I’m Frank and I’m 90 years old. I find getting old really sad – one day you have a fulfilled life and gradually your world gets smaller and smaller, so do the people in it. So you feel unconfident, little tasks become big tasks. The things you used to do like read, take part in your hobbies become hard to do. I lost my wife some years ago. My children do not live local and due to my age, deteriorating health and Covid, I really don’t go out anymore. I have a lady who phones me on a Sunday but its company I would really like. The idea of getting out a bit more sounds good but in reality, I have to get taxi’s, I find it quite stressful and where would I go? I joined the Volunteering Plus befriending programme as I was just happy to talk to someone, if they could help that was even better. It’s the company that I really want and the volunteer coordinator mentioned that this is what can happen. I wanted to have something to look forward to, fill my day a bit more, and making a new friend would be good. When we first met I was told that there would be someone who would phone me to begin with. This was due to no one being local enough to visit. It wasn’t perfect but it was better than nothing. The very next day the project worker phoned me to say that there was a lovely lunch group only 10 mins away that they had visited and would be good for me. At first I said no thanks as I said transport is a hassle, but they explained that I would be accompanied there the first time and if I liked it transport would be arranged by the lunch club. The gentleman that they had in mind to befriend me would also be going, so I could meet him face to face which is better for me. Apparently other veterans attend and in time I could take my photography to show people. I felt really chuffed that I would be going out, and had something to look forward to. I now know two more people than I did a few days ago and I’m looking forward to next week. At the moment its better than what I thought it would be, I didn’t think that I would be going out and its really kind that I will be taken there, so I’m not worried about anything.
I felt really chuffed that I would be going out, and had something to look forward to.
Frank
