The Silver Line is a free, confidential helpline for older people in the UK, open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. It offers information, friendship and signposting to local organisations for support or social activities — and it now takes over 10,000 calls a week. All calls are free, on 0800 4 70 80 90.
A friendly voice, whenever it's needed
The service was created in 2013 by Esther Rantzen, who also founded Childline. Many older people don't want to call the Samaritans for fear of "blocking the line", and the Silver Line fills that gap. There are no strict age limits, though most callers are over 55. People are free to express their feelings and describe their lives honestly, and can trust the service to respect their privacy.
Since launch it has received well over a million calls — more than two-thirds of them overnight or at weekends, when no other helpline is available. Strikingly, more than half of callers say they have literally no one else to talk to.
More than a phone call
Thousands of volunteer "Silver Line Friends" make regular friendship calls to older people. The service has also introduced Silver Circle group calls for people with shared interests, and Silver Letters for those who prefer writing or who are hearing impaired.
Learn more about the Silver Line
Companionship makes an enormous difference to loneliness — something we see every day. You can read more about companionship care from Gardiner's, or get in touch to talk it through.
