Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness Award

A volunteer for our Befriending Service, Angela Kulanayagam, has won the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness Award, one of the categories of Age UK’s ‘Spirit of Age’ event. Angela has been befriending since February 2015 and during that time has visited 10 clients in total resulting in 346 visits - that's 692 hours of befriending! At one time she was visiting 6 clients each week spread all over the borough. She shares in their good times, provides comfort through their bad times, and has enjoyed many laughs over a cup of tea (as well as games of Scrabble). Angela has also been there in times of crisis, calling an ambulance and accompanying clients to hospital.

This is an outstanding contribution to our befriending service and to Croydon’s elderly clients. Angela can be seen above with impressionist and comedian John Colshaw, who presented her award.