"I thought I'd never have a boiler again" – cancer survivor Lynda, 76, hails team for changing her life
A South Shields pensioner has hailed a local health team after she was able to switch on the heating for the first time in more than a year.
Lynda Graves, 76, had been living without central heating and hot water in her South Shields home since her boiler conked out more than a year ago. With no money for a new one Lynda, a cancer survivor who suffers from kidney disease, was making do with extra jumpers and a small electric heater while washing her hands in cold water.
Lynda resorted to boiling water in the kettle, mixing it with cold water from the tap and washing her hands at the sink. With her home so cold, Lynda's frail 101 year-old mother Sally was unable to visit.
A routine check by Tyne and Wear Fire and Rescue Service changed all that. They put Lynda in touch with the Healthy Homes social prescribing team, which works to improve people's health in some of the borough's most deprived areas.
The team's Charlie Headlam was determined to find a way to help. Social prescriber Charlie said: "When Lynda came into the service I knew we had to help her - no one should have to live like that in 2026. Our organisation supports people in the places that need it most and Lynda needed our support. Given her conditions, living without hot water or heating was only going to make these worse.
"Good health isn't just about pills and operations – it's about all the things that help us to stay well. We start by asking 'what matters to you?' and find out more about things that are affecting the person's life. It could be keeping warm, money worries, mobility problems or a risk of falls.
"Once Lynda and I got talking it was hard to stop! I looked into several schemes and a company called LEAP came forward to help."
Within a few weeks, Lynda had a warm home and hot water for the first time in more than a year.
Lynda said: "I thought I'd never have a boiler again. I didn't like to bother anyone. But Charlie was a godsend - he kept trying to get me a boiler and I think that's amazing. He went above and beyond and kept in touch. It meant the world to me to have someone on my side."
Lynda's shiny new Baxi boiler has changed more than just the temperature. For the first time in months, Lynda's 101 year-old mother Sally has been able to visit. Risks like mould and respiratory illness are now reduced, and Lynda can finally wash safely without relying on a kettle for hot water.
Employed by First Contact Clinical and supported by the NHS and South Tyneside Council, the team helps some of the most vulnerable patients in the borough, tackling problems that cause preventable ill health or make existing health problems worse.
The team has already helped more than 100 people in South Tyneside with a range of issues. Eligible people include those who are on benefits, pregnant, lone parents or who have a young child with a long-term condition, as well as over-65s with long-term conditions like Lynda.
Dr Nousha Ali, a local GP and clinical lead at NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), said: "We have some fantastic services in our region, but our health is affected by many wider factors – from weight or alcohol problems to being able to keep warm and eat well.
"Living in a cold home is not just unpleasant: it can quickly lead to damp, mould and mildew, which means asthma and respiratory illnesses get worse, and heart disease risk goes up.
"This social prescribing approach can make a huge difference in a person's life – as well as helping our health and care services by reducing avoidable sickness and hospital admissions."