A year after the death of her husband, Peter, Norma is understandably still feeling the impact of losing him, and the grief she is experiencing means she often cries.

“It was such an awful experience when Peter died that I can’t stop thinking about it,” said 79-year-old Norma.

But her heartache is relieved by the calls she gets from two Re-engage volunteers, Abi and Alaw, who she calls her ‘earth angels.’ Norma explained: “It’s lovely to get the calls. I feel so much better after them. There would be a big hole in my life if I didn’t speak to Abi and Alaw.

“They are both such wonderful people. At the end of every conversation, I always tell them how grateful I am for their time. After half an hour of chat I’ll thank them and say they should go and do other things, but they won’t be put off. They stay on the line and bring me great comfort.

“Alaw is in her 20s and training to be a doctor, and I love to hear about the things she does because she’s from a much younger generation. Abi is a bit older and is a special needs teacher with more experience of life, so it’s wonderful to get the two ends of the spectrum.

“Sometimes when I talk about Peter I can’t help but cry, but Abi and Alaw are just so sympathetic. They keep me talking and eventually we will have a laugh, which is important as it takes me away from the realm of death.”

Peter died shortly before his 79th birthday in March 2024 after undergoing several operations. Norma, from Winsford in Cheshire, married Peter in 1992 several years after the death of her first husband, Tony. She has three children, seven grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren.

Norma continues: “Peter’s death has really hit me hard and so my granddaughter Kathryn encouraged me to get out and about. It’s a little difficult for me as I can’t walk unassisted. So, she then suggested I should try your Call Companion service.

“At first, I said I didn’t want to, but now I’m so glad I did. I thought I might just get one call but then I had two volunteers ringing me. Abi calls on a Sunday and Alaw on a Wednesday and I really look forward to them. We just have normal conversations, but they really mean the world to me.”

Abi, 35, from Bristol, who teaches children and adults with vision impairment, said: “I saw a Re-engage advert asking for volunteers to make calls to older people and I thought I’d give it a go. After all, it was only going to take an hour a week.

“I wasn’t really looking at it as a long-term thing, but then I got talking to Norma and got on so well with her that I just couldn’t stop making the calls. She is so pleased she thanks me every time and speaks highly of Alaw. I just didn’t realise what a difference it would make.”

One of Norma’s daughters, Tina, was delighted to learn that the phone calls would continue as long as her mum wanted them. She said: “She’s been through a particularly bad time, and they help her so much. She really, really appreciates them.”