Teams and Bensham Community Care have been awarded £10,000 from Durham Freemasons to deliver an additional Men's Group every week for the next two years. The support will provide a further 20 to 25 spaces for isolated and vulnerable older gentlemen to come together, make friends and enjoy a hot meal.
A Thursday Men's group was established four years ago at the charity, which has become very popular. 20 local men are collected by minibus from home and they travel together to the TBCC centre for a freshly cooked two course meal, games, quizzes and to catch up with the good friends they have made. There's plenty of freshly baked goods available for the gents to take home afterwards too.
Before Christmas, the gentlemen enquired about the possibility of another men's group being scheduled into the charity's weekly activities.
Bernie Gill, a Trustee at Teams and Bensham Community Care said:-
"The lunch clubs have always appealed to more ladies than gentlemen but the men's group has really taken off over the last four years. We know that older gentlemen find it difficult to seek and accept support, but are at greater risk of the ill-effects of isolation, so the request for an additional day is a wonderful compliment to our team who work so well to create a warm, welcoming environment."
The men, many who have lost their wives, are all benefiting from the group in lots of ways. A second men's group will allow for further engagement and greater improvements to overall wellbeing. It will also make room for more gentlemen to attend.
"The group breaks the day up well, it never drags on and you feel better for coming" James
"I just always feel better off in general, I’d be doing nothing in the house and here I get a laugh and proper food" Terry
"Since my wife died, I've not spoken about it much. I know I can talk about it here with other men who know what I'm going through."
The grant from Durham freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by freemasons, their family and friends from across England and Wales.
Michelle Scott, Trustee at Teams and Bensham said :-
"I’m very grateful to Durham freemasons for their generous grant. Older men can be very difficult to reach, and we have found that our Men's Group is a really good way to break their isolation and help them lead more fulfilling lives".
In June, we invited Andrew Thompson, the Provincial Charity Steward from Durham Freemasons, to visit the men's group so that the charity could thank him in person. Speaking of Teams and Bensham Community Care's grant, Andrew said:-
"We are very pleased to help Teams and Bensham expand their work with older men in Gateshead. There are far too many who are isolated, lonely and vulnerable and the opportunity to make new friends, have fun and get a home cooked lunch can make a huge difference to their lives.”
You can read more about the support from The Durham Freemason's and the support they give to the community here.
The men's group grant is providing £5000 each year for two years. The men's group for this current year (2019/20) is also supported by the Allen Lane Foundation who have awarded the charity a generous grant of £4,000.
Teams and Bensham Community Care is a registered charity supporting older people in Gateshead to alleviate and prevent the ill-effects of isolation and vulnerability. For almost three decades, we have provided lunch clubs, men’s groups, art and activities every weekday in our welcoming and accessible centre for up to 25 people each day. Our on-site cooks create traditional, freshly cooked meals and desserts as well as freshly baked goods for our beneficiaries to take home. On the last Sunday of every month, our walking group meets and travels together for walks that are up to 7 miles long, at a variety of picturesque locations in the North of England. For more information, visit tbcommunitycare.wixsite.com/gateshead.
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