WCYT

ONE of Southend’s biggest employers is taking up the role of Santa Claus in a bid to safeguard elderly residents – and make it a miserable Christmas for rogue tradesmen.

Olympus KeyMed, based in Stock Road, Southend, has teamed up with not-for-profit community group, ‘Who Can You Trust’ (WYCT), to keep the elderly safe in their own homes.

They have produced thousands of bookmarks with advice on how to deal with bogus doorstep traders and these bookmarks include the phone numbers of all Neighbourhood Police officers in Southend, Rochford, Castle Point and Basildon, as well as relevant numbers for utility companies.

The bookmarks will be given away in the run-up to Xmas by volunteers of ‘Who Can You Trust’, while Basildon’s Police and Community Safety officers will deliver them direct to elderly residents in the borough.

Both Olympus KeyMed and WYCT hope that the bookmarks, laminated to be hard-wearing, will act as a continual reminder for all elderly residents to be alert to rogue traders and help to imprint the relevant phone numbers in their minds.

WYCT, run by Peter Faulkner in Clifton Avenue, Benfleet, approached Olympus KeyMed as it is a company committed to the community in which its employees and their families live, and is actively involved in supporting many local groups and charities.

“The company agreed to support us by designing and printing the bookmarks,” said Peter. “We are trying to help elderly residents right across Essex, but until we get adequate funding we are supporting many initiatives ourselves and restricting them to Southend, Rochford, Castle Point, Thurrock and Basildon.

“That is why Olympus KeyMed’s support is invaluable to us in terms of getting across the right message to the most vulnerable members of our community.”

Olympus KeyMed’s Corporate Director, Luke Calcraft commented “in supporting ‘Who Can You Trust’s’ project, we hope to encourage other local companies to become more involved in helping valuable members of the community”.

“Initiatives that help to safeguard the elderly are well worth supporting and promoting” said Luke. “We hope that every resident who receives one of these bookmarks will keep it handy as a useful reminder to what they must do if they are approached by bogus tradesmen.

“The information will help protect them from the more unscrupulous members of our society and by working together, we can help drive out the rogues and keep our own community safe.”