As The Courier Kindness Campaign gathers momentum, a local charity tells Richard Burdge what they’re doing to combat loneliness and isolation in Perthshire
A charity that provides tea, cake and company to older people who live alone is backing the Courier Community Kindness Campaign.
“It is an absolutely great idea and so worthwhile,” said Jennifer Kaney of Contact the Elderly of the initiative which is encouraging Courier readers to cut out the coupon on this page for a free paper and then offer the paper to someone who is on their own, isolated or vulnerable..
Contact the Elderly which organises free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties, turning loneliness into friendship for almost 900 people throughout Scotland, recently launched its latest group in Perth.
Volunteer drivers collect guests and accompany them to a volunteer host’s home where they enjoy copious amounts of hot drinks, biscuits, sandwiches and conversation.
The Perth group is the charity’s third and was launched with a meal for older people and volunteers, who also enjoyed chanter music from one of the guests.
Development officer Ms Kaney said the charity and The Courier’s efforts were attempting to address the same issues.
“As people get older, it can become more difficult to get out and about and many find themselves spending more and more time at home alone,” she said.
“Our parties are here for them to have something to enjoy. Our volunteers have a fantastic time and loneliness is very quickly turned into friendship.
“We are delighted to have launched our third group in Perth.
“We know though that there are many more people we could be offering a vital lifeline of friendship.
“To do this, we need to get in touch with them and encourage more people to donate a little time to make an immeasurable difference to the lives of older people who live alone in the city.”
To find out more about becoming a guest or volunteer of Contact the Elderly locally, email Jennifer.kaney@contact-the-elderly.org.uk or call 01786 235034.
The Courier Community Kindness Campaign also caught the eye of social security minister Jeane Freeman who said the Scottish Government had invested £500,000 in a social isolation and loneliness fund which helps community-based projects.
“I want to fully support the Courier’s Community Kindness Campaign and encourage us all to stop for a minute and think about how any one of us could make life a wee bit better for older people in our communities who might be feeling lonely, particularly in the run up to and all the way through the festive period,” she said.
“It doesn’t take much – a cup of tea with an elderly neighbour, a smile and ‘hello’, taking their bins in or just stopping for a blether – all of it can make a huge difference to how they feel, a little less lonely and part of their own neighbourhood again.”
