Link Age Southwark is a vibrant local volunteer charity that has been supporting older people in the London Borough of Southwark for 28 years. Our support to older people includes volunteer befriending, group activities and practical help around the home and garden. These services reduce isolation and loneliness, improve older people's quality of life - their physical and mental health - and enable older people to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible.

After the huge success of our Bloomin' Lovely project last year, which raised over £6,500, we want to expand our gardening service in an extra special way once again this summer, to show that we care about our older friends. As well as showing your support by donating, you can leave a message with your donation and we will do our best to include this with our flowery gifts.

Help us add colour and charm to the lives of older people

Around this time last year we decided to expand our gardening service for older people, which involves a team of our volunteer gardeners carrying out light gardening and general maintenance. We launched our first Bloomin' Lovely crowdfunding project, delivering plants and flowers to our service users across Southwark, to bring a bit of colour back into their lives and show them that the local community hadn't forgotten them.

We were overwhelmed by the positive response from our service users and the project was gratefully received. Gladys, one of our service users, got in touch to say:

This year, we'd like to continue to bring colour and charm into older people's lives by running our Bloomin' Lovely project once again. We know there are still a number of our service users who have expressed that they are nervous about restrictions being lifted, and may still be shielding, self-isolating or worried about going out. Over the next few weeks, we'd like to send a bedding plant, houseplant or a bunch of flowers to as many of our service users as possible, with the help of our fantastic volunteer gardeners and shoppers.

Bringing the outside in

Gardening is an activity enjoyed by a number of our service users, but not all of them have a garden to tend. By expanding our gardening service again this summer, we can also help those without a garden share in the joy of nature; be it on a balcony, a window sill or the kitchen table.

In response to the pandemic last year, we set up a shopping service for those who were unable to get out and had nobody else to shop for them. This service is ongoing and we will ask our volunteer shoppers to add a bright bunch of flowers or a houseplant to their shop as part of this project. In addition, we will let our volunteer befrienders know that they can surprise their older friend with a colourful gift.

Why we need your support

We are extremely pleased to have been able to plan a small number of our usual community fundraising events this year, however recent restrictions have meant that these have been reduced in size and numbers, with some being postponed until next year, or cancelled altogether. We rely on these events to raise vital funds to facilitate our services, and your support will enable us to make up this shortfall, sustaining our service provision for older people in the community.

The money raised from this project will contribute to the purchase of plants and flowers, as well as staffing costs and volunteer expenses.

These small acts of kindness can have huge significance for those who are still feeling anxious about the world around them. Thank you for helping us add colour and charm to the lives of older people this summer.