Link Age Southwark is a vibrant local charity providing friendly volunteer support to isolated people aged over 60. They work to reduce loneliness by helping older people and those living with dementia to maintain active lives, by providing befriending, group activities, transport, and light DIY and gardening services across the community.
The charity will soon be launching their Big Give Christmas Challenge with the opportunity to raise £24,000 in just 1 week! These funds will be used to reduce isolation and loneliness experienced by older people living in Southwark, by enabling Link Age Southwark to diversify the way they offer their groups, to include face-to-face, online platforms and conference calling. Ultimately, this will help them to ensure nobody is excluded in the community.
Link Age Southwark’s social and activity groups provide a much-needed break in the week for some, a chance to socialise and move about. For others, the groups may be the only time they speak to another person for several days or weeks at a time. Last year alone, the charity ran 26 groups who met 758 times, with a record 6,160 attendees in total.
The feedback the charity receives from their evaluations confirms that the groups have a clear social function and increase attendee’s energy levels. 96% of group members reported they were either happy or very happy with the groups, with one member saying, “Group session gives me a big uplift. We sing and talk. It’s nice to socialise.”
Another member’s husband commented on the impact the musical group has on his wife, who lives with dementia; “She used to love music […] and the group helps her to connect some way through music.”
So far, the charity have moved 6 of their groups online and had 1 group meeting in a COVID-safe way, up until the latest national restrictions. As government guidelines continue to change, it is essential for Link Age Southwark to adapt and expand the way they offer their groups to the older people they work with.
Sophie Wellings, Director at Link Age Southwark says: “2020 has been a challenging and complex year for us all. We have been overwhelmed by the support and goodwill that we have received from the community. The money that we raise from the Big Give contributes significantly each year in supporting our work. It feels hard to reach out again after so much has been given by the local community, but any contribution that you can make to this appeal will be very gratefully received.”
You can support Link Age Southwark by donating to their Big Give Christmas Challenge beginning on #GivingTuesday, between midday on 1 December to midday on 8 December. During the campaign, donations to the charity will be generously matched by individual sponsors and their Big Give Champion, The Julia and Hans Rausing Trust, meaning the value of your donation will be doubled.
How can you get involved?
- Visit Link Age Southwark’s campaign page: https://donate.thebiggive.org.uk/campaign/LAS and make a donation from 12pm on 1 December (#GivingTuesday). The campaign will close at 12pm on Tuesday 8th December.
- If you are unable to donate at this time but still want to support Link Age Southwark’s Christmas Challenge, you can do so by telling your friends, family and colleagues or sharing the campaign on social media.