This week we held our very first regular Wednesday morning social club for over 50’s in the Eric Morecambe suite and were delighted to welcome over a dozen new members along who all enjoyed a cup of tea and a special behind the scenes stadium tour with Hatters life vice president John Buttle followed by a big screen showing of the legend himself, Eric Morcambe, in various clips from his Morcambe & Wise TV specials. We also welcomed representatives from Age Concern and the NHS who all joined in the fun.
The weekly social club which is aimed at the over 50’s will offer a variety of activities to engage with lonely and maybe vulnerable members of our local community and will run from 10.00 am for two hours each Wednesday with activities which will be dependent upon the wishes of those attending, but with plans for film-shows, talks, bingo, quizzes and indoor bowls already in place.
Loneliness affects a lot of people – there are over 7 million single households in the UK and it can have a bit of a stigma attached to it but in all honesty can suddenly happen through a basic change in personal circumstance and not just through the obvious ones such as bereavement , job loss, retirement or family moving away. It’s the simple things like being afraid of going out in case you are caught short because there are no more public loos or you lose the confidence to drive or your local library or pub has shut.
So loneliness can be both emotional and/or social and of course can be felt by people of all ages but as we get older the risk factors that might lead to loneliness begin to increase and with it come all of the physical health and mental health issues that are overwhelming our Doctors surgeries and hospitals. The statistics are not great and we hope our weekly get together can play a small part in the solution in Luton.
No one wants to grow old and no one wants to be lonely. We hope that every Wednesday morning our over 50’s have a reason not to be. So we are really encouraging everyone to come along if you want a bit of company or maybe bring along your elderly relative or neighbour for the first time to overcome any shyness or nerves. We are sure after their first visit they will want to visit the Kenny every week whether they are a football fan or not, male or female, as lots of the activities we plan will have nothing to do with football.
please contact the Hatters Community Trust office on 01582 737568 or email activities for our membersAnyone over 50 can simply turn up on the day. For further information on upcoming activities at the social club, to volunteer to help out on Wednesday mornings or if you are a local business who would like to organise community@lutontown.co.uk.