According to Age UK, 1.4m older people in the UK are often lonely. Older people are at greater risk of loneliness because they are more likely to be facing factors such as living alone, chronic illness, loss of family or friends, the loss of mobility and hearing loss.

Although loneliness is not a mental health problem in itself, it is interlinked with poor mental health – and indeed social connectedness is associated with better mental health.

Here at TouchPoint, we have two activities with a particular focus on the older people in our community: our free Friday Breakfast Club, and our free Sunday Afternoon at the Movies Club. The idea with each of these is to create a warm and welcoming space where people can join us for free activities and meet new people.

The free Breakfast Club operates on Fridays from 8.30am to 10.30am, with food served from 9am. It’s a simple breakfast (like a bacon sandwich, porridge, cereal and so on) and a free hot drink. Our friendly volunteers are here for a chat and company if you so wish.

Our weekly Sunday Afternoon at the Movies Club runs from 1pm to 4pm, with the film beginning at 1.30pm. This club also includes free refreshments: a hot drink and food such as a toastie or a slice of cake. We choose a different classic film every week – recent hits have included Singin’ in the Rain, Chicago and Pride & Prejudice.

Our building here at Crafton Green is accessible and is directly next to the car park. Everyone is welcome to come along and join us – no need to book. Visit the events page on our website or follow us on Facebook for the latest information on all our activities. We hope to see you soon!