Ditch the January blues

Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin has teamed up with Marks & Spencer in Shrewsbury to host a Great Get Together in the New Year as part of a campaign to help tackle loneliness.

We estimate that about 10,000 older people in Shropshire ‘feel deeply lonely’ and with a combination of the winter season, Christmas and New Year, emotions for some can be at an all-time low.

With this in mind, Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin are inviting older people to attend the next Great Get Together on Wednesday 9 January 2019 from 3.00-5.00pm in the café, at the M&S store on Castle Street.

The M&S staff in the café will be on hand to offer free refills of tea and coffee plus free biscuits. Anyone is welcome to come to the event and can drop in anytime from 3.00-5.00pm. It will be a good opportunity to socialise with friends and to meet new people from the local area.

Rachel Williams, M&S Manager for Shrewsbury, said: ‘We are delighted to be hosting another Great Get Together for older people in Shrewsbury. Our café is always a good place for meeting friends in a warm and friendly environment and is a great way to encourage socialising within our community. We’re really looking forward to seeing some of our regular customers at the Great Get Together, as well as some new faces.’

Heather Osborne, Chief Executive of Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, said: ‘Sadly, feeling lonely and isolated is all too often something that many older people experience. The Great Get Together is a fantastic way to celebrate our wonderful neighbourhoods and communities, bringing people together so they can create new links and friendships.’

We're keen to expand our Great Get Together events across Shropshire and we'd love local cafés to join in and host their own events for older people in their area, so if you'd like to find out more about the event or how to host your own Great Get Together, please call us on 01743 233 123.