Just A Thought

I've had an idea. (Don't worry, I'm eating lots of chocolate to recover).

I don't know if I mentioned before that I work for an older people's charity. One of the things I worry about is how many older men are socially isolated. For many, the world of work provided social support as well as a sense of purpose and value. Retirement, which should in my view be the pinnacle of your life, can become a sad time if those things can't be obtained from other sources.

And then I got to thinking about how many of those older men probably used to go and watch live football on a regular basis when they were younger and how much they would have got out of that.

And then I started to consider the sorts of things that might be getting in the way of some of them going now. Maybe fear for their safety. Perhaps the need for comfort and a fear of being cold. Possibly they just couldn't get there because they have no transport and mobility problems. For some, the loss of the friend they used to go with may be the reason they stopped.

And then I wondered if there was anything that could be done about that. What if a younger person who goes to football was to buddy up with an isolated older man and support him to go to a live match, whether through reassurance about his safety or practical help. I think that sort of arrangement could have the potential to bring joy to both of them.

It's just a thought.