Fuelling Hope for the Elderly

Very recently I read that Sir Keir Starmer, Rachel Reeves and others were having some of their clothes bought for them. In poor Rachel's case she received about £7500 in the last 12 months because the fundraisers wanted ' make sure that for big events and for the campaign trail, you're smart and well turned out'. In Keir's case he needed new spectacles.

The poverty continues.

Thankfully, according to The Guardian, poor Keir has now received 'gifted clothes total to £32,000' and hopefully will not need any more. Originally this campaign would have helped provide Rachel and Angela and Wes and Keir with more clothes but, after consultation, they will not be accepting any more donations...for the time being.

This means we can redirect to help others who, this winter, will struggle to keep warm, will struggle to even buy second hand clothes, struggle to stay alive. In the 2017 election campaign Labour's analysis said that 4,000 pensioners could die if fuel payments were cut.

It is now 2024.

The forecast for winter 2024/2025 indicates below-average temperatures, especially from December to February. A weakened Polar Vortex, which is a broad zone of low pressure and cold air encircling the Earth’s poles, may intensify these chilly conditions. This weakening allows frigid Arctic air to move southward, heightening the probability of severe cold spells and substantial snowfall across the UK. Additionally, meteorologists highlight the influence of the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO), a variable wind pattern in the stratosphere, which could interact with the Polar Vortex to trigger disruptive weather patterns. With the Polar Vortex and QBO potentially aligning in a manner that often results in colder winters, the UK may experience some of the lowest temperatures seen in recent times.

It therefore seems the 2017 analysis may well have understated the predicted deaths.

That is where this fundraiser comes in.

I am trying to raise £300 many, many, many times over to help the elderly. The funds will go direct to Re-engage as "Re-engage is making life less lonely for thousands of older people every year. Older people tell us that our volunteer-led activities make them happier and more able to trust others." This will help provide some warmth from within. To groups rather than to individuals who would only be able to turn up the heating for a short while. This building of trust and becoming engaged in group activities will reduce loneliness (itself a huge killer) and provide the warmth of friendship and the feeling that older people are 'heard, valued and engaged'. What's more, with Re-engage 'All our services are free to older people.'

I have never worked or volunteered for Re-engage but any charity that offers their services for free and values a group of people who, currently, have lost expected funds that would have been used for heating is, to me, worth supporting. As Angela, who 'accepted clothing donations to the value of £2,230.' (The Independent 22/09/2024) said 'I get that people are angry, I get that people are upset.'

And that is why I am asking for your help for the charity.

Do you want to join me in making a difference? I'm raising money in aid of Re-engage Ltd and every donation will help.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me.

More information about Re-engage Ltd:

Re-engage is the only charity tackling loneliness in people aged 75 and over nationally. This group is often overlooked, despite being at increased risk of loneliness, and more likely to be widowed, live alone or experience poor health.

Your support will help older people remain connected to the outside world, through in-person social groups or telephone befriending, which help to improve wellbeing and reduce isolation.

By donating today, you can let an older person know they’re not forgotten.