CONTACT THE ELDERLY'S POWER OF CONTACT CAMPAIGN

That this House shares Mother Teresa’s view that being alone and unwanted is the world’s greatest disease; endorses the view of the Secretary of State for Health that lonely and isolated people are a forgotten million who live amongst us, ignored to our national shame; notes that in the last 50 years Contact the Elderly has provided regular face-to-face contact via volunteers, currently numbering 7,000, from all walks of life, who give their time to create positive social change; further notes that Contact the Elderly’s regular renewal of friendship nationwide restores health and happiness, and saves taxpayer costs by reducing hospital and GP visits; further notes that there is much more to be done in expanding Contact the Elderly’s reach around the country to enable it to double the number of older people that it supports; and calls on hon. Members and the Government to support Contact the Elderly’s Power of Contact campaign to raise £1 million in the Golden Jubilee year to enable the charity to extends its vital hand of friendship to, and create face-to-face happiness links with, many more of the neglected million older people.