Seniors

SENIORS 

A warm welcome to everyone

ILKESTON

Buddies

Buddies is our weekly friendship group which meets every Wednesday morning. There are 65 people on our register. We enjoy refreshments and a good natter plus delicious cakes to celebrate birthdays! Occasionally we invite outside agencies to come and give help and advice to our seniors. A large proportion of our group live on their own and so this, and other meeting places, are essential for their wellbeing. People who initially came on their own have made some good friends and they meet up outside of Buddies. Most of the people who come would say that Buddies is a highlight of their week, they feel loved, cared for and that they belong to a very special friendship group.

Seniors Events

Twice a year we hold our Seniors Lunches, one in summer and then our Christmas Party in December. We host around 100 people and enjoy food, fun and friendship. We enjoy various forms of entertainment including sing-a-longs, dancing, quizzes and games…our Christmas party always concludes with our own lively rendition of The 12 Days of Christmas!

Home Visits

We are in the very early stages of developing a team who visit seniors in their homes (most of whom are housebound). Unfortunately there is a growing epidemic of loneliness, particularly among seniors and we are hoping to grow our team to help address this need in our local area.

MANSFIELD

We host a seniors friendship afternoon as part of Arena Church’s Serve Day activities. We enjoy food and friendship…and a game of pool!

Throughout the year we hold services for our seniors. These include Easter, Harvest Festival and our Carol Service. We include traditional hymns, prayers, readings and an inspiring word. Our services are followed by a complimentary tea. Seniors from our community enjoy meeting together and we have an average attendance of 25.

TESTIMONIALS

  • Buddies is truly a Godsend to seniors in the local community. I have been a widower for 12 years and my loneliness worsened when Covid came along. When the Covid restrictions were lifted, I decided that I needed to get out and find a social group to attend and hopefully meet new friends. This was over 2 years ago when I found the Buddies group in the Arena Church and I have attended every week since then. Many of those attending would be sitting alone and miserable at home, like I was, if they did not get the opportunity that Buddies offer to get out and meet old and new friends for a laugh and a chat every week. We all appreciate the lovely ladies who not only look after us every week with tea and biscuits but also arrange some special seniors events during the year where a lunch or afternoon tea are provided. It's a BIG THANK YOU to Arena and staff for providing us with the Buddies group."

    George Dixon, Buddies attendee

  • Six years ago I saw a leaflet advertising a drop in coffee morning at (Buddies) Arena Church. A little anxious, I popped my head in and was greeted by "Hello, have you come to join us?" It was a lovely lady named Sue from the Arena Church. Buddies has given me massive support in my darkest days after losing my daughter in 2023 to cancer and more recently the passing of my sister. During the Covid pandemic, Buddies really was a lifesaver for so many already experiencing loneliness and isolation. We were able to meet as a support group. I facilitate a peer support group for local people through Rethink Mental Health. The majority of the members are elderly who have been referred via GPs or mental health services. I am pleased to say that many of this group now attend Buddies and to quote one 83 year old gentleman "I've got my mojo back!" Buddies has made a huge impact on people's wellbeing, not only receiving the support from Christine and the wonderful team but also people giving back to the community and each other by fundraising for the charities and food bank. The feedback I get from everyone is they feel motivated to come to Buddies where they feel safe and able to share their feelings and worries. On a lighter note, the senior events and social gatherings are so much fun and we are all truly spoiled. Long may Buddies continue!"

    Sandra Kimbley, Buddies attendee