Link Up Services
Link Up is an initiative which aims to help elderly and vulnerable members of the community by fitting door chains, door viewers and mirrors. This service is offered free of charge by trained volunteers who come under the umbrella of Bedfordshire Care Schemes. Training and support for volunteers is provided by Bedfordshire Police Partnership Trust Bobby Scheme.The Link Up Scheme and the Bobby Scheme are working together to provide a complementary service to elderly and vulnerable people in Bedfordshire. Link Up Schemes aim to identify people living in rural areas that the Bobby Scheme may not reach due to the high demand they receive for their services. It is anticipated that should a Link Up volunteer identify a customer whose needs a greater level of service than the Link Up Scheme can deal with, they will be referred to the Bobby Scheme.
Training for volunteers involves a practical session on how to correctly fit home security devices and also how to reduce the fear of crime by giving information and advice. All volunteers are insured by the individual care scheme’s public liability insurance policy and have been CRB checked and issued with an identity card. More info about CRB checking here.
The Link Up service is available to any member of the community who is elderly or vulnerable and who feels they would benefit from a door chain or door viewer.
For further information or to find if a link up scheme operates in your area, or if your community would like to provide link up services, please contact David Maxwell: telephone: 01767 626466 or email davidm at bedsrcc.org.uk.
Bedfordshire Care Schemes and link up schemes are an initiative of Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity working in partnership with Bedfordshire County Council and Bedfordshire Police Partnership Trust.