Friend In Deed is a social enterprise founded in 2016 through Kelly Lindsay's affinity with older people and experience as a qualified teacher in a behavioural school. This passion to improve the physical and mental wellbeing of isolated and lonely elderly people has resulted in a number of schemes engaging with elderly people in care homes and sheltered accommodation.

One scheme having substantial success is Friend In Deed's Little Visitors scheme, where parents are able to take their babies, toddlers and children of all ages into care settings to play games, chat to and spend time with residents, building long-term friendships sustained by the continuity of regular visits.

For one week of December 2017, Little Visitors transformed into Little Elves and with the kindness and support of our local community were able to take presents to elderly people in 5 care homes across Norfolk. This particular part of the scheme was featured in the EDP & Evening News newspaper (and their online news sections) and on ITV Anglia.

Alongside the Little Visitors scheme, Friend In Deed runs garden clearance and uplift projects, Sing & Rhyme sessions (with groups of babies, toddlers and older people singing songs and playing instruments together), school / care home projects & events, care home to care home penpal schemes and a range of one-off events.

The positive response to the Little Visitors scheme from all participants and the wider community, supported by promotion through the press and news publicity has given us the opportunity to look to expand. We want to make a difference to all older people living in our communities, those still in their own homes with little to no contact with their communities and our long term ambition is for Friend In Deed to expand across the country, bringing inclusion and integration to elderly people across the UK.

We want to continually build on our success and start to expand and develop new schemes which will really make a difference to older people who are even more isolated and to bring communities - and generations - together. To do this, we need to raise more funds. Can you help us?

Some of the schemes we are hoping to develop include:

- Strategies to identify the most vulnerable and lonely people still living in their own homes , with the aim of launching a Little Visitors At Home scheme in 2018.

- Training in key communication skills for the Little Visitors At Home scheme, so that Little Visitors (and their parents!) gain a deeper insight into the best way to communicate and engage with older people who may have dementia, or hearing, speech or vision impairment.

- Organising community inter-generational events and meet-ups, where young and old can take part in fun and meaningful activities together.

- Developing schemes that will positively impact people who live with dementia and their families.

We are really passionate about making a difference, about celebrating kindness and bringing together different generations. Any little that you can spare will be so gratefully received - thank you!

Kelly Lindsay, Director, Friend In Deed