Labour MP Kate Dearden spent time meeting guests at a Re-engage activity group recently to learn about our work and how we're reducing loneliness in later life.

Kate, Labour and Co-operative MP for Halifax, joined a chair yoga group organised in partnership with Right at Home at the Maurice Jagger Centre in the Yorkshire town.

The group, which has 25 members, started two years ago and meets once a month for a couple of hours of yoga and socialising.

We invited the MP along to see how isolated older people in the Halifax area are benefiting from the events. Along with attendees, Kate was taken through her paces by yoga teacher Amelia, who introduced a range of techniques to help support mobility, strength, posture, and breathing.

Kate said: “It was brilliant to visit one of Re-engage’s local activity group sessions in Halifax. The yoga session I took part in doesn’t just help residents to improve their mobility, it also provides a really welcoming environment for them to chat, make friends, and connect with one another - which is equally as important.

“Groups like these matter because they help to tackle loneliness and ensure that at every stage of life, local people know they have somewhere warm and friendly to turn to. A huge thank you to the Re-engage team for all you do for our community."

David Heap, Re-engage Policy and Consultancy Manager, said: “The group members really appreciated Kate coming along to join in the session and have a chat with them. She was very friendly and was impressed by the way we are helping reduce loneliness among older people through our activity groups.”