A charity which has been helping ease social isolation for Inverness’ elderly for nearly 20 years has launched an appeal for the next flurry of kind-hearted volunteers to join its ranks.
Contact the Elderly organises free to attend monthly afternoon tea parties on Sundays for older people in need of company. The organisation’s work relies heavily on volunteers to host the parties, as well as transporting members to and from venues.
Caroline Peter, elderly support officer for the Highlands, said: “The Inverness groups have gone from strength to strength and every month we see what a massive difference the parties make to our guests who often don’t have much social interaction with others and perhaps find it difficult to get out and about.
“The beauty of the service is that guests don’t have to worry about how they’re going to get to the gatherings and they know that they’ll be meeting people like themselves who are happy to catch up and have a blether for a couple of hours.
“We would love to hear from anyone who could provide transport as a driver for the charity or who would like to become a host. It only takes up a few hours of their time each month and we can guarantee they will find the experience really rewarding.
“We’re looking forward to celebrating our 20th anniversary in the city and it would be the icing on the cake if our core of volunteers had some new recruits.”
There are now five groups gathering across the Highland capital since the organisations beginning.
To find out more about becoming a guest or volunteer of Contact the Elderly in Scotland contact Caroline Peter on 01561 405011 or caroline.peter@contact-the-elderly.org.uk
