Brewing up community spirit to tackle loneliness

Mar 18 2011 Dumfries Standard Friday

SIR – I am writing to ask your readers to support Communi-tea Week, a national campaign that uses the Great British brew to help tackle the problems of isolation and loneliness that thousands of older people face every day.

By the end of last year, more than half of people over 75 in Britain lived alone, and sadly more than one million pensioners said they often or always felt isolated, with almost half considering TV as their main source of company.

With this in mind, we’ll be helping combat loneliness by inviting hundreds of older people to join us for some tea-related fun, from tea dances to tea tasting sessions, which are taking place in Bupa care homes across the UK throughout the week of Monday, March 21.

We also want others to pull together and host their own tea parties, inviting friends and neighbours to enjoy a cuppa.

We’re urging everyone to put on the kettle and contact someone they think may need their spirits lifting – a cup of tea is the perfect way to reach out and offer a friendly face.

After all, spending time with someone in need of a little company can really make a huge difference to their day, and what better way to do that than to sit down over a good old fashioned cup of tea!

For more information about your nearest event, or for more ideas about hosting your own, call the Communi-tea Week hotline on 0845 600 4622 or email communi-teaweek@bupa.com.

Siobhan Drane

Community affairs manager

Bupa