Whether you’re a fundraiser or volunteer, or you support us in another way, I’d like to thank you for helping us to end loneliness for older people across the UK.

We have an exciting time ahead of us as we continue to grow our volunteer-led services to reach even more isolated people aged 75 and older.

We’ll continue to find new and innovative ways to raise the funds needed to support the thousands of older people who rely on our call companions, activity sessions and tea party groups for connections, companionship and vital support.

We’ll listen closely to older people, so we can consider what they need and want from us as a charity, and we can reflect their wishes in the services we offer. But we couldn’t deliver activity groups, tea parties and call companion services without the generosity of the people who support the charity financially.

We’re acutely aware that the current cost of living crisis means people have less money in their pocket to donate to charity. We’re grateful for every single donation we receive, and we'll continue to invest in training more volunteers, increasing the services we offer, and running the charity in the most efficient way possible.

We’re often asked why we focus on people aged 75 and older – and the simple reason is that no other national charity is dedicated to this societal group. The average age of the older people who use our services is 85. By this time in their life, many people’s partners and friends have died, their families may live some distance away from them and often their social circles have diminished. The COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have devastated public services and retail, leaving communities fractured. The world outside an older person’s front door continues to hurtle by, dominated by technology, and it can quickly become a place many no longer recognise, nor feel confident stepping into.

Our services can be a vital lifeline for someone wanting to venture out into the world, or to make connections from the comfort of their own homes. A tea party with peers on a Sunday afternoon is a highlight for many; a chat with a friendly call companion can help an older person develop confidence, know they are valued and feel cared about. An activity session can help support mental and physical well-being through exercise and friendship.

None of this would be possible without our volunteers. During Good Morning Britain’s recent 1 Million Minutes campaign to encourage more people across the UK to pledge time to help others, we received an incredible 1,853 new volunteer applications from people who chose us as their charity to support. I’m always in awe of people who give their time willingly and pour their energy into something for the benefit of others. During my time as chief executive of Victim Support South Wales, I saw how volunteers supported people at the very worst points in their lives. As a charity, we simply wouldn’t have been able to do what we did without this extraordinary group of people. To make it quicker and easier for volunteers to join us, and to encourage more people to get involved, we’ve recently updated our volunteer recruitment process, while making sure our commitment to safeguarding is upheld to the highest standards as the safety of our older people and volunteers is paramount.

And while we encourage more people to get involved with us, I also believe it’s incumbent on volunteers, older people and everyone who works for or with Re-engage to ensure that older people’s voices are at the centre of decisions made about the services available to them, whether that’s locally, regionally, or at a national level.

As a former Liberal Democrat MP, I’m looking forward to helping develop Re-engage's influence so we can work  with partners to reach even more older people living with loneliness and make an even bigger difference.