Inverness firm Macleod and MacCallum is top company Contact the Elderly
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Contact the Elderly guests were celebrating in style at after bagging a community grant.
Two of the charity’s Inverness groups enjoyed a sumptuous afternoon tea at the city’s Palace Hotel thanks to local legal practice Macleod and MacCallum’s big mac award.
The legal team’s annual community grant scheme supports communities across the Highlands and Islands by awarding five mini mac grants and one mighty mac. Contact the Elderly beat off competition from hundreds of applicants to win the £1200 big one.
Now the charity is using the windfall to organise joint events for its Inverness groups and to thank the volunteers without whom the charity would not be able to carry out its mission to ease loneliness among the older generation.
Every Sunday afternoon its volunteers organise scores of tea parties up and down the country. The aim is to tackle social isolation through small, informal gatherings over a cup of tea and cake.
They are usually held in a local host’s home but this time the award funded the first of a series of special events that saw guests and volunteers get together for afternoon tea in a luxury hotel.
They were joined by Macleod and MacCallum’s director Jenna Thomson and associate and head of its private client department Scott Dallas. Also in attendance were members of Inverness’s Cycling Without Age scheme which treated guests to trishaw rides.
Caroline Peter, Contact the Elderly support officer for the Highlands, said: “What a fantastic afternoon everyone had. Getting the opportunity to get out and do something completely different is a huge boost to our guests, who often spend a lot of time alone. We are thrilled that MacLeod and MacCallum chose to support us so generously and have exciting plans for our other Inverness groups with the rest of the funds.
“We’re determined to help even more older people in the Inverness community but we are struggling to recruit the volunteers who are so vital to our work.
“This sort of event illustrates just how far a little kindness can go when it comes to tackling social isolation and I’m urgently appealing for new volunteers to come forward.”
The charity would love to hear from any potential tea party hosts, group co-ordinators and volunteer drivers. Hosts are only asked to entertain a small group of guests two or three times a year. Drivers, who chauffeur the same group of guests to and from the gatherings, are required one afternoon a month.
It is also looking for volunteer co-ordinators, the people who really help to bring all the parts of this simple idea together by linking up drivers with guests and hosts each month.
“It’s a really great way of volunteering that does not entail a huge commitment,” Caroline added. “And you’ll feel great on Monday morning by doing something amazing on Sunday, helping to make it happen for older people in your community.”
To volunteer for Contact the Elderly, call 01561 405011 or caroline.peter@contact-the-elderly.org.uk
See today's Courier for more photos.
