Side By Side
No one should grow old alone.
More than a million older people say they go over a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.
More than 2 million people in England over the age of 75 live alone.
Loneliness increases the risk of early death by nearly 30%.
Loneliness is as harmful to your health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day.
Loneliness increases the risk of dementia by 50%
Loneliness Kills.
​Even in care homes, loneliness doesn’t go away. Staff help with daily needs — but not with deep company.It’s routine. It’s expected. It doesn’t feel personal. For many older people, being in a care home feels like aquiet message: “You’re here because no one else can look after you.” They feel invisible. Forgotten. Left behind.
But It Doesn't Have To...
What if someone showed up… just for them? Not to check their blood pressure. Not to serve their lunch. Not because they’re paid to be there. But just to sit and talk. To listen. To laugh. To ask questions. To show up — as a human, not a helper. When a young person walks into their life, not out of duty,but out of choice — everything changes. Suddenly, they’re not just “someone in a care home.”They’re someone worth visiting.
Side by Side is a youth-led project that connects young people with elderly people through weekly, face-to-face conversations. It’s simple: the same young person visits the same older person each week to talk, laugh, and spend time together. Over time, something small becomes something that really matters.
In their first session, they make a pair of matching bracelets — one for the young person, and one for the older person. It’s a quiet symbol of a new friendship, a reminder that they now have someone looking forward to seeing them.
This project helps older people feel less forgotten — especially those living alone or in care homes, where visits can be rare and days can feel repetitive. It gives them something personal to hold on to: a relationship that exists outside routine, outside medical care — just for them.
And for the young people? It teaches them how to listen, how to show up, how to connect across difference — and how much you can learn from someone who’s lived a long life.
The Side by Side Project
Why should you volunteer?
Because one hour of your week could be the best hour of someone else’s.
When you volunteer with Side by Side, you’re not just giving your time — you’re giving someone something they might not have had in years: company, laughter, attention, and a reason to look forward to next week.
You’re not doing chores. You’re not babysitting. You’re showing up for someone who truly wants to see you. Someone who might not get any other visitors. Someone with a lifetime of stories to tell.
You’ll get to know people you never would’ve met. You’ll learn things no classroom can teach you. You’ll leave every visit feeling lighter, wiser, and more connected.
Thinking of volunteering? Here are your next steps.
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Press 'Sign Up' and fill in the form
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A quick meeting will be arranged to talk you through the plan
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You will have an hour session per week for a month with your designated elderly person
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After this you can either continue sessions with your elderly person or move on to have sessions with a different elderly person
Please note:
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​Volunteers must be 14 or older