I've raised £2000 to Help PAL - Pets Against Loneliness
Organised by Lyn Ambrose
Story
Help us Alleviate Loneliness Four Paws at a Time!
Who we are
Pets Against Loneliness (PAL) is volunteer-led community project in North London, whose purpose is to bring together older members of the community, who may feel isolated, with well-behaved dogs and their owners, for the purposes of joy, and the alleviation of loneliness for all.
PAL was established in November 2017 by Islington resident Lyn Ambrose and has since grown with the help of a small core team of like-minded volunteers, launching the project in March 2018.
Why we exist
As recent new stories have highlighted, loneliness is a widespread problem in our society, affecting every community on every street across Britain, and particularly affecting older people.
Research from Age UK found that:
There are 1.2 million chronically lonely older people in the UK (No-one Should Have No One, 2016)
Half a million older people go at least five or six days a week without seeing or speaking to anyone at all (No-one Should Have No One, 2016)
Two fifths all older people (about 3.9 million) say the television is their main company (Evidence Review: Loneliness in Later Life, 2014).
Lyn says:
PAL was born from the twin beliefs that older members of the community are often undervalued in our society, sometimes leading to isolation and feelings of loneliness, and that animal companionship can make a big difference to this.
As such, our focus group is older people who may feel isolated.”
What we do
PAL hosts free, informal, drop-in morning tea sessions bringing together older, isolated people with well-behaved dogs and their owners, in a welcoming, friendly space to share cake, conversation and canine company.
The meet-ups are held from 10am-12 noon on the first Saturday of each month at the St. Matthias Hall, Wordsworth Rd, Stoke Newington, N16 8DD The venue is fully accessible.
Lyn added:
The PAL events will be a welcoming and friendly space to have a cup and tea and piece of cake, while meeting lovely dogs and their owners. There is no formal structure, just mingling at its best.”
The inaugural get-together on 3rd March 2018 was a big success. More than 30 volunteers, dog owners, dogs and guests braved icy pavements and the “Beast from the East” to enjoy cake, chat and canine cuddles.
PAL guest Jenni, 70, said:
“On a cold, slushy Saturday morning in March I went to the inaugural meeting of Pets Against Loneliness. It’s a local monthly social meeting aimed at lonely, older and isolated people.
With the help of volunteers and a wheelchair ramp loaned by a neighbour I was able to get in. There was tea and cake and lots of well-behaved friendly dogs and their equally lovely owners. All were welcoming and kind, and I met people and dogs I would not normally meet. Sounds a bit bonkers doesn't it? But it works. Dogs are great ice breakers.
As I've got older it's become harder to meet new people, so I was not disappointed, and as the weather gets warmer and more people hear about it I am sure it will be successful.”
How you can help
PAL is an entirely volunteer-run project, and we need your help!
We are looking to raise £2000 to cover project setup costs, and running costs for the rest of 2019. Funds raised will be used solely for project delivery, such as resources and refreshments for participants, catering equipment, promotional materials and project development activities such as a website build. All volunteer time is donated.
For more information, or to sign up as a volunteer, please email Lyn at lynambrose@gmail.com or call her on 07886 674 190.
Press coverage:
https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2019/02/25/volunteer-group-dogs-loneliness-new-home-2019/
https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/tag/pets-against-loneliness
http://www.islingtongazette.co.uk/news/meet-the-newington-green-volunteer-group-tackling-isolation-of-older-people-with-dogs-1-5501847
https://www.hackneycitizen.co.uk/2018/05/03/volunteers-canine-company-older-people-crowdfunder/
PAL podcast: https://player.fm/series/hello-hackney/pets-against-loneliness
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/petsagainstloneliness
Website: http://www.petsagainstloneliness.org/
Many thanks for your support
The PAL Team - and Max, Jasper, Missy, Rusty, Spike, Sherlock, and Themba.
