THE DROITWICH branch of Contact the Elderly has issued an urgent appeal for volunteers to help ensure the town’s older people do not fall victim to loneliness and isolation.
The charity has been organising monthly social gatherings for the over 75s for more than a year and because of the success of the group the demand has grown.
People are needed to host the tea parties and volunteer drivers to take the guests to and from their homes.
Mandy Butterworth, the Contact the Elderly co-ordinator responsible for organising the tea parties, first became involved as a volunteer driver.
But when she heard there was no group in Droitwich Spa she immediately created a group to put on tea parties locally, enlisting the help of her friends to pick up the guests and drive them to the event, which is usually held in a volunteer host’s own home.
She said: “Our volunteer hosts are so hospitable, and each tea party is great for a different reason. I know that our guests love meeting people’s family and pets and being in a welcoming home environment.
“I enjoy the group because it gives me the opportunity to spend time in the company of older guests.
“We talk about their views and experiences and we’ve all become really good friends.”
Tracy Parr, Contact the Elderly’s head of service for the region, said: “This group has gone from strength-to-strength but to be able to continue supporting the older guests, we need the local community to come forward.
“The group meets on the third Sunday of every month, welcoming eight older guests, but we need more volunteer drivers to accompany the guests from their home to a local host’s home and hosts who can invite a small group of individuals into their home for tea and cake once or twice a year.
“If you could spare a Sunday afternoon a month to help out, please get in touch as we’d love to hear from you.”
Anyone interested in becoming a volunteer should visit www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk or call 0800 716 543 (freephone).
