ICAS ICAS logo

Quicklinks

  1. About Us

    Find out about who we are and what we do here at ICAS.

  2. Find a CA

    Search our directory of individual CAs and Member organisations by name, location and professional criteria.

  3. CA Magazine

    View the latest issues of the dedicated magazine for ICAS Chartered Accountants.

  4. Contact Us

    Get in touch with ICAS by phone, email or post, with dedicated contacts for Members, Students and firms.

Login
  • Annual renewal
  • About us
  • Contact us
  • Find a CA
  1. About us
    1. Governance
  2. Members
    1. Become a member
    2. Newly qualified
    3. Manage my membership
    4. Benefits of membership
    5. Careers support
    6. Mentoring
    7. CA Wellbeing
    8. More for Members
    9. Area networks
    10. International communities
    11. Get involved
    12. Top Young CAs
    13. Career breaks
    14. ICAS podcast
    15. Newly admitted members 2022
    16. Newly admitted members 2023
  3. CA Students
    1. Student information
    2. Student resources
    3. Learning requirements
    4. Learning updates
    5. Learning blog
    6. Totum Pro | Student discount card
    7. CA Student wellbeing
  4. Become a CA
    1. How to become a CA
    2. Routes to becoming a CA
    3. CA Stories
    4. Find a training agreement
    5. Why become a CA
    6. Qualification information
    7. University exemptions
  5. Employers
    1. Become an Authorised Training Office
    2. Resources for Authorised Training Offices
    3. Professional entry
    4. Apprenticeships
  6. Find a CA
  7. ICAS events
    1. CA Summit
  8. CA magazine
  9. Insight
    1. Finance + Trust
    2. Finance + Technology
    3. Finance + EDI
    4. Finance + Mental Fitness
    5. Finance + Leadership
    6. Finance + Sustainability
  10. Professional resources
    1. Anti-money laundering
    2. Audit and assurance
    3. Brexit
    4. Charities
    5. Coronavirus
    6. Corporate and financial reporting
    7. Business and governance
    8. Ethics
    9. Insolvency
    10. ICAS Research
    11. Pensions
    12. Practice
    13. Public sector
    14. Sustainability
    15. Tax
  11. CPD - professional development
    1. CPD courses and qualifications
    2. CPD news and updates
    3. CPD support and advice
  12. Regulation
    1. Complaints and sanctions
    2. Regulatory authorisations
    3. Guidance and help sheets
    4. Regulatory monitoring
  13. CA jobs
    1. CA jobs partner: Rutherford Cross
    2. Resources for your job search
    3. Advertise with CA jobs
    4. Hays | A Trusted ICAS CA Jobs Partner
    5. Azets | What's your ambition?
  14. Work at ICAS
    1. Business centres
    2. Meet our team
    3. Benefits
    4. Vacancies
    5. Imagine your career at ICAS
  15. Contact us
    1. Technical and regulation queries
    2. ICAS logo request

Mental Health Awareness Week – volunteering to help older people who are experiencing loneliness

  • LinkedIn (opens new window)
  • Twitter (opens new window)
By Rolf Rae Hansen

9 May 2022

  • Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 explores the theme of loneliness.
  • 1.4 million older people in the UK are often lonely.
  • Discover ways in which you can volunteer to help tackle loneliness in your community.

From assisting with telephone helplines to becoming a Digital Buddy, this Mental Health Awareness Week we look at ways in which you can volunteer to help older people who may be experiencing the effects of loneliness.

Monday 9 May to Sunday 15 May marks Mental Health Awareness Week. For 2022, the week focuses on exploring the experience of loneliness, its effect on our wellbeing and how you can play a part in reducing loneliness in your community.

Loneliness can have a serious effect on mental health and whilst it can affect anyone of any age, it is a particular problem with older people. According to Age UK, 1.4 million older people in the UK are often lonely, and more than a million say they go for over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

Volunteering opportunities

In the UK there are a range of charities that work to support older people who are isolated and experiencing the effects of loneliness. This Mental Health Awareness Week ICAS is encouraging its staff to consider using their ‘Giving Back’ days to volunteer with one of these charities, and we're highlighting the range of opportunities available to Members and CA Students to get involved within their communities - some of which you'll find below.

It's worth remembering that not only will you be providing valuable support to someone who may currently be struggling, volunteering can also provide you with range of benefits, such as boosting your confidence and improving your communication skills.

