Favourite moments from 43 social clubs

Please note: this post is 90 months old and The Cares Family is no longer operational. This post is shared for information only

In April 2016, I had been in London for a little over a year and I was living in Stockwell. I would see older neighbours at the bus stop or in Sainsbury’s and I always wondered what kind of support and company they have in London – this huge, ever-changing city. London is a far cry from my small hometown in Northern Ireland! Back in that hometown, I used to love hanging out with my Granny and her friends. I looked to see where I might be able to hang out with and help the older community again: I found South London Cares. 

I signed up in May 2016 and attended my first club the next month. 

It was a Tech Workshop and I helped Rani learn how to attach photos to her emails on her iPhone, so she could share them with her family. She was so delighted and excited to get sharing! It was an incredible first social club experience. There have been so many clubs and so many memorable moments since then.

My favourite moments are when, completely unexpectedly, you find you have something or somewhere in common with your older neighbour. It could be a small park you both like or a song that means something to you both. My most memorable time when this happened was after a choir club, Richard asked my name and when I told him, he sang to me, “Every little breeze seems to whisper Louise”. The only other person who has ever sung that song to me was my uncle when I was a little kid. It was so special to hear it again. I reminded Richard the next time I saw him at a club and we chatted about music the whole evening. 

When I describe the social clubs to friends and colleagues, I always say that it is volunteering, but it’s not volunteer work – because it doesn’t feel like working. It’s all fun! Great activities and great company. Not a club has passed by without me laughing. Not once has a club felt like it’s an effort. Every time I leave a club, I go out in a brighter mood and with a fuller heart than when I walked in. I know that sounds exaggerated, but it really is true. To think that our older neighbours could be getting the same little lift in spirits as I know I do, that’s what keeps me coming back. In short, and in my native dialect, the clubs are great craic!