A UK charity is looking to combat loneliness within the elderly by hosting a tea party for people in Ely aged 75 and over.

Contact the Elderly is launching the sessions to provide regular friendship links every month, and is appealing to the public for volunteers to help run the special parties.

The charity aims to relieve the loneliness of isolated older people who live alone, by organising monthly Sunday afternoon tea parties for small groups within local communities. Each older guest is collected from their home by a volunteer driver, and is taken to a volunteer host’s home where they join a small group for tea, chat and companionship.

Contact the Elderly is looking for drivers who are able to collect older guests from their homes and accompany them to the tea party each month. It’s also searching for people to welcome the group into their homes for once or twice a year, and a volunteer co-ordinator to help organise the parties.

Contact the Elderly’s National Development Officer, Hannah John, said: “We’re looking to launch a new group in Ely and to ensure these tea parties are as successful as others held across the UK, we urgently need the support of the local community.

“Anyone who can spare a couple of hours one Sunday a month, has a driving licence, a car and loves drinking tea is eligible! For those interested in becoming a host, it would just involve a couple of hours once or twice a year and the coordinator role only involves a little extra regular commitment each month.

“It’s not a big commitment, and our volunteers genuinely get as much out of the experience as our older guests so I’d encourage anyone interested in giving something back to their community to please get in touch with us as soon as possible.”

Ely residents interested in volunteering for Contact the Elderly can contact Hannah John, National Development Officer on 0207 881 2369 or email Hannah.john@contact-the-elderly.org.uk.