And if you're experiencing loneliness yourself, the volunteering process can be a great way to expand your network and make new friends and connections.

Age UK

Age UK offers a range of services to help combat loneliness in later life. You can volunteer to assist its Silver Line telephone friendship service, its localised face-to-face befriending service or by becoming an Age UK digital buddy and helping older people to get online.

Befriending Networks

Befriending Networks offers supportive, reliable relationships through volunteer befrienders to people, including older people, who would otherwise be socially isolated.

Cyrenians

Cyrenians’ Golden Years service provides an innovative befriending/community-connecting service with diverse options to help tackle isolation and loneliness for the over 60s in Edinburgh.

They always have a range of volunteer opportunities, from admin roles to helping with companionship and cooking.

Glasgow’s Golden Generation

Glasgow’s Golden Generation has been providing a Befriending Service to older adults in Glasgow since 1948. Trained volunteer Befrienders are matched with older adults with similar interests and visit their befriendee weekly in their own home or in the community.

Independent Age

Community volunteers with Independent Age play an essential role in helping older people to live well and remain independent.

MHA

MHA provides telephone, online and face-to-face befriending services for older people across England, Scotland and Wales to help tackle feelings of loneliness and isolation. They have a range of volunteering opportunities including befrienders, drivers and shoppers.

Reengage

Reengage provides social connections for older people at a time in their lives when their social circles are diminishing. You can volunteer to help with organising their local tea parties or assisting their telephone service.

The Cares Family

The Cares Family brings older and younger people together – to share time, laughter, new experiences and friendship – so that everyone can feel part of our changing cities, rather than feeling left behind by them. You can get involved through one of their five local charities – North London Cares, South London Cares, Manchester Cares, Liverpool Cares and East London Cares.

Vintage Vibes

Vintage Vibes is an award-winning project tackling isolation and loneliness in Edinburgh. Vintage Vibes' volunteers create long-lasting one-to-one friendships offering support, companionship and the opportunity for lonely 'VIPs' to be more socially connected and active in their local community.


Are you an older person experiencing loneliness?

If you are an older person experiencing the effects of loneliness, here are some resources and information to help.

You can also connect with the charities listed below:

  • Age UK
  • Befriending Networks
  • Cyrenians
  • Glasgow’s Golden Generation
  • Independent Age
  • MHA
  • Reengage
  • The Cares Family
  • Vintage Vibes
Graphic

Mental Health Awareness Week 2022 – exploring the impact of loneliness on mental health

By Rolf Rae Hansen

9 May 2022

Finance + Mental Fitness

Explore our latest insights on best practice for healthy minds and happy workplaces. Mental fitness will be our focus theme…

2022-01-xero 2022-01-xero
ICAS logo

Footer links

  • Contact us
  • Terms and conditions
  • Modern slavery statement
  • Privacy notice
  • CA magazine

Connect with ICAS

  • Facebook (opens new window) Facebook Icon
  • Twitter (opens new window) Twitter Icon
  • LinkedIn (opens new window) LinkedIn Icon
  • Instagram (opens new window) Instagram Icon

ICAS is a member of the following bodies

  • Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (opens new window) Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies logo
  • Chartered Accountants Worldwide (opens new window) Chartered Accountants Worldwide logo
  • Global Accounting Alliance (opens new window) Global Accounting Alliance
  • International Federation of Accountants (opens new window) IFAC
  • Access Accountancy (opens new window) Access Acountancy

Charities

  • ICAS Foundation (opens new window) ICAS Foundation
  • SCABA (opens new window) scaba

Accreditations

  • ISO 9001 - RGB (opens new window)
© ICAS 2022

The mark and designation “CA” is a registered trade mark of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), and is available for use in the UK and EU only to members of ICAS. If you are not a member of ICAS, you should not use the “CA” mark and designation in the UK or EU in relation to accountancy, tax or insolvency services. The mark and designation “Chartered Accountant” is a registered trade mark of ICAS, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and Chartered Accountants Ireland. If you are not a member of one of these organisations, you should not use the “Chartered Accountant” mark and designation in the UK or EU in relation to these services. Further restrictions on the use of these marks also apply where you are a member.

ICAS logo

Our cookie policy

ICAS.com uses cookies which are essential for our website to work. We would also like to use analytical cookies to help us improve our website and your user experience. Any data collected is anonymised. Please have a look at the further information in our cookie policy and confirm if you are happy for us to use analytical cookies: