Chorley Buddies: the lifeline local service out to help as many people as possible during lockdown

A local man who has cancer and can't access treatment due to the coronavirus pandemic says Chorley Buddies is his lifeline. "He lives for that phone call," explains Paul McBeth. "Stories like that really motivate you to keep doing more because there are people out there who need help and what's a phone call at the end of the day?"
St. Gregory's Church (credit: St. Gregory's)St. Gregory's Church (credit: St. Gregory's)
St. Gregory's Church (credit: St. Gregory's)

A community service set up to provide practical assistance with things such as shopping and delivering medication as well as a friendly person to talk to about anything and everything, Chorley Buddies was originally started by members of St. Gregory's Catholic Church of whom Paul is one.

With a mission statement of ensuring that anyone can pick up the phone and get help during the coronavirus pandemic-imposed lockdown, the group has quickly become an increasingly-crucial resource for numerous people wrestling with the myriad logistical and mental stresses of living through the outbreak of Covid-19.

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"Helping people really puts everything in perspective: I'm retired, I've got a nice garden, and this is slightly inconvenient because I can't see my family," says Paul, 69. "But I've got absolutely nothing to complain about. Given the very privileged position we're in, the more people we can help the better.

Paul McBethPaul McBeth
Paul McBeth

"The church wanted to be more connected to the community and with the Covid-19 outbreak, it became blindingly obvious that we had to do something," he continues. "We started from a premise that there will be a lot of vulnerable and isolated people out there and it's good, thank God, that we're in a position to help, but ultimately we want to be there if needed but not needed at all.

"We tried to get into the position to be able to respond to whatever might come our way, but the reality of the situation is that none of us had any idea of what we were getting ourselves into," adds Paul, who is from Glasgow but who has lived in Chroley since 1985. "We're expecting an avalanche of mental health-related calls and what started as a response to coronavirus will probably have to go beyond lockdown.

"We can't stop supporting people."

While the service does not offer medical, financial, or relationship-specific assistance, it does signpost people to the relevant bodies and has been an invaluable service for the most vulnerable members of society who would otherwise struggle to access things like fresh groceries and medication.

Chorley Buddies' posterChorley Buddies' poster
Chorley Buddies' poster
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Helping get the initiative off the ground, an American telecommunications company generously donated crucial software which has enabled Chorley Buddies to establish a hotline manned by 10 volunteers for 12 hours a day. When the service receives a call, it is redirected to one of the volunteers' homes and they can have a chat. The volunteers have also received safeguarding training from the NHS to identify those who may require professional intervention.

"The volunteers have been fantastic, they're always willing to do things from doing shopping and collecting meds to working as phone buddies," says Paul, with the service now receiving referrals from Chorley Borough Council. "We've got one volunteer who must have about five or six shopping buddies so she's more of less shopping full time and we've another who doesn't have transport but who walks miles to get shopping to people.

"For men, especially older men, it can often be a struggle to accept they have a need to give us a call," Paul explains. "Our message is that we're all isolated as well, so anyone who calls in for a conversation is helping us as much as they're helping themselves. You're doing us a favour by calling in, so don't let yourself not call because you think you shouldn't.

"People are proud and needing help can be hard to come to terms with, but it's perfectly normal to ring and we're always here to talk," he adds. "Please call."

Anybody wanting to talk should call 01257 542 367 between 9am and 9pm. An answerphone service is available at all other times