Addressing the impact of isolation and loneliness with older people is a fundamental element of Engage with Age’s work.
Engage with Age can help address social isolation and loneliness. There is a criteria for individuals getting involved – please see the referral form at the bottom of this web page. Referrals can be made through family members, friends, GPs, social workers, and through older people themselves. Engage with Age will have a conversation with each individual to see how they want to get involved.
Engage with Age offers two types of work through its PAL Project (PAL stands for People Addressing Loneliness): There are Group Activities and Telephone Befriending.
Group Activities
The PAL Project offers opportunities to get involved with group of other older people which are friendly, welcoming and fun. Activities include walking groups, T’ai Chi, games groups, groups that help with using smart phones and iPads, and social events like “The Slipped Disco”.
To get involved contact Engage with Age on 07436 174793/ email palproject@engagewithage.org.uk
Telephone Befriending
One to one support is provided over the telephone through Telephone Befriending. Each person receives a phone call every week to catch up and say hello, from trained and managed volunteer Befrienders, who are mostly older people themselves.
To get involved contact Engage with Age on 07423 702721 or email befriending@engagewithage.org.uk
Engage with Age can accept referrals of individual older people aged 50+ who are at risk of loneliness and social isolation, inviting them to participate in group activities. Engage with Age offers one-to-one telephone befriending support for individual older people but does not currently provide in person visits to individual older people. To make a referral please complete the on-line Referral Form and submit or alternatively please print off a copy of the PDF Referral Form and send it to us. See also the Referral Criteria for details of who can be referred.
Referral Form Referral Criteria