I WOULD like to praise the 'Caring Neighbourhood Scheme' run by Age Concern in Blackburn. It has been wonderful for me.

The scheme introduces voluntary visitors to people who would otherwise not usually have many callers at all.

I have a visitor. She calls to see me every week for an hour or so, to have a chat and just to see how I am. It's the companionship I want and I would be completely lost without my visitor.

I first heard of the visiting scheme just over 12 months ago and it has changed my life. I am a pensioner, partially sighted and disabled and I don't know what I would do without my visitor now.

She is the only person who comes around. I have no family, so I would be completely alone without this companionship.

It is one of the only things that keeps me going - that and my cat. I just felt I had to let other people know of the scheme and how it has helped me.

A D BRECKILL, Blackburn (full address received)

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.