Time & Talents are a deep-rooted local charity, supporting people from all walks of life in Rotherhithe and Bermondsey for 135 years. 

Fundraising through the London Marathon is an important part of their funding mix, meaning they can be the much-loved and much-needed hub that their community relies on them to be, helping hundreds of people each year.

They spend every pound our Marathon team raises on fighting the profound isolation experienced by so many older people, and supporting kids and families bearing the brunt of a decade of harsh government cuts and heavily reduced public services. 

£1,500 goes a long way. It would pay for: 

• One day a week for a year of minibus transport, bringing isolated older people together for vital social contact;
• Three months’ worth of materials for our kids’ gardening project, Little Bugs Nature Club;
• Ten of our regular ‘Pub Clubs’ for older men, many of whom have grown depressed and lonely since their partner died;
• Four older people to receive one-to-one befriending for a year, and practical and emotional support to get back on their feet after being unwell;
• Food and activities for disadvantaged children (and their families) throughout the half-term break, through our holiday hunger clubs.

That makes a really big and important contribution to the wider set of things Time & Talents do:

• Volunteer befriending service provides extremely isolated, housebound older adults with crucial support. Carefully matched and trained volunteers make regular telephone or in-person calls, to check in, be a listening ear, and offer desperately needed contact.
• Provide critical (and free) support for children and families, including through our Holiday Hunger Clubs, which feed disadvantaged local kids during school holidays, while giving them the chance to make friends and have fun. Our Little Bugs Nature Club lets under-5s get muddy and creative in our gardens, and Crafty Beasts gives little ones the opportunity and materials to draw, paint and create.
• Run  social contact groups offering vital connection and company for lonely older adults. Our Stroke Club, Visually Impaired Group, Memory Club (for dementia sufferers) and Carers Group provide specialist support for the people who most need it.
• Delivering projects that connect older men at risk of isolation and poor health, while boosting their confidence and helping them keep active; such as the Rotherhithe Shed, Men’s Walking Group, and Pub Club.