DA3), which shall run up to 31 March 2023 with an option to extend for a further year. 

Find out more here: https://www.gwr.com/about-us