A CHARITY which delivers free monthly tea parties to lonely people in Somerset needs more helpers in the Burnham-on-Sea area.

Re-Engage already runs four groups around the town, providing monthly Sunday events for more than 30 local residents who live alone, with a team of 20 volunteers who host those events or work as drivers to collect and deliver guests to those events.

The team now needs more hosts and drivers to enable them to reach out to more lonely people.

Paula Protheroe, group organiser for the Burnham-on-Sea area, said:  “We have rapidly expanded to running four groups, but there is a strong need for us to expand even further. 

"We can only do this by recruiting more hosts and more drivers. 

"Volunteers get to give back to their community whilst enjoying hearing about our guests’ interesting lives and enjoying an afternoon tea.

“We need to expand our operations to reach even more of the local elderly people who live alone and lack social contact, and we can only do that by recruiting more hosts and drivers."

Anyone interested in hosting an event or becoming a volunteer driver can contact Paula Prothderoe by ‘phone (01278-773839) or by email: paula.reengagevolunteer@gmail.com

Those hoping to become tea party hosts need to be able to accommodate up to eight people and provide an afternoon tea (sandwiches, cake, and tea) or a cooked meal. 

The ideal candidates' homes should have easy access and a downstairs toilet.

Drivers, who will have to undergo a DRB check, will collect and deliver their guests to the hosts’ events.

“We know that there are many more lonely people in this area who would benefit from a monthly get-together, but we can only meet that need if we can recruit more hosts and drivers," Mrs Protheroe said.