Indebted to our volunteers

Dear Editor The beginning of June is Volunteers’ Week Scotland. Figures reveal volunteers’selfless work is worth £2.6bn – an incredible sum. What is even more incredible is hearing the first-hand accounts of those who benefit from the commitment being made by thousands of people to improve the lives of others and their communities.

I would personally like to thank the 1300-strong volunteer network making our 120 Contact the Elderly tea parties possible. Without their efforts, 900 older people in Scotland would be at risk of social isolation.

We know there are so many more people we could be supporting. To do this, we need help to identify older people who are living alone and would benefit from our Sunday afternoon tea parties. I hope this Volunteers’Week, we can encourage more people to help us provide the healing benefits of baking and a blether to more older people living alone in your community.