Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I’m not a runner but wanted to challenge myself this year so I’ve signed up for the Edinburgh half marathon and I’m hoping to raise some money for a local charity in the process.

Isolation and loneliness are growing problems in Edinburgh, and it’s something I see a lot of in my work as an occupational therapist. A study in 2014 found that pensioners in Edinburgh were the loneliest in the UK, with many spending less than an hour a day socialising.

The health impacts of isolation and loneliness are staggering:
* People experiencing chronic loneliness have an increased chance of developing dementia by 64%.
* Lacking social connections can be as damaging to health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
* More than 80,000 people aged 65 and over, living in Scotland, said they always or often felt lonely.
* Around two in five older people (around 350,000) in Scotland say TV is their main form of company.
* Around one in six aged 65 and over in Scotland are feeling cut off from society with a quarter (around 230,000) saying they would like to get out more
* Nearly three-quarters of over 75s that live alone feel lonely. Worryingly, those who live alone have less face-to-face contact with their children than those who live with a husband or wife.
* Households comprised of older people are more likely to contain someone with a long-term condition (59 percent of ‘single pensioner’ households and 57 percent of ‘older smaller’ households compared to other types of households.

Vintage Vibes supports people over 60 in Edinburgh to live a fulfilled life with friendship, respect and participation. Their mission is to help Edinburgh’s lonely and isolated over-60s by providing companionship and support that is personalised to their needs and integrated with local communities. To bring about a long-lasting change in attitudes towards the city’s over-60s. To encourage friendships between all generations and ensure the over-60s are treated with care, dignity and respect.

Thank you for reading and thank you in advance for any donations x

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