With the amount of over 85 year olds in the UK set to double in the next 20 years, there needs to be a lot more interaction between the generations to combat loneliness in older people. Could you get involved with afternoon teas for isolated OAPs?
Alice Pritchard
Fri 31 Aug 2018
Contact the Elderly help keep over 6,000 older people company each year, but that's just the tip of the iceberg. Half of the UK's older people live alone with nearly four million of them saying their only form of company is the TV or radio.
The charity organises free Sunday afternoon teas around the country for isolated older people and is looking for more people to help, whether that's as volunteer drivers, organisers or just being there for a conversation and a cup of tea.
Image Love to talk to people? Contact the Elderly could be the volunteering experience you've been looking for
Contact the Elderly is currently running the Be Our Guest campaign, where volunteer can apply to host a small group of older people for Sunday afternoon tea. Volunteer drivers pick up and drop off the guests and the same group visits a different host each month so people get to know one another.
The importance of time for tea and talk can't be overlooked when you live alone. 95% of the people Contact the Elderly help say the events 'have given them something look forward to'.
Once such guest, Ina says: “When you get to my age, all you do is look back at the life you had, but Contact the Elderly has given me something to look forward to, something to live for.”
Do you have room to host a small tea party? Perhaps you want to start volunteering but don't know where to start? How about with a cup of tea?
For more information on Contact the Elderly's Be Our Guest campaign, click here.
