A tennis club raised £3,281 when it hosted a tournament to help fund OrangeLine – Saint Francis Hospice’s pioneering telephone service to support people who are isolated or lonely.

L-R: Sally Hunter, Alison Halls, Lorraine Barfoot and Kaz Esler

Theydon Bois Lawn Tennis Club brought 60 ladies together in June for an exciting day of tennis, along with a spot of lunch and a glass of Pimm’s!

On Tuesday, July 24th, the club’s committee members Sally Hunter and Alison Halls visited the charity in Havering-atte-Bower to present a cheque for £3,281.

“I know how much of a struggle it is to raise the funds needed and we are happy to do anything we can to raise money for such a brilliant cause,” said Sally, who is also a volunteer with OrangeLine.

The confidential telephone service was set-up in April 2016 and since then the team of specially trained staff and volunteers has received hundreds of calls and provided face-to-face support to people who may be bereaved or in need of a friendly ear or chat.

OrangeLine has continued to expand its services to the community over the past two years and has been working in partnership with other organisations to host social events.

It has also supported a variety of specific social groups to enable people to meet and make friends with other people in a similar situation.

These include Tea and Talk at Toby’s, which was set up for people affected by cancer and Friendly Faces, which supports bereaved people.

Anne Brown, Head of Major Gifts at the Hospice, said, “We are so proud to be able to provide this pioneering service, which was initially set up to support bereaved people whose loved ones were cared for by the Hospice.
“In response to demand from the wider community, it is now available to anyone in the locality affected by these issues.

“This very generous donation will help OrangeLine continue to reach people in our community who would otherwise be isolated and facing loneliness.“

If you would like to contact OrangeLine or if you know someone you think might benefit from the service, please call the team on 01708 758649 between 9am and 5pm Monday to Friday.  

To find out more visit https://www.sfh.org.uk/orangeline.