A CHARITY which helps tackle loneliness among over-75s is trying to set up a group in Port Glasgow.

Contact the Elderly need volunteers for their free service which involves small groups of volunteer drivers taking elderly people to a host’s home for tea one Sunday a month.

The group is warmly welcomed by a different host each month, but the drivers remain the same which means that over the months and years, acquaintances turn into friends and loneliness is replaced by companionship.

Contact the Elderly is a national organisation which aims to relieve the acute loneliness and isolation of people over the age of 75. It has been operating in Scotland for since 1971.

Margaret Oliver, West of Scotland development officer, said: “While for some, living alone is a lifestyle choice and one they very much enjoy, for others, it can sometimes lead to feelings of social isolation and loneliness, especially as people grow older, mobility and health decline and social circles narrow.

There are 20 groups in the West of Scotland and new ones have recently been developed  in south west Glasgow and South Lanarkshire.

As well as looking for volunteers, Contact the Elderly is also keen to identify older, isolated people who need its service. Margaret can be contacted on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Contact the Elderly