A TELEPHONE befriending scheme for elderly and isolated people is celebrating a successful first year.

Silver Talk provides regular calls to people who otherwise have little contact with the outside world.

It was started by Derwentside Homes from offices in Stanley and has now expanded to include a base in Durham City.

It has helped more than 124 older people and now has more than 34 trained volunteers.

Volunteer June Tailford, 64, of Stanley, said: “I talk to six different people and have found that over the weeks I’ve built up a really strong bond with them, finding out a little bit more about them each week.

“Most of the people I talk to are housebound and get quite lonely so having a regular phone call makes a big difference to them.

“I’ve found it really interesting too and have learnt all sorts about the history of the local area just through my conversations.”

Project Manager John Atkinson said: “This is a fantastic project to work with. The volunteers are amazing and they make a real difference to lives of the older people they chat to every week. “The initial research data was quite scary – there were so many older people who were clearly struggling, but I know we are making a big difference to those people’s lives now.”

Jean Steel, of Durham City Homes, which supports the project, said: “I was really pleased I was able to get Silver Talk to run from our offices in Meadowfield. “We have lots of older people living in Durham City Homes that want to get involved. “I know Silver Talk really brightens up the lives of the people they chat to – and the volunteers love it too!”