According to Age UK, more than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone, and more than a million older people say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member. People can become socially isolated for a variety of reasons, such as getting older or weaker, no longer being the hub of their family, leaving the workplace, the deaths of spouses and friends, or through disability or illness.
The team at Parklands in conjunction with the Mayor of Runnymede thought that we need to help somehow with this situation. Yes, we can’t reach 2 million people, but we can help our closest community providing spaces where all can interact, enjoy some entertainment and share a nice cup of tea.
With this in mind, we started to develop different ideas on how we could be helpful. How we could include our residents, family members and those in need of social spaces in our community.
It’s always nice to sit down around a cup of tea and some biscuits, this is how the teapot tea party started. A simple idea with a great intention, to bring the community together and help to fight the loneliness of vulnerable adults.
This time for our entertainment we had the pleasure of the company of Teresa de
Roberto, a charismatic and very talented singer, who brought back memories with beautiful and well-known songs. We sang along and danced to the tunes, we laughed and enjoyed the company of our old and new friends. To cater to the entertainment, we had a great selection of cakes and cupcakes with a very well-deserved cup of tea.
This day allowed residents and visitors to interact, make new friends and have a remarkable afternoon that will be forever in our memories.