Dear Friends,

Once again I am running the London 10k this year, hoping to raise a few £'s for a wortwhile cause and hopefully losing a few lbs at the same time.

This year I am running for 'Contact the Elderly' a charity we've supported over the past year. Their cause is not fashionable, but it is valuable; organising regular sunday afternoon tea parties for people over 75, who live with little or no social support. I've seen first hand the benefits of this work; and the positive impact it has on older people who are often isolated and lacking in confidence.

Research carried out over the last few decades has consistently shown that 10% of older people feel always or very lonely. Recent estimates place the number of people aged over 65 who are often or always lonely at over 1 million.

Some stats from The Campaign to End Loneliness show the extent of the problem.

• 7% of older people are in contact with family, friends and neighbours less than once a week and 11% are in contact less than once a month
• Over half (51%) of all people aged 75 and over live alone
• Half of all older people (about 5 million) say the television is their main company

Clearly this is a big issue; and Contact the Elderly's work is a small part of the wider solutions needed to redress this social need. But, their work does make a difference and it's an organisation and a cause I am proud to support.

I hope you will join me in supporting them too.

Thank you.

Damian