Licensed Trade Charity reports spike in calls for help

The charity’s Support & Care team has had to double in number over the past six years to meet demand – with the number of callouts reaching 375 over the last year.

The number of people being given financial support by the charity has also doubled over the past decade – from 372 people in 2004 to a predicted 752 in 2014.

The LTC currently has 34 volunteers in England and Wales, following the recent appointment of four new members of the totally voluntary workforce. Punch Taverns’ sponsorship, which amounted to £20,000 this year, funds the volunteers’ training and travel expenses.

Volunteer Visitors are asked to assess the circumstances of people in their own homes following an individuals’ application to the charity for financial assistance. The three main reasons for asking for help are debt problems, ill health, and housing.

Eyes and ears​

Liz Gaffer, director of marketing and charity services at LTC, said: “Our volunteer visitors are a vital part of our Support & Care programme. They are literally our eyes and ears, evaluating people in need within their own homes.

“They are fully trained to carry out assessments, but more than that they are able to explore with the person the ways to help them overcome their difficulties, not just for the short-term, but more importantly for the long-term. It is often the case that when our volunteers meet the individual they unearth other problems and, in doing so, we can find a better solution to help them make the necessary life changing improvements.”

Gaffer praised the funding from Punch, saying adding volunteers’ time and expertise into the equation the sponsorship was actually worth double the amount given.