Good Causes

David’s in The Warm and Toasty Club

When he was 21 David had a car accident that caused him to lose all of his childhood memories.

Now in his 70s, David Gearey has moved into sheltered accommodation in Colchester. At first he didn’t mix much with other residents. David said, “When I moved into my place, I wasn’t very sociable at all. I didn’t like people, I liked to be on my own.”

But a National Lottery funded project called The Warm and Toasty Club provided something David found comforting. The club’s Memory Afternoons proved to be invaluable for David, who found listening to stories from other people’s childhoods helped him reconnect with his own missing memories.

David said, “The club has done me the world of good. It’s that good that I actually volunteer as a helper.” You can hear his thoughts, and see how Warm and Toasty helps people in the video below.

But with the UK facing a health crisis that requires us to stay home to prevent the spread of coronavirus, older people are particularly at risk from feelings of isolation. So The Warm and Toasty club is trying something new and using technology to bring people together and give its members a way to socialise.

The club is having Friday meetings live on its Facebook page. It’s a small test at the moment and Warm and Toasty regulars are being encouraged to join in and watch the club’s founder (and keen musician) Johnno Casson streaming live. They can see and hear him and type responses, with the club hoping to make that communication two-way in the future.

Thanks to you, The Warm and Toasty Club is finding a way to help people through the coronavirus crisis.

14th April 2020

The National Lottery has been changing the lives of winners and supporting good causes across the UK since 1994. In that time, there have been more than 7,000 new millionaires created and by playing The National Lottery you raise over £4 million for Good Causes every dayΔ.

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