Rugby College: Britain"s rugby teams reach out to lonely older men who miss watching sport ...

Wednesday, 26 February 2014

Britain"s rugby teams reach out to lonely older men who miss watching sport ...

Around 70 per cent of older men living alone in Britain suffer from loneliness

Royal Voluntary Service launches campaign to recruit more male volunteers to befriend older men and watch sporting events with them

RVS has teamed up with Leicester Tigers, London Irish, Cardiff Blues, Bradford Bulls, Huddersfield Giants and St Helens for campaign

By

Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED:

06:35, 26 February 2014

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UPDATED:

09:28, 26 February 2014

Britain’s most successful rugby clubs are showing their softer side by reaching out to lonely older men in a bid to make them feel more welcome.

About 70 per cent of older men living alone in Britain who suffer from loneliness (over 140,000 individuals) feel lonely because their partner has passed away and they’ve lost their social life, new research has revealed.

Now professional clubs in both rugby league and union are asking their supporters help out by driving pensioners to games or just chatting with them in the bar.

The Leicester Tigers are one of the clubs to join the RVS campaign to help recruit more male volunteers

Royal Voluntary Service has teamed up with the clubs across Britain to help tackle this male loneliness.

The research, commissioned by RVS and carried out by PCP Market Research reveals the extent to which feelings of loneliness as a result of bereavement affect the lives of older men.

Of the over 75s questioned, 16 per cent revealed they would like a friend to go to the pub with

A huge 58 per cent of men over 75 who feel lonely as a result of losing their partner say they have lost their social life,,

A further 43 per cent admit to losing their confidence and more than a third no longer feel comfortable going out and socialising.

A quarter of over 75s who miss having someone to share hobbies with admitted that they would like to have someone to attend a sporting event with and 16 per cent revealed that they would like a friend to go to the pub to watch a match with.

RVS has enlisted the support of rugby clubs across Britain for their Manhunt campaign to help recruit more male volunteers.

The campaign in the clubs will be used to highlight the variety of roles male volunteers need to fulfil, from driving service users to games to having a chat in the pub or taking an older person to a GP appointment.

Royal Voluntary Service has teamed up with clubs across Great Britain including Leicester Tigers, London Irish, Cardiff Blues, Castleford Tigers, Bradford Bulls, Salford Red Devils, Huddersfield Giants and St Helens.

Clubs have supported the campaign by inviting older men from the local area to attend a game with their volunteer and by hosting recruitment events games to encourage their supporters to give up just an hour a week to make a difference to an older manâ€™s life in their area.