It’s been an incredible end to the year for all of us at Re-engage, with one of our wonderful tea party guests, Gladys, who’ll turn 108 on Christmas Day, finally getting the spotlight she deserves as part of our 1 Million Minutes campaign with Good Morning Britain. Our Big Give fundraising campaign has raised a staggering £126,299 which will mean we can continue to make life-changing connections for thousands more lonely older people in 2025 and beyond.
While many of us look forward to the next few weeks of festivities, we recognise this time of year can be incredibly challenging. We wanted to say an enormous thank you for all you do, and we hope you can take some time to celebrate the incredible contributions you make to tackling loneliness and isolation.
We’ve also had an early Christmas present in the shape of your Marsh Awards nominations – more on that below! We’ve laughed and shed a tear or two while taking a moment to reflect on the outstanding dedication of our volunteers. It’s left us all feeling energised and excited for another year ahead, when we’ll be working hard to improve the support we offer our fantastic volunteers.
Thank you sincerely for the phone calls made, the cuppas poured, the sandwiches buttered, the miles driven, the calendars organised - the many moving parts that make Re-engage what it is. I wish you a happy festive season and am looking forward to seeing what we can achieve together in 2025!
If you'd like to get in touch at any time, please email us at knowledge@reengage.org.uk
With very best wishes,
Emily Mangroves
head of service delivery and volunteering
We are delighted to announce the winners of our Marsh Awards 2024, just some of the volunteers who go above and beyond to help bring a little sparkle into the lives of older people living with loneliness. It’s been an absolute pleasure to receive so many nominations, and we hope you enjoy reading their stories as much as we have.
We need your vote! Our animation featuring Peter and his quest for companionship is a nominee in this year's Smiley Charity Film Awards. Please watch, vote and share with your friends, family and colleagues. Every vote will bring us a step closer to the next stage.
Our hearts are full of festive joy thanks to the pupils and staff at Parkfield School in Taunton, Somerset, for recording their beautiful original song to raise funds to help reduce loneliness in later life.
Missed the last post before Christmas or keen to save on stamps? Why not send a Re-engage festive e-card instead? Through Don’t Send Me A Card, you can now send a Re-engage themed e-card and donate to help tackle loneliness among older people.
We’ve once again run our Christmas Call Companion campaign to connect older people with a friendly volunteer for regular calls during December. We're delighted that more than 200 new matches were made, our biggest number yet, meaning more older people will enjoy companionship during what can be a very lonely time of year.
We ask older people what Re-engage means to them. Each month, we share some feedback so you can see the impact your time, energy, and generosity have on older people’s lives all year round.
