A care home on the Isle of Wight recently shared this beautiful story of the life-changing impact on one of their residents thanks to our volunteer befriender:

"Mary had been living with her son and daughter in law, but after a time it became clear that she needed more care and she moved to our care home. After Mary moved here, her son became very ill and passed away, and her other sons live on the mainland and are not able to visit.  Mary was spending more and more time in her room and did not want to engage with the other residents so we felt she was become increasingly isolated.

When Sally started visiting, the change in Mary was amazing. If you happened to go upstairs when Sally was here you would hear shrieks of laughter coming from Mary's room and they would chat away for ages.  It has been lovely to see their friendship develop and it has made a huge difference to the quality of Mary’s life. I think everyone should have a Sally in their life.

Embracing Age has been so supportive to our care home. The majority of our residents have dementia and the wonderful craft ladies have made little creatures to hang on walking frames so that we can easily identify whose is whose. They also made some lovely little bags to pop over the handles so that our residents can put tissues, spectacles and bits and bobs in. 

Sadly we do have residents that for whatever reason have no visits or little contact with their families and the cards of kindness have been a lovely treat to have.  All in all,  Embracing Age has been wonderful and special thanks to Rebecca for her continued support and understanding."

​Get involved and follow our work

We are always in need of volunteers to meet the demand of referrals from care homes for befriending, regular cards and our other initiatives. Our volunteers receive full training and support, and there are a wide range of ways you can make a difference with whatever time or skills you can offer. Please use the button below to see full details of all our volunteer opportunities.

A safe place for chatting and praying
As believers in Christ, we are family – and run Carers Connected with this ethos. During our online gatherings, we support each other in our caring roles, encourage one another in our Christian faith, and bring our concerns to God in prayer.

“For where two or three gather in my name (NB in real life or online), there am I with them”, Matthew 18 v 20.

To illustrate this, a number of our carers have been sharing their own thoughts on how Carers Connected helps them personally.

Sue, from Middlesex, looks after her husband who has mobility problems, and describes how she first came across Carers Connected. “I was sitting on the bed feeling desperate and cried out to God to help me find a Christian Zoom carers’ group,” she says. “It had to be Zoom as I am restricted in how long I can stay out because of my husband.”

After stumbling across the Embracing Age website, Sue then found our Zoom carers group. “I’ve been with the group for about 16 months now and am very grateful to God for that answered prayer.”

Many carers are extremely restricted in what they can do, so attending church, going to a home group or joining in with church events can become a luxury. Carolyn, from Sheffield, explains: “Because Carers Connected is online, it means I get the stimulation of some company, but don't feel I am abandoning my husband, and can still be on hand to help if needed.”

Caroline, from Kent, looks after her mother who has dementia and is now in a nursing home. Carers Connected has played a significant role in her life and became her lifeline. “It’s been my main source of support,” she says. “At one time I didn’t think I could cope any longer and felt like I was having a complete breakdown. But our group gave me so much love, care, support, prayers and understanding.”

Honesty and understanding are vital so that carers can be open and real about their feelings - and our Zoom meetings help facilitate this. Barbara, from Nottingham, whose husband has Multiple Sclerosis (MS), is particularly appreciative of the support the group provides. “I can get things off my chest to do with my caring role on the Zoom meetings and the other people on the Zoom meetings will understand,” she says.

Like Barbara, Carolyn values the genuine understanding and empathy that our group brings. “I find the group so helpful and supportive; only other carers can really understand the restrictions to our lives which gradually grow when someone close to us needs more care,” she says.

“They understand the frustrations of having to say "No" to kind invitations out; the tedious nature of repeated conversations with someone whose world has shrunk; and the endless waits for medical appointments which never bring the hoped for answers.”

She adds that, as fellow Christians, our carers offer support, encouragement and prayer from their own experience. “I can pray for them, feeling that I can offer some support in return.”

Praying for one another is a high priority at every session – this is greatly valued by Laura, who cares for her adult daughter in Buckinghamshire. “It means so much to me knowing I can join the group calls and feel the love of God through the prayers of fellow carers,” she says.

