Volunteers Wanted To Help Combat Loneliness In Beverley

Contact the Elderly, the only charity solely dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation among older people, is urgently appealing for volunteers living in Beverley to spare just a few hours each month to help with the running of local tea parties – and enjoy a cuppa and a cake themselves!

The charity aims to relieve the acute loneliness of isolated older people, aged 75 and above, who live alone, by organising monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups within local communities – providing a regular and vital friendship link every month.

Each older guest is collected from their home by a volunteer driver, and is taken to a volunteer host’s home, where they join a small group for tea, chat and companionship. The charity’s existing group in Beverley is currently under threat due to a lack of volunteers and in order to keep the monthly tea parties going it is in need of: volunteer drivers who are able to collect older guests from their homes and accompany them to the gathering each month and a volunteer coordinator to help organise the monthly tea parties.

Contact the Elderly’s Executive Officer, North, Midlands & Wales, Mary Robinson, said: “The charity is committed to offering a lifeline of friendship to the oldest and loneliest people, but our hopes of continuing this lifeline to older people in Beverley are currently fading due to a real shortage of volunteers in the area.

“Anyone who can spare a couple of hours one Sunday a month, has a driving licence, a car and a capacity for drinking tea, is eligible! For those interested in becoming a co-ordinator only a little extra regular commitment is required. Our volunteers genuinely get as much out of the experience as our older guests, so I’m calling for anyone who is interested in giving something back to their community to please get in touch with me as soon as possible.”

Beverley residents interested in volunteering for Contact the Elderly once a month as a driver, twice a year as a host, or as a coordinator can contact Mary Robinson on 01535 632592 or email mary.robinson@contact-the-elderly.org.uk