Looking out for the Community with Age UK Reading

As part of their Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) element of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, our Lower Sixth changemakers met CEO of Age UK Reading, Matt Taylor, on Friday 28^th January.

Matt discussed the important work carried out in our local community, before the group penned their own letters and gift wrapped a New Year Treat for members of the local community.

Matt stated “It’s important for everyone in the community to understand how different groups of members within the community work and what their needs are. Sharing information can give younger generations an insight into how they can help.”

“It’s possible to access all sorts of worlds through volunteering. For example, our befriending and our home share programmes put people in touch across the generations and there is so much lived experience that the older people have to offer. They’ve faced problems with relationships, work and they have so much life knowledge. Students can really benefit from that worldly wisdom.”

“Charities can’t run without the support of the community; we wouldn’t, as a charity, have time or the resource to put together gift packs like the students here are today but it is such a good thing to do. Age UK is supporting the group who have been most vulnerable from Covid, who have been isolated and suffered loneliness. We really need to rebuild relationships and get them out and about in 2022.”

Student, Tessa, remarked “In the pandemic older people were especially lonely and some have lost their husbands or wives so they don’t have anyone anymore. This is just a nice thing to do to help them feel a little bit better.”

Tommy said, “It’s good to look out for the community. Older people are not thought about enough so it’s good to give them some attention.” Nikolai added, “It’s nice when you get something unexpected like a box of chocolates that you weren’t expecting: it’s cool.”

Natasha Coccia, Senior Assistant Head: Partnerships and Co-Curricular, commented “This is such an important thing to do because the two groups that have been most strongly affected by the pandemic are children and the elderly. The children have suffered in terms of their education and socially because of school closures and the elderly because they have been the group with the most shielding. We had a relationship with Age UK before the pandemic but all we could do over the last 18 months to two year was to donate. Now restrictions are lifting so we want to promote action and service again and link these two groups back together.”