Earlier this year, Re-engage received a special gift from former tea party guest, Liz. She’d been a popular member of our tea party group in Southwark for almost a decade, even enjoying an outing to the Imperial War Museum with the group in the autumn of 2022.

Sadly, not long after that, Liz had a bad fall in her home, and was no longer able to attend the tea parties. She passed away in December, at the remarkable age of 94.

Liz’s niece, Angela, shared some memories of her aunt. “She was born in Liverpool, the middle daughter of five. Her father worked as a docker. She was evacuated during the war and her education suffered terribly, although she always had a fantastic head for numbers and her mental arithmetic skills were as sharp as ever, even in her 90s.

“After the war, she returned to Liverpool and worked in a factory, but her passion was dancing. Because she was under 21, she had to ask her parents’ permission to appear on the stage. She toured all over before settling in London and becoming a clippie on the buses.”

“It was in London that she met her husband, Leslie, a shop owner. The pair married in St George’s Cathedral in 1966. They worked in his shops until they retired when they were in their 70s. Unfortunately, Les developed diabetes and died in 2009.

“Liz lived alone after that, but she maintained her great character, she’d drive all over the country visiting family and friends. She was a very kind person, and very generous. She liked to help others, but was very astute, no one could get anything past her.

“Liz greatly enjoyed what she did with her Re-engage tea party group. The tea parties and the outings were a big event in her calendar. She gained so much benefit and pleasure from the social contact and the friends she made. She was particularly fond of her driver, Dominic, who collected her and brought her home safely.”

Liz has left a legacy of kindness by leaving gifts to the charities that were special to her. Her generous gift to Re-engage will ensure that other older people will continue to enjoy companionship and make special connections, just as she did with the members of her tea party group.