TRICIA Kenyon from Southampton has recently joined the team at a charity in the city dedicated to erasing loneliness as its new Service Development Officer (February 2022).

The 56-year-old joined Communicare and will be forming new partnerships with other organisations and looking intofurther ways the charity can reach and connect with more people who are lonely and isolated.

She said:

“I am so thrilled to have become the new Service Development Officer at Communicare. I enjoy connecting with people and working together on creative solutions, so I am embracing my new position. Part of my day-to-day duties include finding out what is happening in our city that Communicare could get involved with. I also look at other ways the charity can help reduce loneliness and isolation and how we can bring people together.

“I have also been to many networking events and have been contacting churches and other organisations to see if we can form partnerships, recruit volunteers and run community events together. It’s a very rewarding job.”

Originally from Stubbington in Hampshire, Tricia previously worked in sales and promotions. She attended the London Bible College in 1990 and ever since has taken on voluntary and paid work in jobs supporting people involved in prostitution and addiction.

Tricia has also previously worked in outreach and support work with women.

In her spare time, Tricia is renovating an old house she recently purchased. She also regularly worships and dances, and also enjoys reading, meeting friends and walking her dog Ruby.

Communicare is a friendly, neighbourhood charity. Its services are staffed by its committed, kind-hearted Communiteers, who volunteer and give their time freely.

The charity’s Good Neighbours’ Network is currently supporting around 560 individuals/families through tasks including one-to-one telephone befriending and transport for essential appointments and assistance with shopping.

Normally Communicare’s services are linked to hosting face-to-face social events, such as regular lunches and tea parties for service users, but the charity, understandably, is unable to organise these currently due to ongoing Covid issues but it hoping to re-start these this month (February).

Currently more of Communicare’s work is done via the telephone, post and online.

The services Communicare provides are free to users, although beneficiaries are invited to make a donation if they are able to, and Communiteers are offered expenses.

To find out more about Communicare, please visit www.communicareinsouthampton.org.uk.