The restorative powers of the humble British cuppa are legendary, but for Ian Sinclair, things have been taken to a whole ‘brew’ level.

The retired naval engineer has thanked Re-engage – and players of People’s Postcode Lottery who support our work - for helping him smile again after the loss of his beloved wife Christine. Ian, 84, is a regular at the tea parties and local get-togethers near his home in Aberdeenshire. He signed up after his daughter Beth became a volunteer and urged him to attend to help meet new people. Five years on, the grandfather-of-three is urging others to find their local group and give it a go.

Ian was devastated when Christine died following a brain tumour just before Christmas in 2012, at the age of 68. The couple met in the late 1960s and had been married for 45 years, with two children, Beth and Craig. Ian said: “When my wife died, I had to have a routine and things to do or I wouldn't have got through the day. And it takes such a long time to get yourself back together again.”

At the time, the couple had been living in Southampton but Ian moved north to Scotland to be closer to daughter Beth and her family. Beth said, “Mum and dad did everything together. Haircuts were at the same time, dentists at the same time. They did the shopping together, it was always the two of them. But when dad moved to Scotland, he didn’t really know anyone and he wasn’t really involved in anything apart from with me. I wanted to do something to help and that’s when I found out about Re-engage.”

Ian said: “I didn’t know what to expect but they were a nice bunch. I enjoyed chatting to people, finding out what they’d done in their lives and then I just kept going. It’s good to get out and about and when we meet up the conversations are really varied – though I have to admit the weather does come up a fair bit.”

Beth said: “Our village is reasonably rural, so if somebody doesn’t drive or have transport or has difficulties getting to the bus stop, it is hard to get anywhere. It means you might not see anyone from one week to the next. That’s where Re-engage helps.

“It makes such a difference to people. It stops a lot of isolation and takes the pressure off knowing you are going to be picked up, looked after and delivered back home safely having had a nice afternoon. And for the volunteers too, it is such a lovely thing to do.”

Ian agreed: “It’s been nice to meet new people - I'd say don’t worry about coming along and not knowing anyone. It might seem scary, but you won’t be walking into a room on your own. The drivers are great, they come and get you and somebody will always be there to welcome you and keep the conversations going. And on the days when you might feel it’s a bit of an effort to go, when you get there, it just chirps you up.

“The men are probably outnumbered 3:1 in our group, so we could do with a few more coming along!” he joked. “But yes, it’s a good thing to have in the local community. And the organisers do a great job. They don’t get enough credit for all they do and are the ones that make it all happen. So, it’s a real thank you to them.” 

Since 2017, players of People’s Postcode Lottery have raised £3.6m to support our work. Their generosity has enabled us to introduce new services and bolster existing ones and we are so grateful for all they are doing to help us reduce loneliness and isolation for older people.

We’re grateful to our friends at the People’s Postcode Lottery for gathering this story and sharing it with us.