Thank you for signing up to The Press and Journal newsletter. Something went wrong - please try again later. Sign Up Charities in the north-east and Highlands have hailed the easing of lockdown restrictions as a “huge step forward” for those suffering with mental health issues and loneliness. Alison Campbell, senior coordinator at Befrienders Highland in Inverness, said her organisation has experienced a 62% increase in the number of matches her coordinators have been handling since April 2020. However, she added that the loneliness charity has also witnessed a large uptake in volunteers signing up to help those in need since the start of the pandemic.