No One Dies Alone (NODA) is a global movement of compassionate citizens who provide companionship to people in the last hours of their lives. While the volunteer-based initiative was initially established to alleviate the fear of dying alone, founder Alison Bunce has now expanded it to address social isolation and loneliness. Her organisation, Compassionate Inverclyde, supports individuals at various stages of life, from new mothers to socially isolated neighbours. In doing so, it encourages “ordinary people to make a difference together.”
CI’s social movement began as a project funded by Ardgowan Hospice, where Bunce worked as director of care. Initially, the programme curated an initial 20 volunteers who could sit with people who were dying alone, eventually expanding to more than 100 volunteers who can travel to someone’s bedside in just 20 minutes.
Although NODA has helped CI’s volunteers to support the dying, it has been equally impactful in their work with other members of the community. Volunteers, who had been trained to provide company for people in the last hours of their lives, lend an ear and a helping hand to those in other situations such as new mothers or hospital leavers.
CI’s efforts to inspire compassion and neighbourliness have now received support from lottery funding. As the project expands, Bunce calls on communities to be courageous and empower people to do something good, claiming that “we all have skills and experience. No matter who we are, we have something to offer.”
As Sandra Clarke first established in 2001 when she launched the first NODA programme, being present and accompanying someone as they’re dying is a profound and unique moment. Compassionate Inverclyde helps to extend that profound and unique moment to the vulnerable populations throughout the community, offering both connection and companionship
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