Hodan’s Elderly Befriending Project, supported by the Kensington and Chelsea Foundation , the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea & London Catalyst, provides a very important channel of support for elderly clients.

This project caters for the most isolated and marginalised members of the community, who may find it difficult to access mainstream services for older people because of language and cultural barriers.  It allows them to have a purpose, to get out of the house, meet people, to socialise, to learn and to feel useful, and also resolve challenges in their lives.   It also helps elders to improve their physical and mental wellbeing. As one service user put it: “This makes me feel happy, light, less stress.”

We provide a personalised service for each individual client based on their individual needs, which may include:

• Information and advice;
• Wellbeing checks;
• Encouraging clients to attend other Hodan activities, such as the Empowerment Club, if appropriate;
• Referrals or signposting to other services;
• Inviting them to our monthly gatherings for people aged 50 and over.

Subject to availability of funding, we are also planning to arrange excursions to the beach for small groups of elders during the summer.

While most of our current service users belong to the Somali community, this service is open to all, subject to the availability of volunteers.  Please contact Hodan for more information if you are interested in registering yourself or an elderly relative.