St Martin ’s Contact the Elderly

[Guest]

The St Martin ’s Contact the Elderly group has been going for over three years, thanks to the help of local people. Once a month, volunteer drivers pick up elderly people and take them out to a volunteer hosts home, where everyone enjoys afternoon tea.

The group meets monthly on a Sunday afternoon from 2-4.

Unfortunately the group is in danger of closing as some of the drivers have had to retire. If there were just a few more people to help with the driving, the group could continue to meet.

Being a driver involves using your own car to pick up one or two elderly St Martin’s residents, and going along with them to enjoy Sunday afternoon tea. The tea parties are held in the homes of local volunteers. The group doesn’t have any money to offer for petrol, but you do get to enjoy afternoon tea.

Even though it’s only once a month you realise how important this small amount of contact is for people when you hear comments like this one, from Elsie who is 80 and has just joined a Contact group.

“At 7.30 every night this week I have cried when it gets dark, because I feel more lonely in this empty house, I can’t wait for my first tea next week when for the first time in months I will have something to look forward to. ”

If you would like to know a bit more, please ring either Liz Morgan on 01938 810635 or Hannah Guntrip on 01691 773410. Even if you can only help occasionally, whatever you can do would be very much appreciated.