A charity which tackles loneliness and isolation among older people is calling for more volunteers in Brentwood who are willing to host a small tea party in their homes once or twice a year. 

Contact the Elderly, aims to relieve the acute loneliness of isolated older people, aged 75 and above, who live alone, by organising free monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups within local communities.

Each older guest is taken to the volunteer host’s home by a volunteer driver, where they join a small group for tea, chat and companionship for a couple of hours.

Contact the Elderly is excited to be launching a second group in Brentwood to support even more isolated older people in the area.

Contact the Elderly’s Regional Development Officer, Katy Szita, said: “The charity is committed to offering a lifeline of friendship to the oldest and loneliest people, and there are a number of older people in Brentwood waiting to join this new group.

"We therefore really need a few more volunteer hosts to get the group up and running. #

"Being a host requires a commitment of just a couple of hours, once or twice a year, and anyone who has a downstairs toilet, easy access to their home and a decent sized teapot is eligible!

"Our volunteers genuinely get as much out of the experience as our older guests, so I’m calling for anyone who is interested in giving something back to their community to please get in touch with me as soon as possible.”

Brentwood residents interested in becoming a volunteer host for Contact the Elderly once or twice a year can contact Katy Szita, Regional Development Officer on 020 8530 0494 or email katy.szita@contact-the-elderly.org.uk