Elderly residents of Andover have been learning new skills and making friends as their social clubs go virtual.

The Four Corners Club and Andover Saturday Club, both run by the charity Brendoncare, have begun meeting online following the pandemic, giving members and volunteers the opportunity to meet up during the pandemic.

Since the physical meetings stopped in March, the members have been enjoying a variety of activities including chair-based exercises, quizzes and riddles. Topics of discussion include holidays, travel and recipes, helping the club’s members stave off loneliness and continue meeting with their friends.

One volunteer at the clubs called the sessions “uplifting,” with Amber Babey, Brendoncare Locality Manager, saying: "It has been great to see members’ faces and lovely to find out more about them, as we have time to chat. We have a lot of laughs and cannot wait to get back to the Clubs, but, in the meantime, this is a lovely way to spend time together.”

The meetings have been such a success that the charity plans to continue them once physical meetings are allowed once again, providing companionship for those who are still worried about leaving their home and for those who need extra support.

Brendoncare will also help those using the service to connect with others online, by helping them with digital skills which have become every more important during the pandemic. The charity says it will continue to offer support to get members and volunteers connected.

For those who can’t get online, there has also been regular telephone contact and support.

Brendoncare was founded in 1984 by Sir Ronald Gibson, a GP based in Winchester. It owns a number of care homes and supported housing units across the south of England, as well as operating 90 clubs that support friendship and wellbeing of the elderly.