No more lonely Saturdays

Local older people’s charity Brendoncare is opening a new club in Andover and is inviting local residents to come along to find out more.

Launching on 15 October, the club will meet every Saturday between 10.30am and 12.30pm at United Reformed Church, East Street, Andover, SP10 1ES. For only £2.50 per session, the club will offer a range of games and activities, including indoor kurling and quizzes. More importantly, it is somewhere for older people to socialise, meet new friends and enjoy companionship.

Over 1 million older people in the UK say they are always or often lonely. Loneliness can affect our mental and physical health. One study found that loneliness can be more harmful to health than smoking 15 cigarettes a day. It also increases the risk of cognitive decline. Brendoncare runs more than 85 social and friendship clubs across Dorset and Hampshire and is currently focused on expanding its offering of clubs at weekends. Edwin Ingleton is Head of Club Services at Brendoncare and explains why weekend clubs are high on the charity’s list of priorities. “In a growing number of cases, older people may not have friends or family around them and a social club is one way to break the cycle of loneliness that can be so debilitating to their wellbeing. Loneliness doesn’t suddenly stop at 5pm on a Friday night and that is why offering social opportunities at the weekend is so important.”

Volunteers are also needed to help run the club. No previous experience is necessary – just a sense of fun and a desire to support the members.

Enquiries are welcome from anyone wishing to find out more about the new club, either as a member or a volunteer. Anyone interested can find out more on Brendoncare’s website www.brendoncare.org.uk/clubs, by telephoning the charity on 01962 852133 or emailing [email protected].

ENDS

For further information, please contact:

Elaine Warriner
Marketing and Communications Manager
Tel: 01962 857481 / 07469 853537
Email: [email protected]

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About Brendoncare

Brendoncare is a registered charity (no. 326508) based in Winchester, providing 10 care homes and four housing with care developments across the south of England.

Brendoncare also runs over 85 friendship and wellbeing clubs across Dorset and Hampshire for older people who may otherwise be lonely. We provide a hardship fund for people who simply cannot afford to get to our clubs, meaning nobody is excluded, whatever their financial situation.

Brendoncare Clubs

The Old Malthouse
Victoria Road
Winchester
SO23 7DU

01962 852133
[email protected]

http://www.brendoncare.org.uk/clubs