My friend Irene

Please note: this post is 104 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

Keerthi and Irene are two ordinary south London neighbours who've become extraordinary friends through our Love Your Neighbour programme. They've now known each other for a year! Here, Keerthi shares their story so far.

From a young age I’ve always felt connected with older people, through my mum. When we were growing up she volunteered in nursing homes and delivered food to people who were housebound. So I helped out a bit, and later in my teenagehood I’d volunteer with this properly. I loved it.

When I moved to London from home in America last summer, I thought why don’t I spend some spare time getting to know my new older neighbours?

That’s when I found South London Cares. I knew I could commit to visiting someone every week, and so I got started with Love Your Neighbour. It was different from what I’d done before – it’s not a practical role, it's all about company and friendship. 

Before I met Irene I was really nervous – I didn’t really know what to expect. She's 90, I'm in my 20s, and there were tonnes of cultural differences, I was worried I wouldn’t be what Irene wanted in a friend! But she was so easy to talk to and connect with: from the start she’s been interested in learning about me, hearing about my life. I love learning from her and she’s become a great friend.

In the States where I’m from – everyone’s from everywhere. It’s rare to meet people who can tell you about generations of history in a neighbourhood. With Irene, she’s lived here all her life and she’s seen so much change in London: the war, the recovery, the regeneration. She was separated from her family in the war and hearing about that is just stuff you see in movies and read about – and I’m hearing about it from someone first hand. It’s very rare and special to find that.

Then on the flip side, she’s fascinated with my work and my working relationships – for example, my manager is based in the States and I don’t physically work with her. That’s normal for people our age but a bit mind boggling for Irene...

Over a couple of months we became very close. I’ll go over to see her whenever I’m in the area. I’ve met her lovely family and I feel a part of her life. It’s true what people say: it’s really difficult to meet people and make friends in London. It can be a lonely place. Irene is someone I can really rely on and trust. It’s been a very consistent relationship – and that means a lot.

Our friendship has been a cornerstone in my first year. My life isn’t really in London. I’m always travelling or on the move. My family and friends are international, but now I’m feeling more a part of the city. A year on, I know I got really lucky finding Irene – I always gush about my relationship with her! I’m very thankful we met. 

Next week my mum’s coming over to visit, so of course we’ll be going over to Irene’s so they can meet!

Irene and Keerthi are one of our fifty five Love Your Neighbour matches – south Londoners who wouldn't usually have met, but who can gain a lot from knowing one another. Find out more about Love Your Neighbour here.