How you can show your compassionate side in Harborough as district council backs new supportive scheme

Harborough District Council is to become the first LOROS ‘compassionate workplace’ in the East Midlands.

The council’s Cabinet has agreed that it would get behind the scheme which aims to develop a network of compassionate friends, neighbours and workplaces.

The initiative is being driven by LOROS Hospice and Market Harborough and the Bowdens Charity to show how “support and compassion can positively impact the lives of so many in the community”.

There are two ways both individuals and workplaces can make a difference - through becoming a compassionate friend or a compassionate neighbour.

A Compassionate Friend makes a pledge to support others in their area as well as attending one of LOROS’s Compassionate Friend awareness sessions.

Compassionate neighbours are trained volunteers who provide support to patients and their families for a few hours each week.

They take part in activities such as keeping a patient company as their carer takes a break, chat over lunch in a café or just having a phone call.

Compassionate workplaces are asked to encourage staff to become compassionate friends - and to promote the blueprint to others.

Cllr Simon Whelband, Harborough council’s Cabinet lead for communities and wellbeing, is one of the first people in the district to agree to become a compassionate friend.

“We are very proud and excited that we are set to become the first workplace in the region to have this status and hope it inspires others. “The last year has shown that we can all make a real difference in very simple, human ways, just by being there for people when they need it, whether that is providing support to someone facing terminal illness, picking up a neighbour’s prescription, or simply asking a stranger if they’re OK,” said Cllr Whelband.

The council will now create a dedicated LOROS Compassionate Communities webpage - and is planting sunflowers to showcase the scheme.

Cllr Phil Knowles, who heads up the council’s Liberal Democrat group, said: ''LOROS plays such a special part in the life of all our community. “This is often at a time when support and compassion is desperately needed.

“By supporting this initiative, all of us have the chance to positively impact the lives of so many.”