Haunting vision of loneliness
Grandma Gertie inspired me to value and learn from older people”
From little acorns to a national task force
I was prompted in my 20s to find out how to combat elderly isolation by:
Early history of CTE – Read More
There was nothing high and mighty about the CONTACT idea. We simply wanted to get away from the ‘Holier than thou’/ ‘Duty to Society’ approach to voluntary work and have fun making new friends young and old along the way.
I sought advice from Jean Dathan, an inspirational social worker at the Marylebone Welfare Association and was deeply shocked to hear that there were 6000 isolated elderly in Marylebone alone.
Jean took immense care in selecting 12 lonely pensioners and provided detailed lists of individual characteristics and special needs. She stressed the need for regular contact as “annual charabanc outings reinforce loneliness after the event” and gave the invaluable advice that, once we started taking them out to tea we must ‘Never let our old people down’
In a speech appealing for support from Marylebone Rotary Club I explained why we didn’t believe in annual charabanc outings which prompted a member to protest: “We’re having our annual charabanc outing next week” To compound my embarrassment The Marylebone Mercury followed up with the banner headline: “CONTACT Chief pans Charabanc outings!” I was learning fast!
FIRST OUTING
In April 1965 we didn’t know quite what to expect as we drove off somewhat apprehensively on our first outing to Hampton Court in 6 cars with 12 (driver and passenger) volunteers and 12 lonely elderly guests
To boost spirits I told our passengers we were driving to Hampton Court with high hopes that we were opening up new horizons. These were somewhat dashed when the old lady behind me declared: “I used to work at Hampton Court as housekeeper in a Grace and Favour”
However our spirits soared at that inspirational first tea party, on seeing our older guests smiling and exchanging appreciative glances and addresses.
We knew we were on to something big and making a real difference by enhancing the lives of lonely guests for whom, our tea parties were the only cross on an empty calendar.
We learnt a lot from our new friends, especially from Lilian Rossiter, a courageous Irish polio victim with legs in irons who’d been immobilized at home for months on end. Lilian taught us the power of regular face-to-face contact in overcoming disabilities, amazing us, after one or two outings, by managing to climb a flight of stairs to a tea party, and, a few months later, flying to Lourdes in search of a miracle. On her return, when we asked her if she’d found the miracle, she proudly announced: ‘My miracle was managing to get on and off the plane!’
Lilian’s miracle, and many more over the next half century, would never have happened but for the efforts of our dedicated volunteers. As we learnt at that first tea party we were fulfilling our mission to never let our old people down by creating a lasting bond between young and old while having fun and enriching lonely lives and Cheering ourselves up by trying to cheer up somebody else” (Mark Twain)
Thanks to The Times in those early days our front page classified Contact ads “Have Fun Helping the Old” triggered a huge influx of volunteers. However we later learnt that “Have Fun Helping the Old” might be sending the wrong signals upon receiving strange telephone calls after a centre-fold spread appeared in ‘About Town’ magazine vividly displayed the activities of four members of a wife-swopping organization also called ‘Contact’. We lost no time in changing our name from ‘Contact’ to the less catchy but safer: ‘Contact the Elderly’
Expansion and achievements
During my 50 years as Chair:
See the BBC’s outstanding TV promo still applicable 50 years later.
Contact combats loneliness BBC Nationwide 1974.
https://ln5.sync.com/dl/d053d1870#btdejge2-wgc4fquu-gr9q4wnd-hz3x2m9j
STATE OF EMERGENCY APPEAL
Daily Express Thu, Jun 26, 2014 Plight of record 1m pensioners hit by loneliness
MPs SUPPORT EMERGENCY APPEAL
Early Day Motion No.361 tabled on 15 October 2014 in Parliament proposed by Glenda Jackson MP for Hampstead and Mark Field MP for Westminster.
This powerful message attracted cross-party support of 91 MP’s and media attention. Its statement of Contact’s mission and core principles still stands and must be spread far and wide until the UK’s shameful neglect of the elderly has been finally addressed.
In 2014 Appointment as Patron of Solicitors for the Elderly
In 2015 Honorary Doctorate Degree of Humane
letters from Liverpool Hope University
HONORARY DOCTORATE CITATION
Citation for outstanding achievements, in founding and developing Contact the Elderly over 50 years”. The citation can be summarised as follows:-
“Trevor Lyttleton is a truly remarkable individual … Trevor is driven to help fight loneliness amongst the elderly – “a national shame” as a government minister described it – and he is not afraid to use any platform to promote the work of the charity … Liverpool Hope University was privileged to be the very first University to have a Contact the Elderly group. None of this remarkable fifty year history of Contact the Elderly would have been possible without Trevor Lyttleton.”
