Make friends across September

A COMMUNITY partnership is tackling loneliness in the borough with a range of events over the coming four weeks.

To support Wokingham residents, the Friendship Alliance has arranged a series of activities in honour of Friendship Month.

Launched in 2011, the campaign was created to bring people across the country together to tackle isolation.

The Alliance, which is run by The Link Visiting Scheme, Age UK Berkshire, Involve Community Services and Wokingham Volunteer

Centre, is hosting events nearly every day in September.

Marjie Walker, manager at Link Visiting, said friendship and making connections are “invaluable” when it comes to health and wellbeing.

“The Link Visiting Scheme is delighted to be supporting a focused month of special events in celebration of friendship with the Friendship Alliance,” she said.

“We know how debilitating and painful it is to struggle with the serious impact of loneliness, and how important and crucial it is to have a few quality friendships in our lives.”

Over the coming month, the Alliance is hosting a series of Friendship Tables, outdoor activities and coffee mornings to mark the campaign.

What’s on the agenda?

On Mondays, residents can visit the Friendship Table at Coffee #1 on Peach Place, which will be staffed by a volunteer.

People are invited to come alone or with a friend and chat to whomever is there. It is running between noon and 1pm, and will also continue after Friendship Month.

On Tuesdays, the Alliance is hosting another Friendship Table at the FBC Centre in Finchampstead between 10am and noon.

Wednesdays will feature a range of activities throughout the month, including a Virtual Friendship Cafe, Nordic Walking and an Authors Online library event.

On Thursdays, the Friendship Alliance has seasonal outdoor bowls planned courtesy of Link Visiting. It will also host a badminton session, coffee and a chat, a Dementia Walk with Age UK Berkshire and a walk in Cantley Park.

Fridays will feature a range of activities, from jigsaw puzzles and games to a singalong.

“We look forward to taking part in lots of the events planned. We hope we play our part in promoting groups and services around the borough that are enabling friendship and changing lives,” Ms Walker added.

The Friendship Alliance has arranged activities for week-ends, including trips to Charvil Fete, Wokingham Town Market and Spencers Wood Carnival.

According to Age UK Berkshire, its Afternoon Tea event, which took place yesterday, proved extremely popular and was fully booked out.

A number of events are available to pre-book online now, too.

For more information, including a full diary of upcoming events, contact amalia.mills@ageukberkshire.org.uk or jayne@linkvisiting.org