Connect
A single point of access telephone support service, open 7 days a week from 10am – 2pm daily with a real person at the end of the phone – even Christmas Day! We are here to support, signpost and provide information on anything later life related – the service is free of charge and primarily aimed at people aged 65+ in Suffolk. You can even just call us for a chat!
Engage
Getting out and about and building relationships with communities is key to supporting individuals longer term with the right information available to them at the right time to support their health and wellbeing. With a focus on poeple aged 65+, our community engagement team are out and aout across the county, attending community events – the Community Cuppa and Pop Up Chinwag. For more information about our events, check out the map on the home page.
Click here to find out more about becoming a Community Events Volunteer
BeAFriend
Suffolk has a ageing population and we know that around 1 in 10 people aged 65+ say that they are “often or always lonely” – this equates to over 17,000 people in Suffolk. Our befriending service aims to support people who may be struggling with loneliness and social isolation by building a friendship, either over the telephone, through digital devices, penpal or face to face (this can be both in and out of the home). This service is available 7 days a week (subject to volunteer availability) and we work together to match befrienders and befriendees who share similar interests, hobbies or expereiences. This is usually a weekly call or visit by one of our trained befriending volunteers, who all recieve traning, and are enhanced DBS checked. We always aim to signpost people to an existing local service is there is one available, so that we can ensure that our support goes to where is it most needed.
Click here to find out more about becoming a BeAFriend volunteer
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the service cost me anything?
All of our services are free of charge. As a registered charity, we rely on the support of funders and donations of individuals to continue our important work. If you would like to make a donation towards our services, you can do so by calling 01449 707030 or making a donation at one of our events.
Do you need to just be over 65+ or are there other criteria I need to meet?
Most of our Later Life projects are aimed at people aged 65+, although this is not prescriptive. Our Digital projects are for people aged 55+ but always check with us first around eligibility for any of our support, as if we can help, we will.
What type of things can you help me with?
We can help with putting people in touch with statutory and voluntary services. We have helped with finding domestic or gardening help, community transport, disability equipment, benefit claims support, blue badge applications, advocacy, befriending services, social activities. We can also access general information on subjects relating to living well in later life.
Is the service confidential?
Yes, absolutely.We take people’s personal details extremely seriously and never share your information with anyone without your permission.
Can we just speak over the phone or do I need to meet in person?
Our service is delivered over the telephone. We can follow up any work we have done for you in writing, if that helps.
Can I just ring up for a chat if I need some general information or help with something?
Yes of course! We love to chat, and are always happy to have a natter and see how we may be able to help.
How many times can I use the service?
As many times as you need to. Once you have made contact with us, we will talk through how else we may be able to help and then come up with a plan to keep in contact if required.
What days and times is the service available?
The Connect service is open 10am-2pm everyday of the year with a “real” person there to chat to. The BeAFriend service is also available 7 days a week, depending on volunteer availability (Click here for how to become a BeAFriend volunteer). Digital and Engage projects are date and time specific – See map for details
Read the latest news from our blog:
2023: A Right Royal Help Out
Everywhere we turn at the moment is red white and blue with a plethora of Coronation memorabilia and decorations donning the streets as well as in our shops.
We don’t want to get left behind, but rather than focusing specifically on Coronation Day and the national Big Help Out campaign to encourage volunteering, we’ve decided in true CTEA form to “do our own thing”! So thanks to King Charles, we are launching 2023 for 2023, an opportunity for you to pledge your time throughout 2023, with the aim of reaching the grand total of 2023 volunteering hours donated from our incredible volunteer army.
Meet our new Operations Manager
Hello! I am delighted to have joined CTEA as Operations Manager in January 2023. It means a great deal to me to be going to work in an organisation that truly believes in the power and strength of local community and in empowering people within their own communities.
Just a little about myself…. I would like to be thought of as a kind and compassionate person who tries to always be helpful to others. I always try to put my team first and shepherd people together, showing positive leadership to create a team not a collection of individuals.
The Start of a New Year…
How the time flies!
With Christmas and New Year festivities now behind us, it’s time for the Communities Together East Anglia team to forge ahead with some exciting plans, developments and most importantly continuing to support people at a community level across Suffolk to reduce loneliness and social isolation.
We also have some anniversaries – two of our amazing team are celebrating their two year anniversary with the charity in January, and we also welcome Colin Baldwin to our merry band – Colin has joined us from Suffolk County Council and is our new Operations Manager – so you can expect to hear and see Colin when we are out and about in communities over the next few months!