CoronaUnity to involve youth in efforts against isolation-induced loneliness during the COVID-19 pandemic
The student-led non-profit organisation launches a telephone service to work alongside communities to combat the loneliness experienced by many of those in isolation.
CoronaUnity, a student-led non-profit organisation helping those in need during the COVID-19 pandemic, has launched a telephone service in the UK connecting those experiencing loneliness through isolation with volunteers who are available for a friendly chat. Their PhoneAFriend venture comes as a result of the challenging isolation guidelines released by the UK government to tackle COVID-19. The service is expected to help alleviate and prevent this increased loneliness, and instead, foster a sense of calm and normality amongst the surrounding uncertainty.
CoronaUnity’s PhoneAFriend service is live on their website, www.coronaunity.org, where anyone over the age of 18, who would like to receive a call or volunteer to make a call, can sign up.
Almost 100 student volunteers from across the globe have made CoronaUnity’s vision become reality. Their dedication and hard work have been key to allowing CoronaUnity to reach and help people in need thus far, however for their work to grow they need more volunteers still.
CoronaUnity needs students from the wider community to get involved wherever they can. This could include signing up to PhoneAFriend to provide a friendly voice for those experiencing loneliness or volunteering to work for CoronaUnity directly in order to help further this platform.
Commenting on this project, James Augustin and Aydin Hepsaydir, co-founders of CoronaUnity, said, “CoronaUnity is made possible by the work of student volunteers and we would love to have even more involvement. We have teamed up with a Silicon Valley-based global co-operative to provide a telephone service that will improve the quality of life for many during this pandemic. Something as simple as a friendly chat may mean the world to those feeling the effects of this time of unprecedented isolation.”
CoronaUnity has already set up a number of PhoneAFriend calls and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive.
Commenting on one of their calls, a requester said, “Very good experience. My caller was very pleasant and got the tone of the conversation exactly correct. Would recommend this PhoneAFriend service to anyone that is experiencing a feeling of isolation or loneliness.” Founder James Augustin also stated that “One beautiful thing we are starting to see is that we are bridging the intergenerational gap”.
It certainly seems that both sides of the call are enjoying the service, with one student volunteer commenting, “Volunteering for CoronaUnity has been great and I’m grateful to have had the chance to help and do my part during this pandemic” and another saying, “[I] came away from the conversation feeling like I’ve made a friend”.
“We are already in the process of optimising this service for care home use, as well as developing ways to allow charities and mutual aid groups to be more involved. With many more people likely to be affected by the current pandemic, the UK must pull together as a community – now more than ever. We hope that by creating a centralised platform providing access to rounded support for those in need during COVID-19, CoronaUnity will enhance student-led efforts in helping the whole country”, concluded Augustin.
Their Story
Regarding the student-led aspect of CoronaUnity, they initially began with just 10 volunteers based in Manchester – since then, they have gained traction and now have over 100 volunteers on board. Their backgrounds extend from recent graduates right the way through to chief roles in various companies and positions, however, the majority of their volunteers are students using their spare time around exams and assessments to make this initiative come to life.
“With this initiative being led by students, our outreach to schools and universities becomes a priority as we look to expand our growth and enhance the student-led efforts in helping the whole country.”
CoronaUnity
You can find out more by visiting coronaunity.org, or follow them on Instagram or Facebook.
Submitted by Kieran Hooper-Warren
Image credit © CoronaUnity