Volunteers wanted to help at tea parties for elderly in Dronfield

Contact the Elderly tea parties, which began more than half a century ago in London, are set to launch in Dronfield as soon as enough volunteers sign up to help and will offer a lifeline of company, cake and conversation to older people feeling alone in the area.

The charity, which is appealing for local volunteers in Dronfield to get involved, organises monthly tea parties for small groups of older people, aged 75 and above, who live alone and would like some company on a Sunday afternoon. Guests are collected from their home by a volunteer driver and taken to a volunteer host’s home, where they meet with a small group for tea, chat and friendship. The group is welcomed by a different host each month, but the drivers remain the same which means that over the months and years, acquaintances turn into friends and loneliness is replaced by companionship.

Contact the Elderly’s development officer for Derbyshire, Angela Handforth, said, “We know that there are many older people living alone in the Dronfield area for whom Sundays can be particularly long and difficult. These tea parties give people a chance to get together with others, make new friends, eat delicious cakes and enjoy a cup of tea.

“Anyone who can spare a couple of hours one Sunday a month, and has a car, is eligible to volunteer as a driver. For those interested in becoming a host, it would just involve a couple of hours once or twice a year. It’s not a big commitment, and our volunteers genuinely get as much out of the experience as our older guests.”

Dronfield residents interested in volunteering for Contact the Elderly once a month as a driver, or twice a year as a host, can call Freephone 0800 716543 or email [email protected]

If you would like to volunteer as a host or a driver, call Freephone 0800 716543 or email [email protected]