Contact the Elderly afternoon tea
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The conversations shared during an afternoon with Contact the Elderly was an inspiring and humbling experience - reminding me that the older we get, the richer and deeper our stories become. They were recounted with an aliveness, immediacy and naturalness that is not something that can be taught, only lived. |
Contact the Elderly is a non-profit organisation that matches elderly people who live alone with volunteers who host them for afternoon tea one Sunday a month. At Home in Scotland: Stories of Place hosted several local Edinburgh Contact the Elderly groups for an afternoon tea storytelling session at the University of Edinburgh on Sunday, June 15th 2014.
Contact the Elderly guests and volunteers from across Edinburgh attended the event, and was organised by At Home in Scotland in association with Anne Grindley (Edinburgh Area Organiser, Contact the Elderly). The afternoon tea brought Contact the Elderly guests and volunteers together with postgraduate and early career researchers from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to share stories, tea and cake in Teviot Row House. As can be seen from the photos, the afternoon was replete with chat and laughter, as guests and researchers swapped tales and anecdotes, and discussed shared interests in photography, history, computing, and literature.
As it is a Contact the Elderly tradition to celebrate any guest's birthday, that takes place during that month, at the afternoon tea, Ann Grindley was surprised with a birthday cake baked by organiser Alison Garden, and was regaled with a resounding rendition of 'Happy Birthday!' Anne was absolutely central in organising this special collaboration, which, it is is hoped, will lead to the establishment of a long-term relationship between the organisation and the university. Both guests and researchers commented on their enjoyment of the afternoon, which had passed very quickly, and many hope to nurture the blossoming friendships through future afternoon teas and other endeavours.
Contact the Elderly guests and volunteers from across Edinburgh attended the event, and was organised by At Home in Scotland in association with Anne Grindley (Edinburgh Area Organiser, Contact the Elderly). The afternoon tea brought Contact the Elderly guests and volunteers together with postgraduate and early career researchers from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences to share stories, tea and cake in Teviot Row House. As can be seen from the photos, the afternoon was replete with chat and laughter, as guests and researchers swapped tales and anecdotes, and discussed shared interests in photography, history, computing, and literature.
As it is a Contact the Elderly tradition to celebrate any guest's birthday, that takes place during that month, at the afternoon tea, Ann Grindley was surprised with a birthday cake baked by organiser Alison Garden, and was regaled with a resounding rendition of 'Happy Birthday!' Anne was absolutely central in organising this special collaboration, which, it is is hoped, will lead to the establishment of a long-term relationship between the organisation and the university. Both guests and researchers commented on their enjoyment of the afternoon, which had passed very quickly, and many hope to nurture the blossoming friendships through future afternoon teas and other endeavours.
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Enjoyed everything - meeting other people who listened to me blether & were interested in me. Met extremely nice University young people. Enjoyed the chat. Delicious tea. Jolly good chat. |
Also in attendance was Melanie Smith (Widening Participation Officer, University of Edinburgh) who said, "Loveliest afternoon I’ve
spent in a long time chatting away with new friends and lots of home baking! It
was such fun talking about our shared love of old Hollywood films, stars, and
glamour. Such a privilege to be able to listen to the reminiscences and fascinating lives of these wise and sparky souls. Looking forward to my next afternoon tea." Although the At Home in Scotland's project is necessarily a limited one, it is hoped that it has demonstrated the mutual benefits entailed in community and public engagement, and that it has contributed to the development of new collaborations and relationships between the local community and researchers within the University of Edinburgh.
If you are interested in supporting Contact the Elderly's important work, please visit their website.
If you are interested in supporting Contact the Elderly's important work, please visit their website.
