Cambridgeshire scheme trialled to support the elderly
A scheme to help elderly people access better support services is being piloted in Cambridgeshire.
The Community Navigator project has been started by the county council and is being supported by Dame Mary Archer.
A council spokesman said the scheme, funded for three years, was intended to "enhance" the life of the county's 100,000 residents aged over 65.
Project manager, Lucy Stone, said: "The aim is to assist isolated or vulnerable people to find the help they need."
She added: "We will talk with people, delve deep and find out they need, then help them 'navigate' their way to those services.
"We would certainly encourage people to get a benefits check, and if they are perhaps feeling isolated, we can find out what they like doing and see what activities might be available to them."
As well as the community navigator manager, five district co-ordinators have been appointed together with about 60 volunteers.
A council spokesman said the scheme should help identify gaps in existing services, and similar projects had proved successful elsewhere in the country.