The Express and Royal Voluntary Service (RVS) have launched a Christmas appeal to raise £200,000 and expand their network of community clubs from 162 to 250 over the next year, aiming to bring companionship to the 3.8 million people in Britain affected by chronic loneliness.
RVS Chief Executive Catherine Johnstone said: "We all have a responsibility to make sure the older generation are not left on the margins of their own communities."
"As we enter the festive season and many of us are already thinking about the presents we will give and receive, you have the opportunity to give the gift of presence and to support RVS to bring companionship to more people who are facing loneliness. Every contribution can help us build a Britain that looks after those who have given so much to it."
Community clubs as lifelines
RVS community clubs have become lifelines helping to improve wellbeing and tackle loneliness. Many of the older and vulnerable people who attend do not have friends or family on which to rely, so they turn to volunteers whose uniform is a pinafore or apron and whose weapons are a listening ear and compassion.
Across the UK, community services are disappearing in the face of rising costs and budget cuts, with many of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England having no social infrastructure at all. This has left RVS, set up as Women's Voluntary Services in 1939 to help communities during wartime, to fill the void. The charity, which counts Queen Camilla as its patron, has evolved to respond to modern-day emergencies.
Nine in 10 of those who currently attend are over the age of 60, and many have long-term health conditions which make day-to-day life challenging and the risks of social isolation high. The majority live alone or are carers.
Volunteers at the heart of the service
Volunteer Angela Marchant, 65, was forced to give up work after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and now runs the tea room at Chesham House in Lancing, West Sussex, which serves hot and cold drinks and home-baked cakes alongside a lunch club three days a week.
She said: "It is my second home. In fact, if you ask my husband, it's my first home because I'm here most of the time."
"The people here are amazing - the staff, volunteers, and those who come in to use the centre. When you walk in it's like receiving a warm embrace - we offer what's missing in a lot of people's lives. There must be many people who suffer in silence at home and there's a buzz about this place."
After the death of his wife Annette from Alzheimer's, Angela coaxed her uncle Raymond Knight, 80, to come along and he hasn't looked back. Ray is a regular on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays when the busy kitchen staffed by Pat Moore, 68, and helper Mandy Boote, 57, serves up plates of delicious home-cooked hot food.
Ray, among 20 in for a two-course lunch, said: "I fell into a pit of despair when my wife died, understandably, but I think she would be proud of me for getting up and coming along here. She was a very sociable person."
Mandy, made redundant after 40 years with Lloyds Private Banking, said: "It gives me such immense pleasure seeing our customers tuck into their food, smiling, and having a chat. We are a lifeline to so many people. I worked in a corporate environment for decades trying to help people but until I volunteered with the RVS I didn't really know what really helping people in need was. I love it here."
The scale of the crisis
More than one million older people report going a month without any meaningful social contact. The impact on the elderly is profound, with loneliness and isolation having a devastating impact on mental and physical health.
This is exacerbated during the harsh winter months, with 14% of over 75s not having anyone to turn to for emotional support, while one in 10 over 65s are malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. RVS predicts at least 1.2 million older people will not receive an invitation to a Christmas gathering this year.
One in three living alone say family-centred festivities exacerbate feelings of loneliness, with one fifth dreading the prospect of the festive season. Almost half of those over 70 do not get invited to share Christmas Day with friends or family, while one in 10 of those living alone said it has been five or more years since they shared a festive meal with others.
Chesham House lays on a raft of activities five days a week, including a disco, bingo, art club, quizzes, and scrabble. Its mantra is simple: we look forward to offering a warm welcome and hope to keep you busy. RVS helped support the initial national response to the Covid pandemic, and its volunteers provide hundreds of thousands of working days annually through services in hospitals, at lunch clubs, patient transport, and dementia support.
