UK-wide charity which helps people suffering from isolation seeks new Kirkcaldy hosts

Re-engage looks to “make life less lonely” for older people. The charity runs activities for those experiencing isolation and loneliness.

Originally from South-East London, Kerrie Hutchison explained that she became involved with the group after moving to Kirkcaldy.

She said: “I moved up to Scotland six years ago now and I wanted to do something within the community and I saw it advertised on Facebook, they were looking for a coordinator in the area”.

She took on the role of tea party co-ordinator with the group. However, the Covid pandemic meant that the organisation went into an enforced shutdown, and only restarted earlier this year. Now Kerrie is looking to kick on with the group.

She explained: “Basically we restarted in April. I gradually, over a bit of time, got some more hosts to restart. We've currently got nine guests, but we have quite a large waiting list and we want to expand it.”

Kerrie, who works in marketing, suggested that the chance to expand will potentially mean that the role will become full-time.

She explained: “I might have to give up my job! I've been doing this for quite a while now, so this is sort of bittersweet. I do this in my spare time. It’s just volunteers who are all lovely and really help each other out”.

Groups meet monthly for tea parties held at hosts’ houses. Kerrie said this helps foster a more intimate environment where hosts and guests are able to get to know each other.

She explained: “We all sort of chip in because not everyone is necessarily great at baking and that's fine. We all like to help and we spend a couple of hours in someone's house and it's nice because it’s a bit more intimate than going to a community centre. They get to see people's houses. They quite like that and we get to know them all”.

Volunteers host guests around once a year but Kerrie said that the relationships formed mean that hosts will often attend when the group meets at other hosts' houses.

She said: “We do have hosts that like to come to the tea parties, even if they're not hosting. So because they want to see everybody which is really lovely”.

While the groups are aimed at helping those who become guests, Kerrie said that becoming involved has also played a part in how she built relationships after moving to the Lang Toun.

Kerrie explained: “One of the reasons I wanted to do this myself was because I didn't really know anyone. I came up here because I met a Scotsman and married him but I didn't really know anyone. I didn't have my own friends up here, and I wanted some way of meeting like minded people, so I could start making connections.

“And this has really done that for me. I think it's really nice that people are very accommodating and very friendly. It's quite a nice little community group”.

The Lang Toun set-upcurrently has seven hosts. but Kerrie now wants to expand so that they can provide support for more people in the community.

She said: “My aim is to get more hosts. I've got quite a few drivers at the moment, but I might need more so that I can split the group into two and have two on the same day and then have more guests because we want to reach out to more people. Without hosts, it's tricky to do that because you can only really fit the six to eight people in the house”.

The community has also rallied round the charity by offering premises where they could host meetings, which will allow Re-engage to hold larger meetings.

Kerrie said: “I've got a cafe that is interested in helping, which means I can have the whole group. The YMCA which I'm going to go and have a look means I could probably have the whole group in, and the Harbour Bar has offered me their lounge, where we were actually going for a Christmas party, which is lovely.

“I can have the whole group in for that in bar. We’ll bring all the sandwiches and the cake, and they'll do the tea and coffee.”