Falkirk group is working hard to banish loneliness

Contact the Elderly is running a free event to showcase plans for its expanding its activities across the area.

The charity already has several groups in the area, including in Falkirk, Stirling and Dunblane, which meet monthly to enjoy a couple of hours out over an informal Sunday afternoon tea.

Guests, who are usually over 75 and live alone, gather at a volunteer host’s home and are chauffeured there by a fleet of volunteer drivers.

Across Scotland more than 1,000 guests are said to regularly benefit from tea parties that are seen as a vital lifeline of friendship.

Monday’s event, A Connected Forth Valley Information Day, will hear from Contact the Elderly guests and some of the volunteers who make the tea parties happen.

Delegates will also learn how to refer both volunteers and older people to the charity and have the opportunity to talk to staff who work in their area.

Morna O’May, who is Contact the Elderly’s head of service in Scotland, said: “The detrimental effects of loneliness can be wide-ranging and impact severely on the life of people who should be thoroughly enjoying their later years.

“This event will highlight what can be achieved by working together to ensure no member of the older generation is left isolated from the rest of society if they don’t want to be.”

Monday’s event is being held at The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling.

To book tickets visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-connected-forth-valley-tickets-63165221879For further information about Contact the Elderly visit www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk.