The Nottingham Building Society is supporting members of our communities at risk of social isolation with a £30,000 donation to The Silver Line charity.

The Silver Line offers a 24-hour free and confidential helpline (0800 4 70 80 90) for older people to call if they feel lonely.

Their need for funding has never been greater due to the coronavirus pandemic. Since the outbreak, The Silver Line has seen a 30% increase in the number of helpline calls received, and the support from The Nottingham will help to answer vital calls, day and night, from lonely and isolated older people across the UK.

The building society is also encouraging people to call their older relatives and neighbours to see if they need any shopping supplies, or simply just to be someone to talk to.

Anne Leivers, head of people and development at The Nottingham, said: “Lockdown is a very challenging time for everyone, but especially so for older generations who in some cases can feel isolated and in need of help and support.

“During this difficult time we are committed to supporting older people where we can, particularly as many of our members are in that demographic. Our branches have always been important places for some in terms of social contact, however with the current unprecedented events having taken that away for now we hope that the donation to The Silver Line can help bridge the gap.

“Equally as important is the message that we can all do a little bit to help the elderly and vulnerable in our communities. That’s why we are also proud to support a campaign asking people to keep in touch with their neighbours and relatives where possible.”

Paul Goulden, director of The Silver Line, added: “Thank you so much to The Nottingham for their fantastic support during this difficult time. Older people are among those hardest hit by the outbreak of Covid-19 and The Silver Line’s services have never been more essential for those feeling alone. Thanks to The Nottingham’s generosity, we can continue offering a listening ear to those desperately in need of comfort and support.”

The donation is part of £100,000 The Nottingham is giving to charities in the first half of 2020 – triple the amount originally planned as a direct response to the impact of coronavirus in our communities.

That includes £30,000 recently donated to homelessness charity Framework and the same amount shared by 20 Trussell Trust supported foodbanks across the country.