There are more than 11 million people aged over 65 in the UK, which will increase to 13 million in ten years, forming 22% of the population (Centre for Ageing Better). 1.4 million older people in the UK already say that they are often lonely (Age UK), and this number will increase too.
A directory listing all the church activities for older people in a town, and a network linking isolated older people with befrienders willing to visit regularly were among the projects highlighted at a recent conference in London.
The conference, Empowering Communities to Care, brought together community networks and care homes to focus on combatting the loneliness of seniors.
The hopes for the event
- To join up organisations that help create connection and community for elderly people
- To be encouraged by sharing good examples of how community can combat loneliness
- To reconnect like-minded organisations and build a coalition for both impact and influence
Who was in the room?
The organisations present included Keychange, Pilgrims’ Friend Society, The Salvation Army, Anna Chaplaincy, Linking Lives, UK Community Foundations, and Regenerate Rise.
What did the discussion cover?
The agenda for the time together was inspired by the document written by Stephen Hammersley, from the Pilgrims’ Friend Society, Empowering Communities to Care. The document identified four areas of potential sector development, supported by success in community programmes already underway.
The time together enabled attendees to hear a number of case studies from organisations that are already working to enrich elderly people’s lives. The time of sharing was encouraging and gave an opportunity to discuss how we as a coalition can multiply our efforts and increase our impact across the UK.
For a number of participants, including us as Keychange, we are looking to reach beyond our buildings to see how we can improve the lives of those in our surrounding community. This is a significant positive step for us in our thinking.
Where do we go from here?
- We create discussion and momentum so that care for the elderly can be an ever-growing opportunity to alleviate loneliness.
- We deliver community programmes in social care for key areas of society and government.
- We influence through our practical hands-on experience.
- We share resources to increase the number of people connected and cared for.
- We identify ways of working that make an impact and can be multiplied
- We meet regularly to drive forward change and improvement in the care sector and to reach out to more vulnerable or isolated people.
How could you get involved?
- We would love to talk to those of you who are already involved and working in this area. Please email me Benjamin Downing at Keychange.
- You and your local church could connect with a local care home or how could you augment the work you are already doing with the elderly? Let us know if you want any help to think it through and we can connect you locally.
- Do you know of a local space (e.g. café) or your church which could host drop-in times for the elderly each week?
Keychange, BRF Ministries Anna Chaplaincy, and Linking Lives are Charities and Networks in Association with Churches Together in England. The Salvation Army is a national Member Church.