On Wednesday 26th March, the New Horizon Centre in Pollards Hill opened its doors for a special Easter-time lunch at the Lunch Club for Older People. For just ten pounds a head, guests enjoyed a freshly cooked two-course meal, shared around big tables filled with laughter, conversation and the gentle buzz of neighbours catching up.
At first glance it might look like a simple community lunch. In reality, afternoons like this quietly protect the health and wellbeing of older people in Merton. Loneliness in later life is linked to depression, anxiety, memory problems and even higher risks of heart disease and earlier death. Something as ordinary as sitting down together, chatting over a proper meal, can be a powerful antidote.
Many older people tell us that when you live alone, it is easy to lose the motivation to cook from scratch or to eat at regular times. A shared, affordable lunch means no one has to worry about what is in the fridge or how far their money will stretch that day. Instead, they can relax and enjoy good food, knowing it is nourishing their body as much as the company around the table is nourishing their spirit.
Events like our Easter lunch also create structure and purpose. Having a date in the diary, getting ready, travelling to the centre and being warmly welcomed all help keep people active and engaged with the world outside their front door. Conversations over pudding exercise memory and language, and small acts of helping – passing the gravy, pouring tea – reinforce the feeling of still having something to offer.
Perhaps most importantly, the Lunch Club provides a place where people are noticed. If someone seems quieter than usual, looks unwell or mentions a struggle, staff and volunteers can gently check in and signpost support. A ten pound, two-course Easter meal may sound modest, but at the New Horizon Centre it does something remarkable: it turns a potentially lonely day into a shared celebration, and in doing so helps protect both the physical and mental health of older neighbours in Pollards Hill.
If you would like to find out more about the Lunch Club and other activities for older people, if you would like to sample the food, find out on behalf of someone else or come along with a loved one please do get in touch: email hidden; JavaScript is required.
I you can help with a donation to enable us to keep offering low price, healthy meals made from fresh ingredients, please use our donation platform with Stewardship.
If you would like to discuss coming to help out at the lunch club as part of a team-building exercise, please contact: email hidden; JavaScript is required
