A charity that supports older adults across Renfrewshire is looking ahead to brighter days in 2022.
Staff at Roar – Connections for Life work tirelessly to tackle loneliness, isolation and personal care among older adults.
They welcomed Provost Lorraine Cameron to their Glasgow Road offices to chat over the vital work done during lockdown and how they’re looking forward to opening back up in 2022.
The charity’s CEO Cassie Forbes said: “It was lovely to welcome the provost to our offices.
“She hadn’t visited before so we gave her a full overview of our services and a tour of the building.
“We spoke in particular about our befriending service as demand for that has become significant. A lot more people are home now and more isolated.
“It was a lovely visit. We went over what we do already and what we hope to do in the future.
“We’ve had a big change in our staff so we’re going ahead with virtually a new team.”
Cassie said they’re planning to restart eight of Roar’s health and well-being clubs in the week beginning January 31.
They are the lunch clubs in Ralston, Linwood and Johnstone/Elderslie; the Men’s Club in Paisley’s west end, the craft club, which is also in the West End Community Centre, and the Otago movement classes in St Mary’s Church, Paisley, North Church in Renfrew and the West End in Paisley.
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Cassie said: “We’re only able to offer half capacity unfortunately so we do have waiting lists for all the groups.
“We hope to start reopening more clubs, particularly in the villages, during the year. We’ve agreed with Renfrewshire Council to run at least 15.
"We're also planning to issue wellbeing boxes to those on our waiting lists and start digital training classes.”
Pre-pandemic, the service reached 1,000 older adults every week through its popular lunch clubs, befriending services, foot care and other activity groups.
Their work has continued throughout various lockdowns with volunteers and staff working tirelessly to reach older adults and keep them connected, either through telephone befriending, collecting shopping and prescriptions, video calls, an Amaryllis growing project, the I Am Me Christmas project and Colour in January books.
Provost Cameron said: “I had a lovely visit with Cassie and Cara from ROAR, and heard all about their exciting plans for the future development of the service.
“If there’s anything the last couple of years have taught us, it is the importance of having people around us for love and support, and this especially applies to older adults who may be isolated or lonely.
“I am very grateful that we have this service operating in our communities.”
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