Sue echoes this, highlighting that the group is made up of people from all over the country who understand her problems better than some of her own family members and friends. “To pray for each other as we do is so important, to have that support is really a blessing.”

A precious moment for reflection
At our gatherings we spend a little time focussing on a poem or song, usually with a Christian message to encourage carers in their faith and trust in God. Caroline recalls several specific songs and poems from Carers Connected gatherings which have spoken to her, “To be honest the poems and songs each week minister to me. They are always right for that particular week with whatever is happening at the time.”

Carolyn backs this up, commenting: “The poems or songs we share are from an insider view, describing weariness, isolation and despair. They gently remind us of the encompassing arms of a Heavenly Father who knows, sees and understands all our troubles.”

A weekly email for encouragement and to maintain contact
To help our carers feel connected, we include the songs and poems in a Weekly Message that we send out, together with other news or updates. This keeps carers ‘in touch with us and each other,’ and provides encouragement, even if they are not able to join us on Zoom. A special mention to Diana, from Norfolk, who sent us the following appreciative message: “Thank you for keeping in touch with me. It has meant a lot in the times when I have been too tired to reply.”

On many occasions carers offer each other practical advice or ideas on how to cope with the different challenges they’re facing. Niki, who is responsible for the care of both her parents, says, “It’s been essential having the support of the group to check out my thoughts such as, ‘am I right to do x or y?’, or ‘should I keep going with this?’

She adds: “Just hearing from others who care about the outcomes is really affirming.”

How to get involved in Carers Connected
Like everyone, carers need encouragement, love and support from others in the church family. Sadly, we know from the State of Caring ‘23 survey (Carers UK) that very few carers of faith receive any support from their faith organisation or place of worship, which is why Carers Connected is so important.

“Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” (Galatians 6 v10)

With June being the month for both Carers’ Week and Loneliness Awareness Week, what better time to tell others about all that we offer. So if you know a carer who may be struggling at home with their caring responsibilities, or may feel lonely and isolated from church friends, please introduce them to Carers Connected.

Would you like to get involved as a volunteer host? Our zoom gatherings are very special, and it is a privilege to be part of the host team and to serve God in this way and offer carers more options of days and times to suit their caring schedule. You can find details of what the role involves via the button below, or contact Sarah Smith to discuss.

For details more details about Carers Connected, please contact Sarah Smith on 07964 89547 or via email at carers@embracingage.org.uk, or visit https://www.embracingage.org.uk/for-carers.html

A special thank you to all the carers who gave their time and insight for this article, and to all our volunteer hosts who support Sarah in making the weekly sessions possible.

 "Read More" below for the full article to see the positive impact we’ve made together and the exciting initiatives still to come ...

Faith in action: Church support for care home residents

It’s been great linking up with local churches to support existing pastoral connections with their local care homes, and to help create new church and care home links. It’s a joy to see these homes and residents supported by churches for services and pastoral visits, and the end of life support they provide to residents, families and care staff is greatly appreciated. We are also very grateful to Hampshire churches who have chosen to support us financially through their tithe giving and donations raised by church groups at breakfast meetings, social events and more.

We’ve hosted two conferences for churches in Hampshire, focused on equipping church leaders and pastoral teams to serve older people, including training on coming alongside people living with dementia. The conferences also aimed to establish ways for us to collaborate and support each other in these ministries.

​There is a huge need for befrienders and craft volunteers to meet referrals for residents with no regular outside connections, and we would love to partner with more churches to support these residents, for example if someone in your church could take in cards made by the local community, or befriend a resident, especially if they are going into the home anyway. Please do contact Zoe to discuss how your church could get involved; she would be happy to arrange to visit your church to talk about our vision and our projects. 

Pictures for Joy: Where local memories meet community connections

A collaboration with a school enabled us to give beautiful photo books to several care homes in their area. The pupils took photos or produced artwork of a favourite local place and wrote about what it means to them. The images and words were then compiled into a book on the theme of “Love where you live” and gifted at Christmas for residents to enjoy. One care home said the book was a “perfect way to reminisce about the local area”. Another played lots of memory games using their book and said it was so nice seeing the residents living with dementia engaging with these games too. 

