“It opens up conversations to people, they feel emotionally more attached to the world, they know what’s going on more, and it certainly does help their mental well-being because they’re not in an empty, lonely house.”
To mark World Radio Day, we hand over to our beneficiaries who tell us why radios help them to feel less lonely.
A radio…
1. Offers company and companionship.
“One woman moved into refuge with her 2 daughters in January after fleeing an abusive relationship with her ex. She is an European National and felt very isolated in refuge and the local area. It took a long while to get her full benefits up and running and she came into refuge with very little so having the radio for her family has been great. She often spends all day by herself so having the radio has given her some company while by herself.”
YMCA
2. Helps during key life transitions.
“Barry is an entrenched rough sleeper and he has been with us for 3 months. We gave him the radio about 2 months ago. This is the longest he has stayed inside in his own place for over 10 years. He said, “ Thank you very much, I love listening to the radio. If I don’t like something I just switch it over with one button. It cheers me up, I often find myself having a little dance in my room.”
St Mungo’s
3. Engages the mind.
“Because you’re concentrating on something else, you’re not thinking about the pain. I mean it’s there all the time, but you’ve got some sort of like distraction, you’ve got something else to think about, because you’re listening to what they’re saying.”
A 54 year-old woman, living with depression, Fibromyalgia rheumatica, and unlikely work again due to ill health.
4. Deadens the silence.
“I play my new radio to fill the silence in my flat. It has reduced my anxiety and paranoia by taking my mind off my problems and I do not have any other way to the fill the silence in the room.”
A beneficiary helped by Revolving Doors
5. Connects people to the wider world.
“Coming from Iran, the tunes and subject talked about are all new to me but it helps me learn English and also allows me to join in conversations about what is happening in England.”
Beneficiary of WaveLength’s radio stockholder scheme
6. Facilitates social connection.
“After a few days of this client complaining that he had nothing to do now, and with staff members seeing him become visibly more down about this, he was given a WaveLength radio. He was exceptionally happy that now he had something in his room that he could listen to. This client was seen by staff to be more upbeat whenever they saw him, talking about which radio stations he had listened to the previous night, and which he was going to listen to that day. Staff noticed an immediate change in this client’s demeanour once the radio was given to him.”
Single Homeless Project
About WaveLength
For 80 years, WaveLength has led the way delivering change for lonely and isolated people. We give televisions, radios, and tablets to help fight loneliness.
If you, or someone you know, could benefit from technology, take a look at the ‘Apply for Help’ section of our website.
We have also created a handy page of resources to help people who might be lonely. Visit our Helpful Services page to find out more.
Just £35 buys a radio for a lonely person. Give today.
We can’t continue our work without the generosity of our supporters. Any donation, big or small, allows us to help those who reach out for help when they are at their lowest.
Please consider giving a one-off, or regular donation at the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/wavel. Thank you.