Pembrokeshire County Council Chairman, Councillor Wynne Evans, and his Consort, Mrs Gwyneth Johns, enjoyed a cup of tea and some cake when they met with older County residents at the weekend.
They were guests at a local Afternoon Tea Dance organised by Sandy Davies, volunteer group coordinator for Contact the Elderly in Pembrokeshire.
Contact the Elderly aims to relieve the acute loneliness and isolation of people aged 75 and over who live alone, by organising free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties.
Through the support of thousands of volunteers across the UK, older guests are collected from their home each month by volunteer drivers and taken to a volunteer host’s home where they spend an afternoon with others and build long-term friendships.
Councillor Evans said afterwards: “Supporting people within my community is my number one priority and I wholeheartedly support the work that Contact the Elderly is doing to help the most isolated and vulnerable people in Pembrokeshire.
“It is very clear that the monthly gatherings make a profound difference and I would strongly encourage people to volunteer.”
Mary Rance, Chief Executive of Contact the Elderly, added: “We’re hugely grateful to Councillor Evans for his invaluable and timely support as we enter our 50th year of combating isolation amongst older people.
“We know from our independent research that our tea parties are a lifeline, reducing feelings of loneliness by 80 per cent and reducing GP visits by 26 per cent.
“With additional support from members of the local councils, we hope to raise further awareness and reach out to a greater number of the forgotten million during our Jubilee year and beyond.”
- Pembrokeshire residents interested in volunteering for Contact the Elderly can contact Sandy Davies on 01437 711335 or email: pembscte@outlook.com
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