BEING able to pop out in the afternoon for a cup of tea and a cake with friends is something most of us take for granted.

But for many elderly people with poor mobility, living alone and with no relatives close by, it is quite simply an impossibility.

This isolated existence can result in a miserable end to many elderly people’s lives but a group of warm-hearted volunteers in Worcester are providing a monthly outing which aims to relieve loneliness and create friendships among a small group of local pensioners.

Contact the Elderly is a national charity which was set up 50 years ago and is dedicated to tackling loneliness and social isolation among older people.

Using a network of volunteers, each Contact the Elderly group organises monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups of older people, aged 75 and older, who live alone. The aim is to offer a vital friendship link every month.

The Worcester group was established about seven years ago and co-ordinator Catherine Templeton explained that each month volunteer drivers collect their nine elderly members from their homes and take them out for tea at the home of a host. After two hours of socialising over a cup of tea, a few sandwiches and cakes, the elderly people are driven back home.

Catherine said: “I got involved because I was a member of Worcester Lions Club which was asked to be a host for these tea parties twice a year. I went along to one of the tea parties and got signed up as a volunteer driver for Contact the Elderly.

“We now have nine guests we collect and take out to tea at a host’s home once a month. That is about the right number because we would not fit in people’s living rooms or dining rooms if we had more.

“We do not want groups that are so big they have to meet in a church hall. The idea is to welcome people into another person’s home and have a tea party.

“The guests are picked up from their door by the same driver every month so there is consistency and they know that person. We have quite strictly timing so the guests know what is happening.

“We pick up just before 3pm and arrive at the host’s house by 3pm and they leave by 5pm. Most of our hosts are in Worcester although there are ones in Kempsey, Broadwas, Wichenford and Malvern. We always have lovely teas with sandwiches and cakes and scones. They are nice traditional teas.”

The Contact the Elderly tea parties are completely free of charge – no money passes hands, said Catherine. The drivers provide the transport at no cost and the hosts provide the venue and afternoon tea.

To qualify as a guest a person has to be at least 75 years old and living alone. Catherine said: “We have got one lady who was living on her own but she has gone into a home now and she keeps coming because we do not want to cut people off. People make friends and they very much enjoy it.

“Some older people have lost a lot of confidence and it is easier to sit in front of the TV. If they apply to join us, I go to see them and they decide if they want to give us a try. They then know one face when they go along for the first time.”

Most of the Worcester group members are over 90 and the oldest is 95. “The guests really look forward to their afternoon out. Just having contact with people of their generation is very important. They do not have many friends left of their age group. They all really appreciate it and we do feel it makes a difference to their lives,” said Catherine.

The hosts sometimes provide entertainment for their guests – there is one host who provides vintage entertainment and will get the guests singing along, while some put on simple quizzes. Guests can take a turn around the garden or simply enjoy the splendid views at one host in Wichenford, near Martley, and a Malvern host provides a special Christmas tea party with entertainment and small gifts for each guest.

One 94-year-old guest has been going to the monthly tea parties since the group started in 2008. She said: “I heard about it because there was a leaflet in the bag when my library books were delivered to me. I was lonely so I thought I’d go along. I could not walk very far but I wanted to get out and meet people.

“We have a lovely time. All the organisers are marvellous and the drivers are kind and there is lots of care and the hosts welcome us into their homes and give us a lovely tea. We get together with all our friends and enjoy our conversations. We always look forward to the next meeting. It is a wonderful organisation and we have a wonderful Christmas party in Malvern.

“Everyone has been so welcoming and we are not treated like old people. We are all friends.

“Another guest, also aged 94 who has been living on her own for 41 years, said: “I really look forward to it. I do not get out on my own at all now. . I have met friends through this and otherwise I would be on my own 24 hours a day.”

Catherine added that the group is always looking for more volunteer drivers, so there are enough when some people have other commitments on a Sunday afternoon, and hosts.

“This year we have had 11 different hosts. To host a tea party you need a room to seat nine guests, have a downstairs loo and relatively easy access. People can manage on or two steps but not a flight of stairs.”

She added that the hosts decide how much tea they provide – it is not supposed to be a meal – and the drivers all help out by mingling with the guest to make sure everyone is included and helping to pass around the tea, sandwiches and cakes. All the drivers/volunteers are Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checked.

To find out more about Contact the Elderly visit http://www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk/. For anyone who wants to become a guest, volunteer or host ring 0800 716543 or visit www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk. The area organiser Prabina Lord will pass on the details to the local co-ordinator.