GROUPS that organise monthly tea parties for isolated people aged 75 and over in Greater Manchester are struggling to find enough guests, the national charity Contact the Elderly announced today.
Residents in Timperley and Sale are being encouraged to spread the word about the tea parties to encourage older people in their areas who live alone and have little contact with family and friends to sign up to attend the groups.
Contact the Elderly’s North West Regional Development Officer, Gwen Lightfoot, said:
“Unfortunately loneliness among older people in our communities is getting more and more widespread. An estimated 2.5 million older people are lonely, and eight in 10 people find it difficult to admit to feeling isolated.
"Everyone knows someone on their street or in their local area who would benefit from getting out of the house and socialising. Our volunteers pick guests up and take them to a Sunday afternoon tea party, often the loneliest time of the week for many people.
"We're asking people inTimperley and Sale to help us find more guests for our struggling groups. We know that there are plenty of people out there who could benefit and I would urge them to them to get in touch with me to sign up to attend. It might seem like a small step but it could be life-changing for people who have little contact with others."
Contact the Elderly operates by forming small groups made up of guests and volunteers. One Sunday afternoon a month each group meets for tea, cake and company. Hosts take it in turns to welcome guests, usually once or twice a year and volunteer drivers take guests safely to the tea party and then home again. This is a free service.
The groups are small, usually around 10-15 people so that everyone can really get to know each other. Guests and volunteers make lasting friendships and afternoons are spent laughing and enjoying each other’s stories.
Contact the Elderly Regional Development Officer, Gwen Lightfoot, would like to hear from anyone interested in joining the groups as a guest and can be contacted via 01925 728 969 or gwen.lightfoot@contact-the-elderly.org.uk
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