Date: 13 January 2022
Pippa Cramer, co-founder of the Daily Hope phone line, has been made an MBE in the recent New Year Honours list.
Pippa, who is the Pastoral Care and Seniors Minister at Holy Trinity, Claygate helped launch the free national line in April 2020 during the first Covid-19 lockdown when churches were closed.
Daily Hope offers hymns, prayers and reflections as well as full worship services from the Church of England. It is based around 'Hymns we Love', the gentle evangelistic series for older people which was developed by Pippa and her husband Steve at Holy Trinity, Claygate.
For the last twenty months, the free phone line - which is available 24 hours a day on 0800 804 8044 - has received an average of 20,000 calls a month, providing support, comfort and hope to those who have found themselves even more isolated and cut off as a result of the pandemic. It continues to be a lifeline to many thousands of people up and down the country.
Pippa, a qualified Occupational Therapist, also set up ‘Connections’, one of the largest church-based gatherings for older people in the UK at Holy Trinity. During the pandemic, Pippa and her Connections team ran a huge ‘Cascade of Care’ for more than 160 local older people. Church and God’s love was taken TO these people via thousands of pastoral phone calls, doorstep visits, garden gatherings when allowed, goody-bags and newsletters.
“Over the last couple of years, the importance of supporting and valuing our older people has been thrown into sharp relief,” says Pippa. “I would never have expected or ever imagined my specific work would be recognised in this way and it is truly humbling. In my mind, this MBE goes to all the older ones who have battled on for so long, alone at home during the pandemic … and also for the incredible teams I have the privilege of serving alongside, my Pastoral Care Team, Connections Team and also the Daily Hope Team. My hope and prayer is that this MBE will create opportunities to ensure the voice of older people is heard inside and outside the church.”
Pippa is also an Ambassador for the Charity, Faith in Later Life who are also Co-Founders of the Daily Hope.