The Wolverhampton tea party group has forged a special relationship with the Sant Zora Singh Lopon Charitable Trust, thanks to the shared mission of helping support older people.

Three tea parties a year are held at the Darbarsar Sant Ashram in Park Village, where guests enjoy samosas, sandwiches, and tea.

Mandeep Dhaliwal, from the Trust, who liaises with Re-engage coordinator, Annette Souter, said: “The events are absolutely fantastic. Our Gurdwara volunteers get so excited when they know a tea party is coming up. It’s just so lovely for the older people to meet up and enjoy themselves.”

The joint venture started just after the Covid pandemic, and has gone from strength to strength. As well as socialising, the older people are sometimes taken through a gentle chair yoga session. With volunteers from the Gurdwara, the group can number as many as 40.

Mandeep added: “One of our missions is to help older people, so we are pleased to be able to accommodate the tea parties. We also run initiatives that help families who are struggling. We provide meals which they can take away with them if they wish. And we run religious workshops for children. We are all inclusive.”

Annette, who has volunteered for Re-engage since 2012, said: “After Covid, a few hosts did drop out, and so I had to look for alternative venues. The Sikh community is the most welcoming, wonderful group of people and we really love going there.

“I absolutely enjoy the tea parties. It’s so satisfying to see the pleasure it gives our guests. I always imagine them going home afterwards and feeling good about things. One of the best parts is phoning them to give details of the next get together. As soon as they hear about it they really perk up.”