Rise in number of people feeling lonely

THIS month we are celebrating Silver Sunday, a national day of celebration that recognises the value of older generations in making a real difference to their local communities.

Many of us will work for most of our lives and will be able to appreciate the importance of having a routine and feeling valued for the contributions that we make to our society. It is understandable then that as people enter retirement, they can become increasingly cut off from society and feel that they are no longer playing an active part in their communities.

The number of over 50s experiencing loneliness is set to reach 2 million by 2025 compared to the 1.4 million in 2016; an increase of 49% over just 10 years. That’s why I’d like to tell your readers how volunteering can be a great way to combat isolation whilst making a huge difference to worthy causes, just like our own, all across the UK.

I work for Revitalise – an amazing national charity that creates holidays for disabled people and carers at Jubilee Lodge, our respite holiday centre in Chigwell, Essex. We are proud to run the largest residential volunteering programme of any UK charity, welcoming thousands of volunteers of all ages to volunteer their time with our charity each year.

Our volunteers are our magic ingredient because they volunteer something priceless – their experience. They help to create the great holiday spirit and welcoming atmosphere that our guests love all year round, and they are able to guide and support some of our younger volunteers. And, no matter what their motivation for spending time with us, there is always the opportunity to meet some great people, make new friends and make a difference to the lives of the disabled people and carers that we support.

If you would like to find out more about Revitalise or if you’re interested in becoming a volunteer please visit: www.revitalise.org.uk or call our volunteer team on: 0303 303 0163. Abby Kessock-Philip www.revitalise.org.uk