A local initiative that helps tackle loneliness and isolation among older people has received a £250 funding boost, thanks to a local homecare provider.

Contact the Elderly is a charity that supports older people who live alone and are in need of company. The Contact the Elderly idea is a very simple one.

A group of volunteer drivers use their cars to collect the same elderly people once a month on a Sunday afternoon and together they visit a volunteer host for tea and an informal social afternoon.

The group visits a different host each month and arrive at the host’s home around 3pm and leave again around 5pm.

Coordinator for Contact the Elderly Thurrock, Loraine Coleman said: “This monthly outing with friends is something our members look forward to with great pleasure as for many, the outings are a lifeline of friendship and make them feel part of their community again.

"These tea parties are free with no charge whatsoever to our elderly guests. With our rapidly ageing population and with many older people in Thurrock suffering from loneliness and social isolation, we launched our first party group for people aged 75 and over on 6th September 2015.

"Local residents from the Thurrock area were invited to their first tea party, the start of a new friendship group that will see the older guests mix with new people from the community, make new friends and begin to feel a little less lonely.

"Since that date we now have eight thriving tea party groups in Thurrock, with the ninth starting soon!”

In January, Loraine applied for funding from the Bluebird Care Thurrock & Castle Point Community Grant Scheme – a sum of money set aside by the organisation to support local projects.

Bluebird Care Managing Director Alvin Osei-Tutu, said: “As well as providing care & companionship services to people living in their own homes, Bluebird Care is passionate about supporting community projects and initiatives.

"So many neighbourhoods thrive because of volunteers who work tirelessly to run community groups, host events and provide services that benefit others.

"Much of this work involves supporting older people who, without regular coffee mornings, day-trips or lunch clubs, would be left isolated at home.”

Alvin added: “We were very impressed by the work of Contact the Elderly Thurrock, and therefore had no hesitation in awarding them £250 from our Grant Fund.”

Last Sunday, Alvin Osei-Tutu and fellow Director Oliver King visited one of the organisation’s tea parties at Headon Hall in Grays, Thurrock to congratulate the volunteers on their hard work and present them with the cheque.

For more information about Contact the Elderly visit their website www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk