If you encounter a lonely older person (over 75 years), do refer them to a Contact the Elderly group.
They are likely to have a group near them and they will be assigned a driver to take them to a monthly tea party with their local group.
Overtime they get to know other members, the hosts and the drivers.
A short journey in a car might not seem like something particularly special, but to thousands of older people who attend Contact the Elderly tea parties, they matter enormously.
In a video from the ‘Journeys That Matter’ series, Jim talks about why his monthly journey to and from the tea parties is so important.
Jim, 95, has been a member of one of Contact the Elderly’s Harrow groups for many years and in the video he gets collected by his driver Ash and is driven to the tea party.
‘I put it in my calendar and it gives me that feeling that I’ve got something to look forward to,’ says Jim.
‘It’s not so much the tea and the cake but the important bit is getting together being able to talk to one another. You’re taken in as one of their family for that afternoon.
‘You’re sorry that the day is ended but you feel exhilarated. You’ve unburdened what’s been pent up for a month, maybe you wanted to talk about something and then you can relate to somebody there and tell them.
‘It’s a journey that’s so important.’
https://youtu.be/YZCbgq2fQbM
Thanks to Contact the Elderly’s volunteer drivers, over 5,400 older people across England, Scotland and Wales enjoy a regular outing with friends in their community.
If you know an older person who would benefit from joining their local tea party group, then you can refer them to our service by completing our online referral form.
Alternatively, you can download our ‘invitation to tea’ and pass it to them or request a paper application form from National Office via email.
There is also a campaign for Spare Chair Sunday (invite someone to a meal with your family). http://www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk/
It is rewarding to be a driver or a host if you fancy that as well.