Looking ahead, we are planning to extend our Pictures of Joy project to produce more photo books and have started to connect with photographers and artists to gather images for these. We are also exploring how we can use music as a way of connecting the community, and especially children, with care home residents. ​

Get involved and follow our work

Hampshire has a high number of care home residents with little or no regular outside connection, and we are always in need of volunteers to meet the demand of referrals from care homes for befriending, regular cards and our other initiatives. Our volunteers receive full training and support, and there are a wide range of ways you can make a difference with whatever time or skills you can offer.

Please see our Hampshire webpage for full details of these volunteer opportunities:

• Befrienders
• Cards of Kindness volunteers - make, write or deliver to care homes near you
• Cards of Kindness coordinators (for a particular area or small group of care homes)
• Craft volunteers 
• Pictures of Joy volunteers
• Newsletter and social media volunteers
• Fundraising volunteers

We are also looking for volunteers to help with the following - please contact Zoe to find out more:

• Seasonal support delivering gifts
• School liaison - to coordinate a link between an individual school and their local care home(s)
• Church liaison - to be a link between an individual church and their local care home(s)
• Coordinating the care bags project for an individual care home or small group of care homes
• Setting up our new intergenerational music project

If you’re on Facebook, please follow our page, Embracing Age Hampshire, and share our posts with your family, friends and members of your community to inspire others to get involved. We regularly post updates there about our work, including stories and requests from care homes, and information about our seasonal projects, social craft sessions and volunteering opportunities. 

​You can also stay up to date by signing up to receive our newsletter here.

My volunteering story*

I began volunteering with Embracing Age in August 2023.  Retirement is looming and I wanted to explore other ways of using my time.

I felt quite nervous before my first visit to the care home, although I had already received a warm welcome from the Manager and other staff.  However, the lovely ladies I met on that first morning soon put me at ease.  I continue to visit these residents, and others, spending time with three or four ladies each week.  

I feel I have developed a particular rapport with three of the residents.  On my first visit I met Betty.  She had recently been in hospital and was unable to go home to live on her own.  Betty had been taken away from everything familiar to her, including her home, community and friends.  Her only son lives on the other side of the world.  Understandably she was upset and confused, and had none of her own belongings with her.  On top of this, Betty is very deaf.   On that first visit Betty told me all about her situation, and during our weekly chats I have learnt quite a lot about her life.  She often expresses anger and frustration at her situation, however, she also has a dry sense of humour, and has started to feel comfortable enough with me to tease me!  I think it makes a difference to Betty to know that I listen to her and visit regularly.  I was particularly touched when she told me that my visits give her hope.

Molly is a very interesting lady, and I look forward to chatting with her each week.  She travelled widely and regales me with tales about her adventures in other countries.  She is also a local historian and we have a shared interest in the local area, so we enjoy sharing stories and filling in each other’s blanks. Molly has become a good friend, and is always pleased to see me.  She appears to “prepare” for my visits by thinking up “new” tales to recount!   

My third lovely resident is immobile and sits in her chair dozing and watching television.  She also appears to enjoy my visits, although I’m not sure that she remembers who I am!  We chat about her early life, her family and her dogs.  During most of my visits I give her a hand massage.  I also take in gardening magazines so that we can talk about plants and flowers.

The last four years in my paid employment have proved very challenging, and I feel that I have been unable to contribute to any great extent.  This has caused me to lose confidence and self-esteem.  Volunteering and befriending the residents, and feeling that I can help, has helped me regain confidence.  I have never been particularly talkative, so I have surprised myself by chatting away with my lovely ladies!  I think of them often during the week, and look forward to Thursday mornings.

The care home manager told us that these residents' quality of life has improved and they feel more connected to the community because of this volunteer's visits, adding that she "is a valued volunteer and always very professional and caring. We are happy to have her as part of our team."

If you would like to find out more about becoming a befriending volunteer, do contact one of our area co-ordinators for a friendly chat or find more details on our Get Involved page.

*Names have been changed for anonymity.

Sylvia said, "I'm looking forward to going out to a nearby Costa with family to enjoy our prize voucher. Sometimes my daughter will pick up a takeaway Costa and we will sit by the water at Hamble in the summer."

