Volunteers needed to open home for lonely elderly
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Big-hearted residents with a spare Sunday afternoon are needed to help a charity lift the spirits of some of Elgin's loneliest people.
Contact the Elderly tackles social isolation among the older generation by providing companionship through free afternoon tea parties across Moray.
The popular gatherings offer a lifeline of friendship for older people living alone who can sometimes spend their weekend without contact.
Vital to the service are generous locals who open their homes as afternoon tea venues. But a shortage of hosts has led to a waiting list of Elgin guests eager to join the parties.
An appeal has gone out for local volunteers to welcome small groups of older people into their home on a Sunday afternoon just two or three times a year.
Denise Robson, Contact the Elderly’s development officer for the area, says those couple of hours spent with friendly people can make a tremendous difference to the life of an often socially-isolated older person.
"We take for granted things like popping out to meet a friend for a cup of tea and a chat but as time passes and people lose friends and family, it gets more difficult – especially for those with mobility issues.
"The beauty of our parties is that we have volunteer drivers who chauffeur guests to and from the events but our problem at the moment is that there are not enough local hosts to allow us to hold all the parties we would like to.
"Although we already have a superb band of volunteers in the town, the popularity of the tea parties means we need more and we would love to hear from any potential new hosts."
Hosting only involves committing to three afternoons annually but it is an enormously worthwhile and rewarding activity – with tangible results.
Denise added: "You just have to look at the smiles on the guests’ faces to see what a difference you can make to someone’s day with just a little act of kindness."
To find out more about becoming a volunteer or guest with Contact the Elderly please contact Denise Robson on 01542 285010 or denise.robson@contact-the-elderly.org.uk
