Communities Together East Anglia

We are a Suffolk based charity, committed to reducing loneliness and social isolation.  We believe that people need people, and that if we can create a network of contact and support as locally as possible to the individual, then the routes of support improve, reducing loneliness and isolation and improving health and wellbeing.  We do this in various ways:

Community Connect - single point of access telephone support service, available 10am - 2pm, 365 days a year - with a "real" person at the end of the phone.  The team are knowledgeable on what is available as support across the county and can create packages of support for individuals by reaching out and investigating options for people, bringing everything together so that the beneficiary only has to tell their story once.  We recognise that people are often dealing with a multitude of issues or concerns and trying to navigate the system can be overwhelming.

BeAFriend - countywide befriending service.  Our befrienders offer a mixture of opportunities for social contact - through telephone, digital*, penpal and face to face.  We also deliver a comprehensive suite of social befriending and engagement groups across the county, giving people the opportunity to build a network of friendship and support.

Community Transport - primarily in Ipswich and Mid Suffolk, we offer a door to door transport service for people who cannot, for whatever reason, access mainstream transport.  This may be because of lack of provision, mobility concerns or social issues. There is a charge for this service.

Social Engagement & Friendship Groups - through our network of social groups, which include CommuniTEA Chinwag (for people aged 60+), You're Welcome (all adult age) and some other provision including Memory Cafes in Ipswich, our community engagement team work at a hyper community level to build support through regular groups using "tea and cake" as a leveller and way to bring people together.  These groups include entertainment, games, puzzles, quizzes, bingo and lots of chat!

We also offer specialisms in support in Later Life, Digital with a dedicated Digital engagement programme and Digital Community Hubs, Family Carer support and Dementia.