I really would like to highlight the invaluable work “Contact the elderly” do.
I am deeply concerned and upset that many elderly people suffer desperate loneliness and isolation and Contact the elderly focus on preventing this.
I had heard of them before, but as they are lesser known than some charities for the elderly it was not a name I had committed to memory.
This is what they say they do .
(Taken from their website)
“Contact the Elderly is the only national charity solely dedicated to tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people.
We aim to do this by organising monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people (aged 75+) who live alone, and volunteers within their local community, offering a regular and vital friendship link every month.
Each older person is collected from their home by a volunteer driver and taken to a volunteer host’s home for the afternoon. The group is warmly welcomed by a different host each month, but the drivers remain the same which means that over the months and years, acquaintances turn into friends and loneliness is replaced by companionship.
Our tea parties are a real lifeline of friendship for our older members who have little or no contact with any family or friends. They bring people of all ages together, develop fulfilling friendships and support networks, and give everyone involved something to look forward to each month.”
Do you know someone who would benefit from joining a group ? Look here to find a Contact the elderly group in their area.
Hello Isabel,
Thank you for contacting me here at Caron Cares. I love Contact The Elderly back! I love the concept of your tea parties and just wish more people would volunteer to help as demand is outstripping supply. I will keep plugging your wonderful charity and work. Please feel free to link to me also. I may be able to help some of your service users and their families with this resource of mine.
Thank you so much for promoting our tea parties. We are a relatively small charity and therefore we rely heavily on word of mouth and social media to spread the word. We love your blog!