COVID-19 & Changes to our Services

South Derbyshire CVS premises are currently closed to the public and visitors, and staff are working from home. All our group activities and most community based face to face services have stopped for the time being.

Isolation & Loneliness Action Networks Derbyshire (IsLAND)

Background and History

The Derbyshire Trusted Befriending Network (DTBN) was established in 2012 with funding from Derbyshire County Council Adult Care as part of its Prevention Strategy, to ensure that adults needing befriending support could access services and could be confident that they were safe and well run. Originally the network’s membership was traditional 1:1 befriending services but its remit has widened over time to include informal, group and peer support and to tackling wider loneliness and isolation agendas. The network also developed a quality assurance scheme the DTBN Quality Mark aimed at small organisations.

The IsLAND Project

County Council funding ended in 2018 but subsequently 3 years funding was secured from the National Lottery Community Fund for a new initiative starting in May 2019. The IsLAND project aims to take the work of DTBN forward, and to tackle loneliness and isolation in Derbyshire by: 

• Reaching more people across Derbyshire who are lonely and isolated, and helping them to access appropriate support

• Providing specialist training that will enable services to offer effective support to people with more complex needs

• Expanding the network to include more varied organisations / services that tackle loneliness and isolation, and quality assuring their services

• Raising awareness of social isolation and its impact, recruiting more volunteers and encouraging informal social action - including recruiting and training a network of local Community Champions to raise awareness within their communities, peer groups or organisations about loneliness and isolation and what people can do to help.

This will include developing a new website, so watch this space!

In the mean time to find a befriending service in your area or download a directory of befriending services, visit www.derbyshirebefriending.org.uk, or contact us by:

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  Tel: 01283 219761 Or write to: South Derbyshire CVS 46-48 Grove Street SWADLINCOTE DE11 9DD