Rea Pourawal (Service Captain)

Last Friday Lunchtime, the Service Team hosted a Christmas themed Lunch Club for elderly residents in the local community. The Lunch Club provides an opportunity for elderly residents and Sixth Form students to socialise with each other over a shared lunch.

Christmas can be a difficult time for many people, but especially for the elderly as they may not have support from friends and family, making Christmas the loneliest time of the year for some older people. It is estimated that around 200,000 elderly people will spend the holiday alone this year. This makes the initiative a particularly important part of the Service Team’s work as all Lunch Clubs are a valuable way for us to engage with and support the elderly community in Bedford.

Activities included a quiz, a raffle and Christmas Carols sang by the volunteers, which were thoroughly enjoyed. The guests told us that they enjoy attending the Lunch Club afternoons, as they look forward chatting with the girls and taking part in the activities.