Appeal for help in getting Hammersmith elderly to reconnect after Covid

A leading charity is urgently appealing for volunteers in Hammersmith to help older people who have been unable to socialise since the Covid pandemic.

Re-engage, which is dedicated to ending loneliness and isolation for those aged 75 and over, is re-building its network of free Sunday tea parties throughout the UK, and needs co-ordinators willing to spend a few hours to oversee these gatherings.

The charity currently has about 25 volunteers – who regularly provide a location for tea, sandwiches and cake. These guests are driven to and from the tea parties. But there is a shortage of co-ordinators in some areas, including Hammersmith.

Meryl Davies, chief executive of Re-engage, said: “Before the pandemic our monthly tea parties provided a vital lifeline for older people who barely saw another person from one week to the next.

“Two years of lockdowns and uncertainty have left many of them lacking the confidence to get back into the outside world.

“We want them to start socialising again so they do not feel they have been left behind. But to do that we need local community leaders prepared to devote a few hours which can change so many lives.”

Pat, 90, said: “The people who make these tea parties happen are very special. Without them they simply wouldn’t exist.”

If you would like to become a co-ordinator for Re-engage, please contact the charity at reengage.org.uk or call 0207 240 0630.

Pictured top: Shoishana Fin, volunteer Tim Lark, 40, and Pat Ward. Both women are in their 80s (Picture: Re-engage)