A Revival service that supported people to live independently in their homes and community will sadly come to an end this April after successfully supporting nearly 100 people in the last year.

The Reconnect Service was commissioned by Cheshire East Council in April last year.

The aim of the service was to support people over 55 whose confidence had been knocked by the pandemic.

It came after 45% of people over 70 felt uncomfortable leaving their homes as a result.

The solution was to connect isolated people with their community to form good relationships, help them gain new skills, and to help them feel like they have a purpose again.

The service achieved this by connecting customers with a support worker who provided emotional and practical support. Helping to address issues like loneliness, self-esteem, bereavement, and mental health struggles by encouraging the take-up of community groups, training courses, and wellbeing support.

The service helped local resident Sandra who felt anxious about leaving her home.

Home Support Worker Becky (pictured above) describes how together they addressed Sandra’s concerns.

“When I first met Sandra, she was anxious and didn’t like going out alone”, said Becky.

“She was struggling with her mental health and had thought about taking her own life. I referred Sandra to therapy and got in touch with her GP to check her medication.

“Alongside that, I took her to a craft afternoon in the local community. She loved it, was taught how to knit, and was connected to other people.

“Once I found things that bought joy back into her life, we looked at how she could continue to do these things by herself without my support.

“Sandra now feels less isolated at home, has support with her mental health, and is reconnected to her community again.”

Home Support Team Leader Mark Cliffe says the Revival team is immensely proud to have supported people in Cheshire East.

“It’s been an honour to support people in the community, our two home support workers have achieved some great outcomes for local people”, said Mark.

“They’ve helped bring joy back into people’s lives again by connecting them with their community and providing the support they desperately needed.

“Although it’s a shame the service is coming to an end, we’ll still continue to work closely with Cheshire East Council to support local people.”