Community Connecting
Our statistics have revealed that 218,000 over 50s in Scotland say they feel lonely all or most of the time. As people get older, it can be harder to maintain social connections. Retirement, bereavement or moving somewhere new can leave people feeling lonely and isolated.
Our free service
We tackle loneliness and social isolation by connecting older people to local organisations that offer friendship, social activities, health and fitness groups and events.
Call us on 0800 12 44 222 to have a chat and find out what is available in your area.
If you are part of an organisation and would like us to refer potential members to your group or service, please get in touch with us by emailing: helpline@agescotland.org.uk
Friendship Line
Our friendship line is part of the wider Age Scotland helpline. We're here to listen, provide friendship and offer support.
Having a conversation can have such a positive impact. We can talk about all sorts, from current interests, hobbies, previous professions, top tier biscuits, time travel – the list is endless!
When you need friendship and support, please call 0800 12 44 222 to have a chat or schedule a weekly call with one of our friendly volunteers. It's completely free and lines are open Monday to Friday, 9am - 5pm.
Virtual Activities:
For older people who are able to get online, here are some ideas of activities you can get involved in from the comfort of your own home.
University of the Third Age (U3A)
U3A is a UK - wide movement which brings together people in their ‘third age’ to develop their interests and continue their learning in a friendly and informal environment. It’s all voluntary; a typical U3A will be home to many activity groups covering hundreds of different subjects - from art to zoology and everything in between. They have launched Trust U3A – an online U3A – so that in these times, third agers can still join their community and take part in the many exciting ways to stay connected, active and learning. Yearly membership is £7.50 per year.
More information can be found here: www.u3asites.org.uk/trustu3a/welcome
Open Culture
Open Culture offers free, high quality cultural and educational media that can be accessed whenever and wherever you want it. They have over 1,000 free online courses, movies and audiobooks for you to choose from.
You can also check your local library or local authority's website for more information about accessing eBooks, audiobooks and online library events.
- Learning: www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses
- Films: www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline
- Audiobooks: www.openculture.com/freeaudiobooks
Luminate@Home
Luminate@Home is a programme of online creative activities for older people who are isolated in the current COVID-19 outbreak by our sister charity Luminate.
Short films are uploaded every Tuesday and Friday at 2pm. You will find them on Luminate’s Facebook page and on their YouTube or Vimeo channels. Once they have uploaded them, they will leave them online for you to enjoy when it is convenient. The activities will be presented by professional artists who work regularly with older people in community and care settings, and will feature different arts forms including crafts, poetry, music and dance.
More information can be found here: www.luminatescotland.org/luminateathome
Tours
Fancy a trip to the Taj Mahal, the Pyramid or the Colosseum? Sit back, relax and take a virtual tour exploring national parks, space stations, Disneyland rides, national museums and many more!
- Explore Arts & Culture: www.artsandculture.google.com/project/street-view
- Rollercoaster Views: www.youtube.com/user/TheCoasterViews
- Space Station Tours: www.nasa.gov/nasa-at-home-virtual-tours-and-augmented-reality
IT Help
Abilitynet have a network volunteers who provide free IT support to hundreds of people across the UK, enabling older and disabled people to make full use of their home technology. Their volunteers can provide services remotely, whether that is by telephone or through a trustworthy remote access service called TeamViewer. They can also use other free remote tools such as WhatsApp video call, Skype, FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Facebook Messenger and so on.
For more information, please call 0800 269 545 or email: enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk
The Age Scotland Helpline
Our free 0800 12 44 222 helpline is a free, confidential phone service for older people, their carers and families in Scotland. Lines are open Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm.