Elderly people invited to join friendship clubs

A charity helping to beat loneliness said it was looking for more elderly people to join its friendship clubs.

About 25 people attend the twice-weekly Young at Heart sessions in Peterborough, but volunteers have invited more to come along.

The clubs, run by The Salvation Army in Millfield, offer craft activities, quizzes and a chance for conversation.

Community centre manager Rachel Dockerill said the sessions were vital in giving people "a chance to get out of their houses".

People in the area have been offered a minibus service to get to the venue.

Ms Dockerill said it was bucking a national trend of charities being too oversubscribed to help.

Instead, she insisted it had capacity for more people to join.

She said: "It gives the older people a chance to come out of their house and meet people and they really enjoy it.

"We make sure everyone who comes here is well looked after and has a good time - but we would like to have more people."

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