Loneliness is an issue that many older people experience on a regular basis. According to Age UK, the number of over-50s experiencing loneliness is set to reach two million by 2025, a 49% increase in 10 years. At CareDogs, we aim to tackle this. We work closely with local Croydon charities including Croydon BME Forum and Age UK Croydon, as well as rescue centres like Battersea Dogs and Cats Home, to find suitable older people who would benefit from a canine companion and support network. We facilitate dog adoption by providing older people with support and advice at every stage of the process. We then provide them with their own one-to-one volunteer, who will assist with dog walking, as well as schedule time to spend with them We’re currently seeking funding to launch a new project in Croydon. By donating, you’ll help us reach more vulnerable and socially isolated older people across Croydon, whether they want a dog, to become a volunteer or be part of our network and events.

What we'll deliver:

• Trained volunteers to provide weekly one-to-one support to older people through:1) help with dog-walking; 2) friendship.
• Direct opportunities for local people to volunteer in their own community, while creating intergenerational connections.
• Regular events and opportunities for older people, helping them to network and reintegrate into their local communities.

Why it's a great idea:

By helping older people to adopt dogs, we’ll enable them to find a companion that can keep them company, bring them joy and in the process reduce the amount of loneliness and isolation that they feel. We will also introduce them to a wider community (of CareDogs staff members, volunteers and local charities and community groups) that they can turn to for support. Through this, we’ll also help them reintegrate into their local communities. There are an estimated 9,860 older people in Croydon (with 5,423 older people experiencing intense loneliness) and Croydon has one of the highest populations of people over 50 in London. Our project will therefore allow us to reach the most vulnerable sooner, while also creating intergenerational connections between volunteer and older people. Older dogs are often the last to be rehomed, In fact, older dogs (7+ years old) tend to stay around 25% longer before being chosen. However, our project will help secure safe, forever homes for older dogs.

Steps to get it done:

• Acquire required insurance policy for CareDogs
• Pay for DBS checks for volunteers
• Train an initial cohort of up to 10 (already recruited) volunteers
• Buy adoption starter packs of essential dog items for the older person
• Facilitate dog adoption for up to 10 older people
• Match older person with their own volunteer
• Regular support for both volunteers and older people
• Create a pool of resources, local charities and community organisation for older people to use
• Throw summer/autumn Party for older people and volunteers at the AgeUK Croydon base in Thornton Heath
• Host Christmas awareness event in collaboration with AgeUK Croydon and Battersea Dogs and Cats home