Personal Stories

Enid, United Kingdom

When Enid’s husband died five years ago, she was left feeling totally isolated. However, after moving into the ExtraCare Charitable Trust supported retirement village, she found more than just a circle of friends, with help from Comic Relief.

After her husband of 37 years died, Enid moved away from her home to be closer to her son. Yet it was hard to meet new people and she began to feel extremely alone.

Thankfully though, Enid soon found support through the ExtraCare Charitable Trust at a local retirement village where she took part in activities funded by Comic Relief. And whilst she was there, Enid soon made friends who understood what she was going through.

‘I didn’t know anyone. I drove here every day just to do the activities’, she explains. And before long, Enid took the decision to move to the place where she truly felt at home.

Now the once shy widow is a firmly embedded resident in the close-knit community. ‘Here I’ve got so many friends, more than I can count’.

Her confidence has dramatically improved, in no small part to the joint-learning IT initiative that Comic Relief has helped to fund. Working with two local schools, the trust brings young people into their IT suites to run weekly practical, tailored sessions with the residents.

By working with the schools, ExtraCare Charitable Trust addresses two fears facing the older generation; an apprehension of technology and the communication barrier between the generations.

‘Before I had a mixed perception of young people - I was scared of them. I thought they didn’t want to associate with older people’.

However through their unexpected patience and friendly teaching manner, Enid felt the barrier and stereotypes formed between the older and younger generations melt away.

Surrounded by friends, Enid no longer feels lonely and she’s learnt a whole new set of skills to boot.