Tea party update, volunteer interviews, and the extraordinary impact of our call companions...
Dear supporter,
As the lockdown eases, we're looking forward to getting back to the tea table, once it's safe and our groups are ready. To help prepare for this, we're asking all tea party volunteers to complete our quick form, if they haven't already done so, to let us know if they're able to continue in their role.
Our volunteers have been keeping in touch with an incredible 10,000 older people through the lockdown - more than ever before - so we really couldn't be more proud, or more grateful, to celebrate Volunteers' Week this week. We share insightful interviews with seven of our volunteers, along with a lovely story of a friendship based on music. We also share research showing the amazing difference our call companions are making.
And, as Covid continues to encourage more of us online, our chief executive, Meryl, has written a blog on how digital technology is helping us reduce loneliness.
We hope you enjoy the read.
What gets you out of bed in the morning? In celebration of Volunteers' Week, we ask seven of our fantastic volunteers what makes them tick.
A musical match made in lockdown A few months ago, we introduced Joan, who sings as a tenor, to gifted young soprano, Zoe. They hit it off straightaway and have been call companions - and great friends - ever since.
Our chief executive, Meryl Davies, writes about digital technology and a new system we're building that will help us work better with our volunteers and the people who use our services.
