We're really looking forward to celebrating all that’s great about volunteers during Volunteers’ Week in June, when we’ll be announcing the winners of this year’s Re-engage Volunteer Awards. There’s still time to make your nominations before the deadline of 5pm Friday 17 May – don’t forget you can nominate as many times as you like.

This is the last edition of Re-engage Matters that I’ll be writing, as I’ll soon be stepping back as head of service delivery to take on a new role with another charity. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to each and every one of you for the passion and dedication you have for reducing social isolation and loneliness for older people. I’ll always look back on my time at Re-engage with fondness.

You will be in good hands after I've moved on, and the team will be here to help with any questions or feedback. To get in touch, please email the Re-engage team at knowledge@reengage.org.uk

With very best wishes, 

Sally  
head of service delivery 

A year in focus

Like many businesses, organisations, and charities, our financial year starts on 1 April and ends on 31 March, so what better time to share some of the highlights from the past year with you?

Final chance to cheer a Re-engage volunteer

Please help us honour the volunteers who make Re-engage extraordinary - nominate a Re-engage volunteer who goes the extra mile to reduce loneliness and social isolation in older people before nominations close tomorrow, Friday 17 May at 5pm. Winners will be announced during Volunteers’ Week, 3-9 June.

Positive change

Last month we announced that 100% of tea party group funds received by Re-engage are now allocated to tea party groups. There's no obligation to raise funds for your tea party group, but if you do, please read our updated tea party group funds FAQs. You can also email the finance team or call 020 7240 0630 if you’ve any questions. 

A driving force

Volunteer drivers provide a safe and friendly way for older guests to attend tea parties and activity groups. Check out our training resources to refresh your knowledge on driving for Re-engage.

A matter of minutes

If you receive free minutes as part of your mobile phone deal, would you consider using them to volunteer as a call companion in partnership with Parkinson’s UK? Right now, there are 35 older people living with or caring for someone with Parkinson’s who’d like a regular chat on the phone with a friendly volunteer. As a Re-engage volunteer you won’t need to do any additional checks, you’ll just need to read through the training on our website, which should take you about 20 minutes. 

Share your story

The most effective way to help us spread the word about the impact of volunteering in reducing loneliness is by sharing your experiences. We'd love to hear about why you became a volunteer, your most memorable moment, and the experiences you've had along the way. Drop our comms team a line today if you'd like to share your story.

The value of volunteering

We regularly ask older people what Re-engage means to them. Each month, we’ll share some feedback so you can see the impact your time, energy, and generosity have on older people’s lives all year round.