Bird feeding scheme gets lottery cash to expand

A befriending service in Shropshire that uses bird feeding to tackle loneliness has received more than £19,000 in funding to help expand its services.

Feed the Birds sees bird feeders installed in clients' gardens. A volunteer is matched with them and visits them once a week to chat and watch the wildlife.

The funding, from the National Lottery, will be used to employ a full-time member of staff, who will help recruit more volunteers among other duties.

"All of the clients that we take on... are generally house bound," said Diane Monether, who got the role.

"They might have some mobility, they might be able to get up and move around their house, but they're not really able to get outside and into the garden any more."

The charity said contact with nature was "essential for human happiness".

It added that the birdwatching provided enjoyment and contributed to improved health and wellbeing.

As well as the lottery funding, the scheme is also running a crowdfunding campaign, which would fund its programme.

"We're looking to take on about a dozen new clients over the winter," said Jonathan Mutch, its chair.

"The winter is obviously a really tough time for lonely and isolated people.

"The crowdfunding will allow us to impact directly 10 or a dozen new clients and their families, their carers."

So far more than £11,000 has been raised towards the £12,416 target.

The group are on the hunt for more volunteers, as well as client referrals.

"A typical client referral is generally over 18, someone who is socially isolated or lonely, so not able to get outside or has mental health issues that are affecting their ability to socialise," said Ms Monether.

There are volunteers waiting in the wings to be matched to lonely people, she added.

"I've got volunteers trained and ready to go in Market Drayton, Wem, Clun, Ludlow, Knockin and Pontesbury," she said.

"If you know somebody who you think meets our criteria then please do get in touch."

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