Their winning score was 120 (out of a possible 165 marks), just 4 points ahead of joint second place teams. 

Thank you to all the individuals and teams who took part in our quiz - together you raised an incredible £550! Your support will enable us to bring companionship to more care home residents this year. 

The quiz answers are now available via the button below. 

​We plan to produce more fundraiser quiz sheets in the coming year so why not sign up to our quarterly newsletter via the button below to hear when they're released!

​Visiting care home residents
We are really grateful to new befrienders who are visiting care home residents weekly and bringing companionship and joy to these residents. They are making such a positive difference.

One resident, who doesn't communicate much, is enjoying her weekly visits. Her volunteer brings gardening magazines and this has sparked lovely conversations about gardens and flowers and lots of reminiscing. The Activities Coordinator told us "we can't believe how chatty she's been, it's great to hear the laughter coming from her room".

Another resident, who has been reluctant to join group activities, has enjoyed sharing her photo albums and talking about her family with a volunteer befriender. The Activities Coordinator says that "Margaret's visits have made a great difference to Jean's well being and she has been feeling more confident to join in and has been in better spirits".

Another volunteer has been spending time with a resident who has just moved into the care home and is finding it hard to adjust to her new surroundings. Mary met her on her first visit and they bonded instantly. The Activities Coordinator says "Mary's presence in the home has really helped Jan settle in and feel at ease".

One of our new volunteer befrienders told us, “Volunteer visiting is so rewarding. Getting to know the residents is a privilege whether through sharing laughter or listening to worries. The volunteer training for residents with dementia has been extremely helpful.”

We would love to be able to welcome more befrienders as we develop links with more care homes and receive referrals for residents who would really benefit from regular visits.

Events - watch this space!
​We have a fundraising Christmas quiz planned. Individuals and groups are invited to purchase a quiz sheet, which will be available from November, and answers need to be submitted by the first week of January. There will be questions for all ages, and we hope families will enjoy taking part together. There will be prizes too!

We are also planning some Christmas shopping, craft, and pamper events in the lead-up to Christmas. More details of the quiz and events will be posted on our Facebook page, "Embracing Age Hampshire," in the coming months so follow that to keep updated, or contact the Hampshire team for more details.

One of the guests commented, "What a lovely happy party!" and a volunteer helper said afterwards, "I really enjoyed it, what a wonderful event. I'm usually in the kitchen but I really enjoyed waitressing." ​

It's always risky thanking people by name for fear of accidentally missing anyone! However, here are a few people we would particularly like to mention: 

• Barbara  & Alan for the use of their beautiful garden and all that it entailed to organise the event.
• Ryde Tesco Extra amazingly donated food to cover all the delicious sandwiches, as well as crisps and salad garnish. 
• A number of Island businesses donated to the generous raffle prizes, which we are so very grateful for in this tough economic climate.
• The star auction lot included a two night stay with breakfast at Haven Hall 5 star hotel in Shanklin generously  donated by owners David & Arielle Barratt.
• Maggie Molyneux, one of the volunteers on our fundraising team baked and donated the cakes and scones, which were delicious.
• Kimberley Jennings donated the use of her beautiful china trios, milk jugs and sugar bowls collection, and Claire Leah donated the use of her beautiful tiered cake stands from her business  Claireskitcheniow.co.uk, all of which made the event look gorgeous.
• True Vine Church and Youth For Christ Team and helpers for lending and erecting the marquee which saved the event from being cancelled due to rain.
• Everyone that volunteered both up to the event, during and afterwards - especially our volunteers who gracefully delivered the tiered cake stands in the rain! You are amazing and we could not have pulled off the event without all of you.

This event could not have happened without the generosity of all those that came together to make it a wonderful event with a very generous amount of money raised for island care home residents. Thank you to everyone that contributed through donating time, skills, use of items such as china and the marquee, gifts for prizes, donations and their attendance at the event. This really is Island community life at its best!

You can find out more about Embracing Age Isle of Wight here. We have lots of different ways to get involved as an individual or an organisation and for a range of time and skills, and we would love to welcome you into the team to bring joy and companionship to more isolated care home residents across the island.   ​