DAME Norma Major formally launched a new Welcome Home from Hospital scheme last week. The scheme, run by Huntingdonshire Care Network, supplies volunteers to help people settle back home when they return home from hospital. There are already 20 volunteer

DAME Norma Major formally launched a new Welcome Home from Hospital scheme last week.

The scheme, run by Huntingdonshire Care Network, supplies volunteers to help people settle back home when they return home from hospital.

There are already 20 volunteers working for the scheme who become a "friend for a fortnight".

They offer help as soon as a person arrives home and will check to see that they are coping and offer to do shopping, collect prescriptions, collect pensions or just have a general chat.

They are also available for women who have just returned home from hospital after having a baby and leaflets about the service are about to go in packs given out in maternity wards.

The volunteers have health and safety training, they are police checked and carry an identification badge.

Launching the scheme at Houghton and Wyton Memorial Hall on Tuesday night, by cutting a special cake, Dame Norma said the world would grind to a halt without volunteers and it was nice to see what a little Lottery funding could do.

The scheme has received £140,000 to fund three part-time workers over three years and pay for volunteers' expenses.

Co-ordinator, Jan Kaneen said: "We would like to see a volunteer in every village because they do such brilliant work."

INFORMATION: To ask for help or to volunteer, contact 01480 496620.