Contact the Elderly
The long winter evenings and inclement weather can make an older person feel isolated and depressed. However, Contact the Elderly is an organisation whose aim is to relieve the loneliness that can be experienced by older people living on their own and who have little contact with their family, especially at this time of the year.
The local Contact group will typically consist of no more than twelve guests over the age of 75 who live on their own and have difficulty getting out and about or making close contact with their family and friends. A member of the ‘Contact’ Volunteering Team will host a tea party in their house once a month for the twelve Guests, volunteer drivers will collect the Guests from their homes and deliver them back again after the tea party. In the comfort of a private house, surrounded by likeminded guests, the Host will make the Guests feel welcome and serve a delicious homemade tea. Spirited and stimulating conversation, coupled with the sharing of lifetime experiences and anecdotes, topical discussion and local news ensures an enjoyable and interesting afternoon with the opportunity to make new friends and acquaintances.
The tea parties take place once a month on a Sunday afternoon, between 3pm and 5pm, in a cosy sitting room in the Winter or in a sunny garden in the Summer. The Volunteers do their best to make Guests feel at home and welcome them like a member of the family.
There is no charge or cost involved with joining a Contact group, the organisation is entirely run by volunteers who have been security checked and the organisation itself is a registered National Charity. If you, a friend, a neighbour or a member of your family would like to join either the Chesham or The Lee and Wendover groups, please give the local coordinators a call.
For the Chesham group contact:
David Barnes on Tel. 01494 581069 or e-mail: dnbarnes2002@yahoo.co.uk
For The Lee and Wendover group contact:
Anthea Hartley on Tel: 01494 837372 or e-mail: bassibones@yahoo.co.uk
For further information please go to the Contact the Elderly web site: www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk