Boothby Pagnell Neighbours Scheme aim to help elderly residents

Villagers have been working together to help others and ‘resurrect the community’.

The Boothby Pagnell Neighbours Scheme, based near Grantham, formed in May this year.

Since then, about 20 volunteers have been helping out elderly residents in the village including giving them lifts to medical appointments, fetching prescriptions, helping with household issues and holding social events for them.

“It has resurrected the community,” said Fiona Twilley, chairperson of the group.

She added: “This has all been about helping people and reducing isolation.

“It has taken a little while for some of the residents to embrace it, but they really enjoy the social side of it.

“I think especially for the elderly residents in the village, it has made them meet people they would have not normally met and the volunteers have also made friends from it.”

The group holds a monthly breakfast service, but on December 9, it held its biggest event yet.

The Kick Off Christmas event, which took place at Boothby Pagnell Village Hall, invited residents to enjoy mulled wine, homemade mince pies and festive music performed by group New Tricks.

Local crafters also sold some of their goods, a Christmas raffle was held and £800 was raised for the group.

Fiona added: “We are extremely grateful for the support received both from the village and outside

“As a committee, we were also absolutely thrilled with the donation and will be meeting how we can use the money to further the aims and objectives of the Boothby Neighbours scheme for the year ahead.”

Looking to the future, Fiona and the other volunteers have more plans ahead to continue to help the residents.

She said: “We want to build up the social side and befriending service.

“We also want to make people aware of how they can access services and protect themselves in their own home.

“I think there is a need for other villages to do this, especially in the more rural villages.

“We hope this can inspire other villages to do something like it.”