Bob steps up to become furry member of Eastwood befrienders scheme
Eastwood Volunteer Bureau & Food Bank (EVB) has welcomed a new four-legged member to its team.
Bob the dog has been joining his owner Kate on visits to Eastwood resident Sue – and has proved to be a huge success.
Kate has been a befriender for EVB for more than seven years and has been visiting Sue for four of those years, keeping her company for a couple of hours.
Sadly, Sue’s dog Suki died a few years ago so now Bob has stepped as a surrogate fur baby, making the weekly visits even more enjoyable for them both.
Bob is now part of the furniture, a sort of therapy dog and is treated royally at his weekly visit with special dog treats and extra fuss whilst keeping guard at his new friend’s home.
Sue said: “I really look forward to it, it’s a special day”.
EVB is always on the lookout for more befrienders and you don’t need a dog to become one.
You just need to be caring and compassionate, like chatting to people and have an hour a week spare.
By giving an hour of your time each week to enjoy a cup of tea and a natter you can make and incredible difference to someone’s life.
Sue suffers from anxiety and has recently had a long spell in Hospital.
She always wanted to return to her home in Eastwood but has no family left to help her, so Kate has been a godsend visiting her in hospital and keeping an eye on her home.
A carer also visits twice a week to help with household chores, and this has ensured Sue can stay in her own home safely.
Sue continued: “Kate is worth her weight in gold, and I really look forward to my weekly visit from Kate and Bob.
"We got on as soon as we met and now it makes my week when they come.
"Kate is truly a friend, and she is part of my family along with Bob.”
Kate is a retired district nurse who just wants to give a little back and keep busy during her retirement and is currentlya befriender to two people who registered with the EVB.
She said: ”I do this for myself really and the bonus is I meet some lovely people along the way.
"On a Tuesday I also take Alan, my other client to his favourite pub in Ilkeston for an hour.
"We put the world to rights, and he enjoys a pint and reminisces about old times.
"I enjoy it as much as he does.”
Befrienders are people of all ages and from all walks of life who offer their time free to meet up with clients for a chat or a walk.
Befrienders are paired with suitable clients considering hobbies like and dislikes and an initial meeting is arranged to see if they both get along.
If you think you could be a befriender the EVB would love to hear from you.
For more information, call 01773 535255.