Age UK Tunbridge Wells is an independent charity that has served our community for 45 years, ensuring older people remain supported and never forgotten. We provide various services specifically tailored for elderly individuals and their caregivers. We have a dedicated team of paid staff and volunteers all working to deliver the best service for our clients their carers and their families.

Now, we're launching a vital initiative to combat loneliness through the simple but powerful act of sharing meals. This isn't just about food - it's about creating connections and bringing warmth into vulnerable people's lives. Loneliness affects many older people in profound ways. It can lead to deteriorating health, poor nutrition, and declining mental wellbeing. Through our Information and Advice service, which conducted over 380 home visits last year, we've identified a pressing need: isolated seniors who are eating alone day after day. Imagine eating every meal alone, day after day. For many older people in our community, this is their reality. In Loneliness doesn't just affect mental health - it can lead to poor nutrition, declining health, and reduced quality of life. In Tunbridge Wells, we've identified seniors who are struggling with both isolation and food security. Throughout the Covid pandemic, there was a significant demand to ensure that the elderly population in Tunbridge Wells received a nourishing hot meal, ongoing. Many seniors were isolated and hesitant to leave their homes to shop or socialise. Unfortunately, even well after the pandemic, anxiety and fear continue to affect many older individuals. Our hot meal service often serves as the only form of human interaction for these seniors until their next meal delivery.

Our solution is simple but transformative. We will provide 16 free hot, nutritious meals each week, reaching 8 vulnerable older people through both our welcoming day centre and home delivery service. This isn't just about food – it's about creating connections, fostering friendships, and showing our elderly neighbours they're valued members of our community.

What We'll Deliver

• A year of support
• 832 quality meals
• Professional support and companionship
• Health and wellbeing monitoring
• Connection to additional support services

Our dedicated team of staff and volunteers witness daily how shared meals can transform lives. When an isolated senior joins others for a meal at our day centre or receives a friendly visitor with a hot meal, we see Improved nutrition and health, reduced feelings of loneliness, increased social confidence, better mental wellbeing and stronger community connections.

The Impact of Your Support

£10,400 will fund this vital service for 12 months. Here's how your contribution helps:

£12.50 provides one hot meal and friendly conversation, £25 delivers two nutritious meals and social connections, £50 supports four meals for isolated seniors, £100 feeds one person for two weeks, £250 provides a month of meals for two isolated seniors.

Age UK Tunbridge Wells is the first-choice local charity for older people, their families, and caregivers. Our expertise is recognised by local councils, medical professionals, and the community:

The "Nourish & Connect" program delivers a comprehensive approach to building financial independence:

Core Financial Capability Activities:

• Personalized benefits checks during meal interactions, ensuring participants receive all entitlements
• Financial health assessments to identify specific needs and vulnerabilities
• One-to-one budget planning sessions with our trained advisors
• Introduction to money-saving tools and resources tailored to older people
• Support with accessing utility discount schemes and hardship funds
• Financial safeguarding guidance to prevent scams and financial abuse
• Energy efficiency education to reduce household costs
• Digital banking tutorials for those interested in online financial management
• Regular follow-up to track financial progress and address emerging needs

Nutritional Support Framework:

• 16 weekly nutritious meals providing immediate cost savings for participants
• Budgeting advice specific to food shopping and meal planning
• Education on nutritious, low-cost meal preparation
• Connection to community food resources and discounts
• Group meals at our day centre that include informal financial workshops

Holistic Delivery Model:

• Home delivery option with extended visit time for financial capability discussions
• Day centre meals with integrated financial wellbeing workshops
• Pathway to additional services including debt advice and housing support
• Peer support opportunities where participants share money-saving strategies
• Emergency financial crisis support when identified
• Trusted professional referral network for specialized financial needs

This integrated approach ensures that participants not only receive immediate support but also develop the knowledge, confidence, and tools needed for long-term financial independence and resilience.

The "Nourish & Connect" program delivers a comprehensive approach to building financial independence. We can advise on the following and make a difference to people well being.

We can run personalised benefits checks during meal interactions, ensuring participants receive all entitlements due to them.

Run financial health assessments to identify specific needs and vulnerabilities

offer one-to-one budget planning sessions with our trained advisors

Introduction to money-saving tools and resources tailored to older people

Support with accessing utility discount schemes and hardship funds

Advise on financial safeguarding guidance to prevent scams and financial abuse

Discuss energy efficiency ideas to reduce household costs

Teach digital banking for those interested in online financial management

We can run regular follow-up to track financial progress and address emerging needs on going.