Contact the Elderly

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Contact the Elderly
Contact the Elderly is a national charity that aims to reduce the loneliness of older housebound people by organising monthly afternoon teas. Established in 1965 by a group of friends in the Maida Vale area, we now have more than 300 groups nationwide, 61 of which are based in London.

The concept is simple but effective:
One Sunday afternoon a month small groups of older people are being picked up by their volunteer drivers and taken to a tea party at the home of a volunteer host. Together they enjoy something that most of us take for granted - a cup of tea, a slice of cake and a chat in a friend's house.

What better way to spend a Sunday afternoon, do you think? This is what one of our volunteers, Isabelle W. says about her involvement with the charity:

"Last year, I lost my beloved father Dominic who had been a Contact the Elderly driver for over twenty years and decided that it would be a nice thing to carry on his good work in his memory.

I was introduced to the local group, where the volunteers were a varied group of mixed ages, cultures and backgrounds brought together by one aim - to do something positive with our spare time, to give something back to the Community by helping lonely elderly people in a world where we are largely governed by material possessions and self-gratification.

Since the group started, I have attended and driven my regular elderly guests to four tea parties - all in different settings. The tea and cakes were wonderful and the entertainment enjoyed by all - not least by the elderly guests who benefited the most from their rare treat of companionship. Apart from the fact that it is wonderful to see everyone else having fun and chatting, I don't think I have enjoyed any party as much as these, where I sometimes find myself smiling so much it hurts!

Senior citizens have such a wealth of memory and experience to offer and I often find myself enthralled by their stories of past lives and local history. I get so much reward and a feeling of well-being for such a small investment of just four hours a month. So, dad, I hope you are proud of me and I hope to be able to carry on as a 'Contact' volunteer for at least another twenty years."

Contact the Elderly is looking for more volunteers. To find out more contact us on Freephone 0800 716 543 or check our website www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk

Article contributed by:
Maike Neuhaus
Submitted on: 20th June 2007

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