Anna Croft
The New Year has brought an incredible start for Paws & People, an innovative Access Community Trust project dedicated to tackling social isolation through the power of animal companionship.
 
Launched to support residents in Lowestoft and surrounding villages, Paws & People has quickly become a local favourite. The project connects volunteers and their friendly pets with individuals and community groups, providing a “soft-touch” approach to wellbeing that is already proving to be transformative.
 

We are incredibly grateful that Paws & People is made possible through funding from the East Suffolk Community Partnerships. Their support allows us to provide this vital service to the community, ensuring that we can continue to bridge the gap of loneliness with the help of our four-legged friends.

The real magic of the project happens during our visits. Recently, our superstar Tibetan Terriers, Tilly and Luna, visited the Golden Memories group, which supports local people living with dementia. The bond between the dogs and the participants, like the lovely Pauline, was instantaneous—sparking memories and providing much-needed comfort.

This follows our successful visit to SOLD Studios, where our first-ever feline volunteer, Crystal, proved that “purr-power” is just as effective as “paw-power”! Crystal’s calm presence brought a unique creative energy to the studio, proving that companionship comes in all shapes and sizes.

It’s been a whirlwind few weeks for our team. Most recently, we attended the Health & Wellbeing Fair at the Gorleston Pavilion Theatre. It was a fantastic day of networking where we met dozens of local residents and potential new volunteers.
 
“It was heartening to see such a huge interest in what we do,” says Project Facilitator, Lou. “Spending a Sunday sharing the Paws & People mission was truly rewarding, especially seeing how much joy our volunteer pets brought to the stall.”
As Paws & People continues to grow, so does our need for “superstar” volunteers. We are currently looking for reliable owners with calm, well-behaved pets who can commit just a couple of hours a fortnight to make a difference.
 
How to Get Involved
If you and your pet would like to join our growing family of volunteers, or if you know a local resident who would benefit from a visit, we would love to hear from you.
At Access Community Trust, we believe that no one should journey alone. With Paws & People, we’re making sure that journey is a little brighter, one wagging tail at a time.