Mrs S, aged 85, lives alone. She has no nearby family and usually attends KLS several times a week for social activities. She currently gets a daily friendship call from a mixture of our staff team and ‘Fone Friend’ volunteers. Mrs S was struggling with not being unable to get out and it was affecting her mental health. She began to have anxiety symptoms and complained of low mood. Daily calls have supported her to feel cared about the daily chats she reports make her feel brighter. She says “I don’t know what I would do without you calling”.
Recently she raised concerns about her increasing difficulty to remember things and other symptoms. She was unable to call her doctor due to getting confused with the telephone triage system currently in place. Her Fone Friend was able to call the doctor for her and arrange an appointment.
Mrs S also receives a meal from Kambala Cares (who are using our kitchen to cook 50+ hot meals, three times a week) and weekly shopping and prescription collecting is done with local volunteers from Battersea Coronavirus Angels. She was sent a gift from the Covid donations of a lion puzzle – lions are her favourite animal. She has also been given wool from KLS donations and is busy knitting twiddle muffs for people with dementia.
*Note: Names have been changed to ensure anonymity. Photos are illustrative.
Katherine Low Settlement is a much-loved, busy charity that has been at the heart of the community in Battersea, south-west London, since 1924.
With a few staff and a lot of volunteers, Katherine Low Settlement runs a range of its own popular community projects including educational courses and wellbeing activities. The charity supports children, young people and their families, older people, refugees and newly arrived communities of all genders, nationalities and religions.
The Katherine Low Settlement building in Battersea High Street, opened in 1924, is used for community activities and events, usually – until the arrival of Covid-19 – by over 500 people a week. Its rooms are available for hire at affordable rates.
Katherine Low Settlement is grateful for the funding received from supporters, trusts and foundations to enable the charity to continue to reduce poverty and isolation and bring Battersea together.
Aaron Barbour
Director
Katherine Low Settlement
Telephone: 020 7223 2845
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.klsettlement.org.uk
Pictures
High resolution digital images available from Katherine Low Settlement press contacts.