Contact the Elderly Seeks Members for New Guildford Group

Published on: 1 Aug, 2016
Updated on: 2 Aug, 2016

Contact the Elderly organises monthly tea parties to help mitigate social isolation and loneliness among older people

By Will Parsons

National charity Contact the Elderly is seeking older people to participate in a new group to be set up in Guildford. Charity organisers are looking for people over the age of 75 who spend most weekends alone and are mobile enough to walk, with or without a walking frame.

The charity needs eight people from the GU1-GU5 postcodes, who would like to meet up on a monthly basis.

Contact the Elderly is a charity that aims to help tackle loneliness and social isolation among older people. Supported by volunteers, it organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people who live alone.

“Our tea parties are a real lifeline of friendship for our older guests who have little or no contact with family or friends,” said Hannah Montgomery, an area ambassador for Contact the Elderly.

“They bring people of all ages together, develop fulfilling friendships and support networks, and give everyone involved something to look forward to each month.”

Each member of the group is collected from their home once a month by a volunteer driver and taken to a volunteer host’s home. While the host changes each month, the driver remains the same, helping to form friendships and reduce isolation.

Contact the Elderly can be reached through their freephone on 0800 716543. Alternatively, inquiries can be made on the charity’s website, or by emailing the relevant development officer.