Background We will be launching a new non-clinical telephone helpline formally in September 2016. The Big Lottery (BIG) agreed to fund this exciting new project for three years and this innovative and much needed service will be branded as ‘Orangeline’.

Aim We are mindful that there are some people with life limiting illnesses, and their friends and carers, who are living in an isolated world with little communication outside of their immediate circle, some are totally alone. Orangeline will give people a link into Saint Francis Hospice for support and friendship and the opportunity to be signposted to our services such as occupational therapy, complementary therapy and our bereavement services.

Method Our Orangeline service will be centrally based within the day therapy unit and will be managed by two members of staff and a team of volunteers within our Quality and Care Directorate. Orangeline will operate later into the evening and weekends, these are times when people living or not coping well alone are at their most vulnerable, how lovely will it be to have a friendly caring voice on the end of the telephone, or even better to come into see us for lunch on a Sunday and meet new friends. We have so many great ideas and would welcome the opportunity of sharing the success of this new project at the Hospice UK conference in November.

Results Our aim for this service will be the catalyst for reaching out to people already known to us and many more out in the community who aren’t. We believe it will be the start of something BIG. As the project rolls out we will concentrate resources on evaluating outcomes, and assessing the benefits to people’s health, wellbeing and recovery.