News
10 Downing Street celebrates an ageing society
Never too late for a Christmas meal
Manchester North launches first group
Tasting tea with Contact the Elderly
2/3/2010: 10 Downing Street celebrates an ageing society
On Monday afternoon three Contact the Elderly members and their volunteer drivers were given the opportunity to visit 10 Downing Street together with Contact the Elderly founder and chairman, Trevor Lyttleton.
Yesterdays reception hosted by the Prime Minister and Sarah Brown celebrated our ageing society and volunteers and charities were recognised by the invaluable work they do.
"There were approximately 120 guests and we were allowed to wander throughout the public rooms of Number 10", says Juanita Fan, driver and coordinator of Southwark 2.
Juanita brought 80 year old Iris, who together with Nelly and Ethel were provided chairs immediately in front of Mr Brown, who gave a short speech.
"I am pretty sure he winked at the three ladies", Juanita says. "We also got to the actor, Richard Wilson and Sir Michael Parkinson. It was such a fun evening, made all the more special by the kind care and attention the staff of Number 10 took of our elderly guests."
24/2/2010: Contact in Sweden
Any amount of snow wasn't going to stop the two groups in Sweden going out. Read here what they have been up to: Contact the Elderly's blog
8/2/2010: Never too late for a Christmas meal
The Wrexham group had decided to have their Christmas lunch in January, to have something to look forward to after Christmas. Due to the amount of snow they had to cancel and the Christmas lunch was rearranged for yesterday (Sunday 7th February) where they all enjoyed turkey, Christmas pudding and mince pies!
4/2/2010: Manchester North launches first group
The first tea party was hosted by Dorothy Knupfer who, as President of the Worsley Inner Wheel, had invited North West Development Officer Mary Robinson to speak at an evening meeting last May from which we gained hosts and drivers.
Providentially, just before the speaking engagement, Mary had spoken to Kaye Willan, Manager of the Furnishing Fabric department at John Lewis in Trafford, who offered to drive if a group existed in Worsley where she lived. She is now the Group Coordinator as well.
With the help from various agencies particularly Age Concern, Salford, the group came together with excitement and enthusiasm. On the long awaited day (31st January) there was a dusting of snow early in the morning. This however failed to damp our members’ determination to get out and enjoy the afternoon. After a further check with the drivers that all was well with the roads and pavements, a memorable afternoon was had by all.
It is the 20th group in the North West.
28/1/2010: Tasting tea with Contact the Elderly
Sarah Ingram, Branch Forum Coordinator in John Lewis Cambridge, was seconded to Contact the Elderly for six months last year. Her goal was to start the first group in Cambrisge, but once she started she couldn't stop, and she has stayed involved as Area Organiser for Contact the Elderly.
At the end of this month, the year long association between John Lewis and Contact the Elderly comes to an end. It was very fitting, therefore, that on Sunday 17 January, I was able to launch the third (and final) John Lewis Cambridge Contact the Elderly tea party group!
Actually, the third group would be more accurately called the Rotary group since it owes its existence almost entirely to a local Rotary Club. During my Golden Jubilee Trust secondment last year, I was given an introduction to the President (Mark Robinson) and the Chairman of the Community Service Committee (Tony Littlechild) of the Rotary Club Cambridge Rutherford. I was invited to one of the Club’s meetings to give a presentation about Contact the Elderly (a most enjoyable experience as I was treated to lunch in beautiful Queen’s College and the company of a large group of polite and attentive gentlemen!) and the tea party we held last Sunday represented the flowering and fruiting of those seeds I planted six months ago. Over 20 members of the Rotary Club have volunteered to drive for Contact the Elderly - which is a staggering number of volunteers to come from one organisation.
To make the launch of the third group really special, I decided to hold a party for all the CtE groups and gratefully took up the offer of a local production company, Tracing Tea, to provide a tea tasting for us. So on Sunday, members and volunteers from all three groups together with representatives from JLC (Adrian Kyndt) and CtE (Linda Braeburn) met at St Philip’s School in Romsey, nervously wondering what a tea tasting would be like.
It was a fun afternoon and for many members, it was the first time they’d ventured out since before Christmas. So there was quite a buzz as ‘old’ members and volunteers caught up with each other and ‘new’ members and volunteers began to get to know each other and discovered interesting things about each other - for example that they are distantly related!
I’m thrilled that I’ve been able to achieve so much during this last year, thanks to the kindness and generosity of all the volunteers and the support of people at Contact the Elderly and in John Lewis Cambridge. Above all, I’m glad I’ve got to know these extraordinary people: Audrey and Vi (my own special passengers), Frank, John, Jeanie, Rachel (who sadly passed away last week), Glad, Nancy, Peggy, Joy, June and June, Joyce and Betty and Sheila. We’re going to have such fun this year! And even though John Lewis Cambridge’s official connection with Contact the Elderly will end at the end of the month, the legacy will continue for as long as there are John Lewis Cambridge tea party groups.
If you would like to join in the fun, find out more from Sarah on ext 4170 or BFC_Cambridge@johnlewis.co.uk.
