Charity seeking volunteers to help fight loneliness with tea parties for older people

By Ellie Milne

July 11 2022, 1:29 pm

Re-engage hosts tea parties for older people across the country.

A charity dedicated to ending loneliness and isolation for those over 75 is appealing for new volunteers across the north and north-east.

Re-engage has nearly 400 Scottish volunteers, including more than 50 in Aberdeen, who support more than 200 older people, but some areas are in need of new recruits.

The volunteers will help the charity bring back its network of free Sunday tea parties across the country, which give participants the opportunity to interact with others.

Guests are provided a location for tea, sandwiches and cake, as well as transport to and from the weekly event.

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.”

The tea parties are an lifetime for many older people. Supplied by Re-engage

‘Loneliness is a serious issue’

The charity is actively looking to recruit volunteers at locations across Scotland, including Aberdeen, Inverurie, Elgin, Inverness and Black Isle.

Their main responsibilities will be overseeing the tea party gatherings and spending time with the guests for a few hours each week.

Ms Davies added: “Our tea parties are the perfect remedy for those feeling isolated, probably even more so since the pandemic gripped the country, and we want to provide a service that will bring some happiness to their lives.

“Without coordinators we can’t do that loneliness is a serious health issue and with the over-75s one of the fastest growing populations it needs urgent attention.”

Hundred of elderly people benefit from the weekly tea parties and have praised the volunteers who make them happen, including 90-year-old Pat.

She said: “The people who make these tea parties happen are very special. Without them they simply wouldn’t exist. They open up their homes to us.

“Most of them have children and jobs but still give up their time one Sunday a month, which is just wonderful – so public-spirited.

Anyone interested in volunteering can apply here.