A knock-out match

I started volunteering with Link Age Southwark as I wanted to help older people feel less isolated and make a new friend. Growing up, I’d loved chatting with older family and friends and more recently had been spending regular time with my Grandpa in London who was a Chelsea Pensioner. When he died, I missed those chats and stories about his day and so I reached out to Link Age Southwark to start a befriending relationship. 

At the start of the process, I was slightly daunted by the commitment but also excited to make a new connection and create my own sense of community in London. When I was matched, I was absolutely delighted to hear - as a boxer - that I’d been matched with a former wrestler, Kevin! 

We met every Monday evening; it was special to have someone I saw so regularly and got to know over time. Kevin has lived in London all his life, and I enjoyed hearing about living in South London and how it’s changed over the years. We would chat about his former work, painting national museums and mansions in Chelsea, his international trips to wrestling competitions and I remain incredibly jealous of his solo trip to Ibiza aged 18! 

I know Kevin really appreciated the regular social visit as he did not often manage to get out of the house, and when he did it was usually for a medical appointment. It was great to be a reliable constant in his week, especially as he often struggled with different carers coming to visit as well as interacting with different parts of the health system. He was also my constant in some difficult months; I really appreciated our chats and how we valued each other. I’ll never forget how touched I was after I’d been to Glastonbury and found out he’d taped 30 hours of footage so we could watch together – sadly we didn’t manage to spot me in the crowd! 

Unfortunately, I’ve recently moved away so our befriending has come to an end – but Link Age Southwark will be supporting Kevin through another friendship. Our connection has made us feel both a little less lonely and a lot more valued. 

Find out how to get involved

If you would like to become a volunteer befriender, like Zoe, find out how you can get involved below.

Find out more about befriending