Trevor replied: “I proudly accept this on behalf of the many thousands of our dedicated volunteers, supporters and staff who made it possible”
MILESTONE ENDORSEMENTS
Royal Support
Duchess of Kent at Contact 10th anniversary
The Times
The Times endorsed Contact the Elderly as selected charity for its Christmas Appeal in December 2015 with a leader and several articles supporting our work over 50 years. I have always treasured this accolade from The Times, having launching Contact in 1965 with the help of The Times and as a longstanding Times reader and letter writer over many decades
In September 2016 The Times praised the charity in a leader entitled Good Old Days, with the sub-heading: “Early interventions to keep the elderly fit and healthy could unburden the NHS.”
The stories featured the lives of guests, volunteers and the communities in which Contact the Elderly plays an active part. For example:
The coverage in The Times not only highlighted the charity’s simple solution to combating loneliness amongst the over-75s but also encouraged donations to help extend its vital lifeline of friendship.
Contact the Elderly’s Report and Accounts 2015-16
The appeal generated over £80,000 in individual donations and further contributions from trusts leading to new on-going funding sources. It also raised vital awareness of our work and was the perfect way to culminate our exciting Golden Jubilee year, standing us in good stead as we continue in our aim to double our reach over the next five years.
Duke of Devonshire
Duke of Devonshire greets Daniel at AGM
The late Duke was President and Life Patron of Contact the Elderly for many years. He strongly empathised with our cause, regularly attended our AGMs and often said we were his favorite charity On his retirement the Duke wrote to me as follows:-
“To see at first hand something of the problems, particularly loneliness, of the under-privileged, has been of immense benefit to me. My work with your organisation has, of course, been vastly enhanced by working with you. Your leadership is inspirational and I am forever grateful to you.”
His final and most treasured gift was to suggest we appoint his wonderful granddaughter Lady Jasmine Cavendish to succeed him as President.
Celebrating Contact’s 40th Anniversary cake with Lady Jasmine Cavendish
VIPS AT TEA PARTIES
Numerous celebrities and VIPs have supported the charity and attended Contact the Elderly tea parties over the years. Norma Major and David Cameron hosted tea parties at Number 10, Downing Street.
David Cameron hosts No 10 Royal Jubilee party in 2012
Boris Johnson attends CONTACT Xmas 2011 tea party with Barbara Windsor
Dame Barbara Windsor also attended the charity’s Golden Jubilee launch at the Royal Festival Hall and added a joyful boost following Trevor’s Keynote Contact the Elderly 50th Address at the Solicitors for the Elderly AGM
Dame Maureen Lipman long-time supporter endorsing Power of Contact appeal in 2014
Trevor with students and elderly guests at
Durham University’s Contact the Elderly tea party in 2015
ENDORSEMENTS FROM NUMBER 10
In 2016, following Teresa May’s appointment as Prime Minister, I wrote encouraging her to restore hope to the dispossessed and forgotten, especially the UK’s 1 million plus neglected elderly people. She replied:
“Contact the Elderly will have a major role in shaping our society and the place older people have in it.”
In 2015, following David Cameron’s election-day announcement of his One Nation project, I wrote to urge him to give priority to the neglected million as a key part of his social inclusion target.
David Cameron praised our work and noted in a letter February 2016:
“The organisation you founded 50 years ago has grown into a truly national organisation, with thousands of volunteers serving elderly people across our country – an achievement you should be tremendously proud of.”
No. 10 later stated:
“Contact the Elderly continues to have a major role in shaping our Society and the Prime Minister supports your campaign.”
Post-retirement campaigns
After retiring as Chair of Contact the Elderly in July 2015 I continued to support the cause as Contact tea party host and volunteer of 60 years standing and by lobbying government to help eradicate elderly isolation
I am trying to persuade Labour to adopt what David Cameron called my ‘innovative’ proposal to reduce the UK’s housing shortfall and problem of neglected elderly at the same time, by giving tax incentives to lonely elderly in large homes who offer social tenancies to young people unable to get on the housing ladder, creating enduring links between young and old. Read more
Game changer for the elderly honoured
by The National Lottery
NATIONAL LOTTERY GAME CHANGER AWARD 2024
For Trevor’s 60 year campaign against elderly isolation
