Members of a local charity's management steering committee have been mucking in as the group celebrates national befriending week this week.

The Community Connections Befriending Scheme is run across Monmouthshire and aims to help elderly residents suffering from loneliness.

Many volunteers have signed up to help since the project's launch in February, and this week the team have taken the opportunity to get management to do their bit on the ground, giving them the chance to further understand was befriending is about.

Neil Binnel, pictured right, is Housing Support Manager from Monmouth Housing Association. Neil volunteered his time yesterday to meet Mr Mulcare who lives in Monmouth and is one of the group's beneficiaries.

Over this week, eight members of the steering committee are volunteering their time to befriend somebody across the county.

The managers involved are Neil Binnell; Mark Walton, Bridges Centre Director; Erica Shepard from Macmillan in Monmouthshire Cancer Support and Information Service; Helen James, Care and Repair Monmouthshire Caseworker; Hilary Gooch, Severn View Day hospital manager; Sheila Linegar, Palmer Centre Trustee; Sue Dryburgh, Planning and Commissioning Assistant (Older People) from Monmouthshire County Council and Louise George, Health and Social Care facilitator from GAVO.

Over 80 older people in Monmouthshire are now befriended thanks to this important charity, but the group are not stopping, with their Christmas Hamper appeal recently launched.

Community Connections Project Manager Leanne Marsh said: "We would like to give each one of our beneficiaries a small hamper as a Christmas gift, as many of our beneficiaries will spend Christmas alone, or can't get out and about to shop.

"We are appealing for people to donate some treats so that we can make up some small boxes to deliver to them."

The group are looking for items such as biscuits, Christmas cakes, crisps, chocolate, bubble bath, mince pies, tins and drinks to be donated.

There will be a collection point/ Christmas box at Bridges Community Centre for people to leave their donations. The cut off is 3rd December.

There will also be collection points at Chepstow, Caldicot and Usk libraries.

Call 01600 710895 for more.