My friend Stewart Dakers, who has died of cancer aged 86, was best known to Guardian readers as the writer of its Grey Matters column, which ran from 1999 to 2020. Stewart mined his experience of community work with senior citizens to record their reflections on today’s world and shared his belief that older people should continue to engage with politics.
As an active volunteer, Stewart made a real difference in his home town of Farnham, in Surrey. It was more than 40 years ago that he founded the Thursday Club for adults with learning disabilities to combat their isolation. He also volunteered at Brightwells Gostrey Centre for older people, where he often served the Christmas Day lunch, and at youth centres. In 2016 the town awarded him their service to Farnham award in 2016; two years later he received the British Empire Medal.
