Lonely debate

I am writing to applaud the debate taking place in the Scottish Parliament today (18 January) on the issue of social isolation and loneliness.

This comes in the week the Scottish Government has launched a consultation to tackle the issue and the UK Government has appointed a dedicated minister to oversee efforts to manage this blight on our society.

We will be responding to the Scottish government’ s consultation, with a particular focus on how our ageing population are suffering from this silent epidemic and how we need a true partnership approach to tackle the lasting mental and physical health impacts loneliness brings.

What I mean by a ‘true partnership’ is the sharing a dedicated objective of helping some of the most vulnerable in our society to be shared between the third, public and private sectors, as well as our wider communities.

Our charity, Contact the Elderly, has 125 tea party groups that each meet one Sunday afternoon a month in homes throughout Scotland from the Borders to the Highlands and almost every region in between.

These regular, informal and fun get-togethers provide a vital lifeline of friendship to older people who live alone.

Tea, cake and company are very simple solutions to breaking the sad cycle of social isolation but are incredibly effective.

More than 90 per cent of our guests have reported feeling happier thanks to our volunteers’ efforts.

We currently support in the region of 900 older people in Scotland but we know there are very likely tens of thousands sitting at home, entirely alone, who need our and other organisations’ support.

Finding these men and women is one of our most challenging obstacles and that is where we so desperately need a ‘true partnership’ to ensure our older people are not only surviving into later life, but truly living it.

It is fantastic this issue is now being taken so seriously by our political institutions and I look forward to seeing how we can all move forward together to offer the vital lifeline of friendship which is so badly needed.

MORNA O’ MAY Head of Service – Scotland at Contact the Elderly,

The Acres, Kippen