The reality of loneliness in later life was brought into sharp focus for Liberal Democratic MP Tom Morrison during a visit to a Re-engage activity group. 

The Cheadle MP had a ‘brilliant’ time during a recent visit to the 'Outside the Box Board Games Café' in Bramhall, Stockport in Greater Manchester. He said: “Loneliness among older people is a real issue, and it's brilliant to see something so simple, a cafe, a game, a cuppa and a chat, make such a difference. The community feel in that room was fantastic, and it's exactly the kind of local initiative that deserves more attention.”

We currently support around 6,000 lonely or isolated older people across the UK through our range of free services which are delivered in person, by telephone, and online. These include monthly tea parties at a volunteer’s home or community space, and call befriending services as well as activity groups. The Bramhall group has been running for just over a year and is proving very popular.

Our Policy and Consultancy Manager, David Heap, said: “It was wonderful to welcome Tom and see his support for our local older people’s community. We greatly appreciate him taking the time to listen to them talk about the issues that matter most to them, particularly the difficulty of getting a GP appointment if you’re not online, which we’ve revealed in our latest campaign report, Care on Hold.

“The group was very impressed that he made the effort to see how Re-engage is working to tackle loneliness and social isolation among older people.”