Edinburgh is the loneliest city in the UK for older people.  65% of older people living alone have said that the pandemic has made them more lonely.  Loneliness is more than just feeling alone.  It is directly related to heart disease, dementia and life expectancy as well as anxiety and depression.

With the aim of tackling this loneliness, Vintage Vibes is an award winning local charity project (a partnership between LifeCare Edinburgh and Space & Broomhouse Hub) that creates long term one-to-one friendships and groups based on shared interests.

Through Vintage Vibes, I had the privilege of meeting Ellen, an amazing lady in her early 90's.  Pre-pandemic, Ellen and I met up every week for a coffee, a chat, a walk with her little dog Mac, or a wander around the shops.

Both Ellen and I loved our time together - it was something to look forward to each week.  Ellen enjoyed the company, and I loved listening to Ellen's stories and the chance to do something different during my normal working day.  I thought I knew the best coffee and cake places in Edinburgh, but Ellen managed to introduce me to lots of new ones!!!

Unfortunately when Covid hit in March 2020, our ability to meet in person was stalled and Ellen moved away from Edinburgh to be closer to her family - we continued to be in contact as best we could during this time but, sadly, last September, I had a call from Ellen's daughter to tell me that Ellen had passed away the day before.  

Whilst this was an incredibly sad time, I did find a wee smile came to my face to hear from Ellen's daughter how much she had enjoyed our time together while in Edinburgh - it felt nice to have made a difference to her life, and I hope she realised she had the same impact on me.

So..........on 29th May this year, I'll be running the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for Vintage Vibes in Ellen's memory.  This is my first full marathon (what was I thinking?!?!) and I'm not fully convinced that I'll manage it, though I've been training hard since January!

I'd be so grateful if you'd sponsor me to help spur me along the miles (all 26.2 of them....) and to raise money for such a worthwhile cause.  Ellen's daughter was happy for me to share our story in the hope that it can help Vintage Vibes to support another lonely person.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read my story.