Since caring for her mother’s early-onset dementia when she was just a teenager, Catherine McClen has been acutely aware of the isolation of older people.
“I saw how that can be a very isolating condition. It left a huge impression on me,” the Islington resident said.
Now Catherine wants to prevent social isolation among the older generation. After working in the City for seventeen years, she decided to found social enterprise BuddyHub in 2014. She has recently launched the initiative after receiving the UnLtd Care Millenium Award.
“Older people are more at risk of suffering from loneliness,” she told Islington Now. “We need to get lots of people who are currently strangers to become friends.”
The stats are sobering: 12 per cent of older Islington residents say they feel isolated from their local community.
Catherine came up with the idea of creating a “micro-community” by matching an older person with three buddies each. BuddyHub creates a social network of Islington residents – called a ‘friendship wheel’ – who live near each other and have similar interests.
“It’s a bit like online dating,” Ms McClen explains. “Everybody fills out a profile about their skills, experiences and interests. The friendship between the buddies and older people is totally reciprocal. I strongly believe we undervalue older people in today’s society.”
Andy Murphy, CEO of Age UK Islington, said: “It’s a great concept and an extremely valuable service. Conversation and social interaction are a basic human need.”
Liam Johnson, a spokesperson for Contact the Elderly, the national charity dedicated to tackling social isolation among older people, agreed: “Older people are particularly vulnerable for many reasons. For example, if they suffer from reduced mobility they may find it difficult to leave the house. They may be suffering from the loss of a partner, or their family may have moved away.”
Two older residents told Islington Now they signed up to BuddyHub to expand their social circle.
Pat, 63, said: “I get worried about growing older and being alone. My life tends to be quite limited at the moment. People get stuck in their ways and it’s harder to make friends.”
76-year-old Jade is already involved with other community projects in Islington, including a patients’ participation group and London Health Watch – but he wasn’t connecting with other seniors as much as he wanted to.
“Before BuddyHub I felt socially isolated, but now I’m starting to meet people. I’m happier now,” he said.
Volunteer Milena Bottero is equally positive. “It’s difficult to get in touch with older people. Many charities reach out to them, but are often seen as patronising, focusing on the fact that old people need help. BuddyHub has a more positive approach,” she said.
“I love speaking to older people as they have a different outlook on life. It’s hard for seniors in Islington, as the area is very much geared towards the lifestyle of young professionals with many expensive restaurants and bars.”
Ms McClen decided Islington was the right place to launch the enterprise because it’s a borough with “all the problems under the sun.
“Islington has the 14th highest deprivation rate in the country,” she said.
These risks are compounded by financial strains. A third of Islington residents over 60 qualify for pension credit, since they live on or below £151.20 a week.
“Older people who have a low income are more at risk of becoming lonely as they have less options to get out and about,” Ms McClen said. She described the capital as a “lonely metropolis where a sense of community is missing.”
BuddyHub aims to bring different generations together. “We live in a very ageist society,” Ms McClen said. “My oldest close friend Olive is 93. She was one of my mum’s carers and we’ve known each other for 25 years. When I’m with Olive I don’t think about the age difference. It’s irrelevant.”
She hopes BuddyHub will make people realise friendship with an older person is an enriching experience which benefits both the buddies and the seniors. “For some people, it can feel more like a burden than a privilege having an older member of the family around. We need to be more selfish and think: ‘would I want to grow older in a society where we don’t care about older people?’”
- Two in five over 65s in Islington live alone (Age UK)
- Around 2,000 older Islington residents receive support from social services (Age UK)
- 60 per cent of Islington residents over 60 have at least one long-term health problem or are disabled – significantly higher than the London average of 53 per cent. (Islington Council)
