Legacy
Legacy
Please note: this post is 101 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only
Towards the end of 2016, through our Winter Wellbeing project, we met Patricia. Patricia is 84, and had been receiving our social clubs programme for a few months, but although she told us she’d always enjoyed reading it and marking out the events she hoped to join, in the end she always felt too anxious to make it out.
Patricia also explained that she’d become so accustomed to relying on the TV for company that she wasn't sure how she'd fare speaking to real people. She had little confidence in them finding her interesting, let alone wanting to be friends with her. This is something that lots of older neighbours can feel, and half the battle in getting them along to their first social club is usually convincing them that they’re actually really interesting people, with as many fascinating stories and as much personality as anyone.
Patricia is a wonderful example of how important our partnerships with local businesses are and the impact that their warm welcome and generosity has on older neighbours’ feelings of community belonging and identity. She was so touched that "busy, young, working people are interested in sharing their work with me and making me feel part of it – I've no excuse to hide at home any longer".
Patricia's first social club was our Trainline business visit in December. The firm had invited 15 older neighbours to their offices for a Christmas party with all the essentials: mulled wine, roasted chestnuts, a photo booth & even a mince pie eating competition. At the event Patricia was smiling from ear to ear and told me:
"I've not been out of the house properly in a long time and I often feel anxious when I do – I'm used to TV for company. I've had so much fun today, and I'm giddy, not just because of the mulled wine, but because I know my life has just changed!"
In the same week she also attended a Christmas lunch hosted by The Tiger in Camberwell. She got so well with Sam, the manager of the pub, that he told her she was welcome anytime and he’d always sit down and have a drink with her. She couldn’t believe it and was overjoyed. She’ll definitely be back in soon.
This is what South London Cares really is all about – helping older neighbours to connect to their rapidly changing city, rather than left behind by it – and it's something you, too, can be part of in 2017.