Calling Companions

Thanks to players of People's Postcode Lottery, Re-engage Call Companions are making friends with older people who have been home alone during the Coronavirus crisis.

"There I was - stuck indoors, bored. The television was depressing and knitting and sewing were difficult because my concentration was terrible."

These are the words of 80-year-old Pringle, describing her evenings at the height of the lockdown. The widow, who lives alone in rural Scotland, is just one of many of her generation who has found the past few months lonelier than ever.

Player-supported charity Re-engage has been supporting older people for 50 years. Its social gatherings, which normally took place on Sundays across the UK, were a wonderful way of bringing this age group together, establishing bonds of friendship.

Of course, lockdown in March forced the charity to put these much-loved events on hold. However, with help from our players, it was able to quickly set up Call Companions, a telephone befriending service supporting older people with regular phone calls.

Pringle is just one of thousands now receiving these calls. She said, "Although I'm 80, I'm very sprightly and sociable. My husband died two years ago and there's been a big hole in my life ever since. My family were phoning during the lockdown, but we only spoke every few days because there was nothing to say!"

Shared Interests

What's unique about Call Companions is that, where possible, Re-engage pairs up people based on their interests. 

For Pringle, a lively, intelligent woman with a passion for archaeology and geology, Re-engage found her young archaeologist Craig to chat to, also from Scotland.

"I just hit it off with Craig from the start." Pringle said. "We share ideas and our conversations about art and archaeology give me something new to pass on to my family and friends. And it's reciprocal - Craig tells his mother all about me."

Craig was on furlough from his job when he signed up and was also finding the lockdown unsettling. He said, "I was feeling the need to help out in my own small way while I was stuck at home. It felt like a pleasure to get to know someone else at a time when making new friends was a real challenge."

Now back at work, the pair continue to speak once a week. "The experience has been brilliant." Craig said_. "I've really enjoyed the chats and the extra bit of company has been a real plus. We have a lot of shared interests so it's always interesting."_

Pringle agreed, "Call Companions has been excellent. If you get a good match, you're never stuck for things to say. Craig and I have a new friendship out of it."

Good Causes Benefit

If the work of charities like Re-engage inspires you, why not check out some of the other superb causes supported by our players?