Solitary chicken - need advice

[Olly]

not as random as it sounds ... this is all you need, to hold a tea-party for Contact the Elderly and make some isolated, lonely old people very happy!

 

I've been reading about what other people did with their weekends - well, yesterday I had six elderly people and their volunteer drivers round for tea. We had egg sandwiches (of course!) and cakes made with my very own organic free-range eggs - all my visitors were fascinated by the chickens, and there was some reminiscing about keeping them during the war. We drank gallons of tea, and had a good chat. I've been a volunteer with Contact the Elderly for a couple of years, and it struck me that some of you Omleteers, especially the ones who enjoy baking, are just the sort of people who might be up for this.

 

I also volunteer as a driver, which means I pick the same two ladies up every month and take them out somewhere else for tea; host/esses usually only do it once or twice a year.

Some of our members have no family, and these monthly meetings make a huge difference to them. It's brilliant fun, and you don't need a big house or to be a brilliant cook - just borrow some chairs, and make lots of pots of tea! Drivers just need to have a roadworthy car - our members are not fussy! and you get to have a lovely tea somewhere different every month.

 

Maybe some of you are already volunteers - or maybe you know someone elderly who is very lonely and would like to go to a tea-party? I'd be happy to explain more if anyone is interested, Hope you don't mind me using the forum to try and spread the word - www.contact-the-elderly.org will tell you more.

[riane]

what a brill idea...after watching the programme tonight about the care in homes I feel very sad that our older people are not respected and cared for more.

[Egluntyne]

Wow Olly how marvellous! I bet they had a lovely time.

[Lesley]

Brilliant idea - I may give it a go.

[AnnieP]

Lesley, they'd LOVE to see all your animals!

What a great thing to do!

[Karen & co.]

What a lovely idea

 

We have a Tea Club here, where the older members of the village get together and arrange bingo, whist, trips out etc. I have tried to enrol my Grandad so many times, as he is always complaining of having nothing to do, but he refuses

 

Perhaps this would suit him better

 

karen x

[Paola]

What a great idea Once middle one starts school in Sept I could do some driving I think it is great to give something back.

[Guest]

 

What a fantastic idea - The Balamory House has both a downstairs loo and a giant tea-pot, so I may well get in touch with them!

[Snowy]

I love this idea - but I don't have a downstairs loo

Never mind - I've got 15 under 5's tomorrow instead. All coming round (with mothers!) to make pizza! I think I know which group I'd rather have ...

[Olly]

wow, thanks for such a positive response! there are branches all over the UK, so there's sure to be one near you - or maybe they will set up a new one! The tea-parties only last from 3.00 - 5.00, so it's just two or three hours a month (for drivers) or half a day, once or twice a year, for host/esses. I love baking, but that's just me - one of our hosts is a single man, and he buys everything except the sandwiches.

 

I got involved after my own elderly parents died (wouldn't have had time while they were still around) - with five of us in the family, my mother was never short of visitors, but sadly there are quite a lot of elderly people out there who have "Ooops, word censored!"ody at all to visit them. Conversation never stops, and trust me, it's not all about the war - I have two 90-year olds who are devoted to Saturday night TV and love to discuss the latest Pop Idol/X Factor/Joseph shows!