Food,
friends and festive fun bring Portland’s older residents together.
Thanks
to the generosity of The Lobster Pot, Portland Bill and Bluebird Care, over 80
of Portland’s older residents celebrated Christmas in true festive style this
year.
The
annual event kicked-off with a fantastic three-course lunch, including turkey
with all the trimmings courtesy of The Lobster Pot. The meal was followed by a
musical session of entertainment, with Peter Howell, and a Christmas gift for
each guest. ICA’s community mini-bus, League
of Friends, Weymouth & Portland and a range of volunteer drivers provided
transport.
ICA
Chair, Kim Wilcocks, said, “At a time when many of us are looking forward to
celebrating Christmas with family and friends, millions of others will be feeling
quite the opposite. In fact, according to recent
research by Age UK, with many lonely adults being isolated from their peers and
family due to distance or work commitments over the festive period, 650,000
people over the age of 65 say they expect to feel sad because the time brings
back heartbreaking memories of partners, family and friends that have left them
or passed away.
ICA’s
Senior’s Christmas Lunch provides a real opportunity for us to help alleviate
at least some of these feelings of loneliness and isolation, if only for a few
hours. Of course, it’s not a long-term solution, which is why we use the lunch
as an opportunity to let attendees know about the ongoing services that ICA offers
to older people throughout the rest of the year, including a range of befriending
and social activities.
For
all these reasons, we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who
supported the lunch, either financially or by volunteering on the day. Their commitment
and support made it all possible.”
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