Horsham lunch club tackling elderly loneliness set to reopen

Tapestry Lunch Club (TLC) – which offers a different form of day support for small groups of older people including those experiencing a deterioration in memory – will be back up and running from early June as coronavirus restrictions continue to lift.

Clare Jones, the club’s director, said: “As the Government guidelines will allow for up to six people to meet indoors from May 17 , we are ready and excited to be reopening our lunch clubs and to welcome back our loyal guests and welcome new guests to our family.

“We are re-opening our doors to all those in the Horsham community who would like to get out, meet and socialise with other community members in a warm, friendly and more intimate environment of our hosts home.

“Our aim is to create an environment, within a host’s family home, where our guests (two to five guests per host) will feel supported and cared for, help reduce anxiety, have regular face-to-face contact with others, regain confidence and equally as important, provide a high quality and regular replacement care for our guests’ carers.”

Clare says guests will benefit from a sociable day including various activities and a delicious home cooked hot lunch in the home of a carefully vetted and trained ‘host’.

She said: “All our hosts are excellent cooks and once vetted, are extensively trained in safeguarding, food and hygiene, emergency first aid, dementia awareness, manual handling and will have been fully DBS checked.

“Transport of our guests is part of TLC’s service and all our hosts’ cars are insured for business use and our hosts’ homes are fully risk assessed.

“Our number one commitment remains the welfare of our community and our team as we take these first steps together.

“After close and careful consultation, we have put in place measures designed to ensure the safety of our employees and our guests alike.

“This is our new ‘business as usual’, and we have and will carry out a full risk assessment for both our hosts’ and guests’ safety and wellbeing. “

The TLC’s headquarters is based in Rowhook and offers its hosting service across the whole of Sussex, Surrey and the surrounding areas.

The club currently provides a day out in the surrounding communities of Billingshurst, Cranleigh, Ewhurst, Godalming, Haslemere, Handcross, Henfield, Horsham, Mannings Heath, Rudgwick and the surrounding villages and hamlets.

For more information, including the club’s day rate, call 01403 791020 or email support@tapestrylunchclub.co.uk. Alternatively, visit www.tapestrylunchclub.co.uk