Food, glorious food

Please note: this post is 122 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

Liza is 70, and a full time carer for her wonderful husband Tony. They started coming to South London Cares' social clubs three months ago, when the couple realised they needed some new activities and company. A few short months later, Liza now comes to several clubs a month – and brings Tony along to the ones he feels up to.

Liza comes most to life at SLC's dinner parties. She comes with her friend Gina who speaks limited English, but it doesn't bother her that she can't always be part of the conversation because the atmosphere in the room keeps her smiling. Understandably, being a full-time carer Liza doesn't have the time or energy to throw dinner parties herself, but to be invited to join neighbours from all over Southwark and Lambeth for a home-cooked meal is a huge treat.

Once a month we hold a dinner party in Borough. The first was in October 2014 with 12 older neighbours and four volunteers. Each month, that group has grown – and we now welcome around 30 older neighbours and ten volunteers to each feast.

It's something about food that just brings people together. To be able to sit around a table and eat some homemade chow brings people out of their shells. The conversation just flows. It seems to be the most natural thing for people to just start talking when they are sharing food. It's a wonderful thing to see, and can lighten up anyone's day. The evenings have become their own family dinners.

We've now started our second dinner party, this time in Lambeth, so that we can reach even more older people and connect them with their younger neighbours. It's always nervous setting up a new club, especially because you never know if anyone is going to turn up! However the first Herne Hill dinner party, earlier this month, proved the theory right: it doesn't matter the location, it doesn't matter the type of food or the weather outside – if you invite people to share a meal and get to know some new neighbours, people will always turn up.

Why don't you come along to one of our next dinner parties and test the theory? Sign up and we'll be in touch to let you know how you can be part of it...

TUE 11th August, 5:30pm-8pm: Italian Dinner Party, Herne Hill
WED 26th August, 5:30pm-8pm: British Summer Dinner Party, Borough