Contact the Elderly needs more volunteers in Worthing

Little get-togethers help with loneliness and isolation, and give people something to look forward to each month.

Contact the Elderly, a charity dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation among older people, is urgently appealing for more volunteers in Worthing to spare just a few hours a month to help run its tea parties.

The Worthing 4 group is thriving, having been set up in 2016, but the current co-ordinator has decided to step down, so a replacement is needed.

Julia Rivas, Surrey and Sussex development officer, said: “Lorraine Pitt, who has done an amazing job for the past two years, feels it’s time to step down from the role. Therefore, we are looking for someone to take over from her.

“Contact the Elderly runs four popular and thriving groups in Worthing but in order to ensure that our Worthing 4 group continues to thrive, the charity is making an appeal for a co-ordinator who would be able to help organise the tea parties and liaise with the older guests and volunteers to ensure everything runs smoothly every month.

“Furthermore, the co-ordinator must be able to drive one or two older guests to the tea parties one Sunday a month, or host an afternoon tea party once or twice a year.”

The charity supports people aged 75 and over, who live alone, by organising free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups. This provides a regular and vital friendship link every month.

Each guest is collected from their home by a volunteer driver and is taken to a volunteer host’s home, where they join a small group for tea, chat and companionship.

Julia added: “The charity is committed to offering a lifeline of friendship to the oldest and loneliest people but our attempts to continue to provide this lifeline for older people in Worthing have hit a bit of a stumbling block due to a real shortage of local volunteers to help run the group.

“Being a driver requires a commitment of just a couple of hours once a month, a host just a few hours once or twice a year, and the co-ordinator role involves a little extra regular commitment each month in addition to the tea party outings, which everyone really enjoys.

“So, I’m calling for anyone who is interested in giving something back to their community to please get in touch with me as soon as possible.”

Telephone Julia Rivas on 01273 805451 or email [email protected] for more information.

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