Doro, the leading global supplier of telecommunication solutions for seniors, has partnered with the mobile network giffgaff to donate 500 Doro phones to isolated elderly people across the UK. The Doro-led initiative seeks to counteract the effects of loneliness during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It forms part of a wider push to deliver 2000 phones to isolated older people across regions spanning the UK, Germany, France and the Nordic countries.

All phones will be delivered with a pre-installed SIM from giffgaff, providing unlimited calls and texts alongside 2GB of data per month, making it as easy as possible for seniors to stay connected. The distribution of the phones will be facilitated by Neighbourly, connecting Doro and giffgaff to local charities. The CSR platform will ensure the phones reach those most in need through its extensive insight into local communities.

The partnership with Doro comes after giffgaff announced its goodybank initiative to help local communities in Britain and members of the giffgaff community facing hardship during this time. As phones become increasingly important throughout COVID-19 and for many the only means of communication with the outside world, giffgaff and its members want to ensure that everyone stays connected.

Carl-Johan Zetterberg Boudrie, CEO of Doro: “Social exclusion and involuntary loneliness have become reality for many seniors, exacerbated in the wake of the Coronavirus. It is wonderful that so many elderly people are accepting of social distance, even though they are in greater need of communication than ever before. By donating Doro phones to those most at risk, we hope to reduce anxiety and simultaneously enable closeness between families.”

Ashley Schofield, CEO of giffgaff: “As much now as ever, a sense of community is vital which is why following on from the announcement of our recent goodybank initiative to help the most vulnerable members in society, we’ve partnered with Doro. Living in isolation is tough for everyone but the elderly may find themselves in a greater state of stress and suffering from loneliness. We hope that by providing these phones that it will help them stay connected with loved ones and bring some much needed respite in these trying times.

The phone supplied will be the Doro 5516, an easy-to-use candy bar handset equipped with extra loud and clear sound, an easy-to-use camera, 3G connectivity and the signature Doro Assistance button located on the back of the phone.

When activated in the event of an emergency, the Assistance button has been specially programmed to call Doro’s trained advisers at the Alarm Receiving Centre (ARC). The call centre will then assist and triage users accordingly. If necessary, an adviser can also dispatch emergency services, providing the user and their families peace of mind. The ARC set-up process is straightforward. The user simply needs to press and hold the Assistance button once the phone is turned on and wait to be connected to a Doro ARC adviser. From there, they will need to provide a few basic details over the phone. This means that, should an emergency arise, the call centre will have everything it needs to assist when the user presses the button again. This service will be active, free of charge, for three months from distribution, should the user wish to opt into the service after this period, the option will be available.

The phones will be delivered as safely as possible, using safe spaces and post boxes where appropriate, along with written instructions explaining how they work and further details on setting up the service activated by pressing the Assistance button.

By donating the phones, the partnership between Doro and giffgaff looks to facilitate contact between the elderly and the outside world. It aims to reduce the concerns of seniors and their relatives and enable them to maintain a sense of community and closeness, despite mandatory social distancing.