NEARLY  800 elderly people in Minehead are struggling with social isolation. 

Contact The Elderly says 796 people are socially isolated in the town, and is calling on residents to help end loneliness.

The charity, which is supported by partners like People’s Postcode Lottery, provides social connections for isolated older people, helping them reconnect with their community. It is supported by a nationwide network of 11,000 volunteers, work with thousands of the most socially isolated older people across the UK.

Research by Age UK has shown that there are 796 isolated older people living in Minehead. AGE UK says this number will go up as the Minehead community, along with much of the UK, ages.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of older people in the UK will rise by over two and a half million by 2026.

As the UK ages, increasing numbers of older people are living alone.

Currently, 3.6 million older people in the UK live alone, with 2 million of these aged 75 or older. 1.9 million older people have said they often feel ignored or invisible, and two fifths of all older people say that the television is their main source of company.

Contact the Elderly says it is committed to reaching as many of these socially isolated older people as possible.

The charity’s Head of Service for Somerset, Katy Szita, said: “We all need to help our older neighbours and ensure that all of them have the opportunity to reconnect with their community. Supported by partners like People’s Postcode Lottery, we want to extend our service in Wakefield to reach as many of these isolated older people as possible.”

Contact the Elderly needs members of the Minehead community to step forward and help the charity reach the thousands of isolated older people.

Pamela Walker added: “To extend our service, we need help. We need the people of Wakefield to step forward and volunteer a bit of their time to help us empower their isolated older neighbours to break out of the cycle of social isolation.”