30 Chronicle, T h u r s d a y, December 11, 2014 ECS-EO1-S2 e s s e x c h ro n i c l e .co.uk Chronicle, T h u r s d a y, December 11, 2014 31e s s e x c h ro n i c l e .co.uk ECS-EO1-S2

■ Text WINT77 to 70070 todonate £5■ Visit www.justgiving.com/W i n t e r- A p p e a l - 2 0 1 4■ Send a cheque to EssexCommunity Foundation, 121 NewLondon Road, Chelmsford, CM20QT – please complete and return

the form above and remember totick the Gift Aid box■ For people in the 60-plus agebracket, ECF is suggesting thatthose who do not need theirgovernment Winter Fuel Paymentcould consider donating it to theSurviving Winter Appeal

COUNTRY LIFE: Suzie Pugh felt isolated when she moved to Highwood but starting the Catch-up Cafe changed all of that

A place to go wherenew friends a n d lotsof laughter mean noone has to be lonely

head of communications for theE C F.

“When you speak to most elderlypeople, isolation is a real killer,especially on dark days. People whohave little sight or mobility can go aweek without seeing anyone.

“It’s about that generationalthing as well, so this gives elderly

people and youngsters a chance tosee each other.”

And the cafe is clearly a hit; thehall buzzes with activity and ispacked out with a variety of people,as well as stalls selling localg o o d s.

“We have been coming everymonth since it started,” said Rita

Wealleans, 70, who comes with herhusband John, 72.

“My husband doesn’t get outmuch due to health conditions, soSuzie has been a godsend. Whenyou get here you meet people, itmakes such a change to see adifferent face and it really makes adifference to us – we are so blessed.

People do tend to hibernate butwhen you’ve got this, you make theeffort. It’s marvellous, it’s been ahome from home.”

“I have been in Highwood for 60years and I’ve been coming heresince it started,” added MaryMitchell, 87. “It’s something I lookforward to.”

By Harriet Sinclairh a r r i e t . s i n c l a i r @ e s s e x c h ro n i c l e . c o . u k

AS THE temperature plummets,children everywhere are dreamingof a white Christmas.

But for the county’s elderly andvulnerable, the cold weather canbring loneliness and isolation, and,as the nights draw in, some can go awhole week without seeinga nyo n e.

The Essex Community Found-ation, which is running its annualSurviving Winter Appeal in con-junction with the Essex Chronicle,says tackling seclusion is vital toreduce the number of unnecessarywinter deaths.

Latest government researchfrom the Office for National Stat-istics reveals there were 1,010people cold-related deaths in Essexin the past year – nearly two thirdsof the 1,700 victims in the whole ofthe east of England, which includesHertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Cam-bridgeshire, Suffolk and Norfolk.

FunBut the Catch-up Cafe in High-

wood is doing everything it can toprevent that, and provide compan-ionship and a fun meeting place atthe same time.

The monthly meet-up has beenrunning for the past three years,and December’s gathering was aChristmas party complete withmulled wine, mince pies and carolssung by children from HighwoodPrimary School.

It’s events like this that give Con-nie Rowe, 84, an opportunity to go

out and meet new people.“It’s nice to see a lot of different

people, especially when you areindoors all day,” said Connie, 84,whose daughter Jo Moss-Rowebrings her every month.

“In winter, my husband and Id o n’t really see many people. Thebest part is when the kids cameindoors singing; when it’s justadults, you don’t really noticeC h r i s t m a s. ”

The cafe also runs the yearlyflu-jab clinic in October, as well asan information service everymonth, along with an open surgerywith the parish councillor, andvisits from a local police officer.

“A lot of people really look for-ward to it, they have it in theirc a l e n d a r, ” explained organiserSuzie Pugh, 43, who got the idea forthe cafe when she moved to the areaand wanted to meet some newp e o p l e.

“It can be very secluded roundhere, the winters are very harshand if you don’t drive you can bei s o l at e d , ” added Suzie, who alsoruns Love Shabby Chic, based atWrittle Road Nursery, Chelmsford.

“To be honest, when I first movedhere, I found it quite lonely. Beforethe cafe started, it felt like a row ofhouses, now it feels like acommunity. Every time we have 30to 40 people here, people of all ages,and when people come here once,they come again.

“The village hasn’t got a shop or apost office, so there was no centralmeeting point and people couldn’tget to know their neighbours.

Ju b i l e e“But after starting the cafe we

had a 200-person street party herefor the Jubilee. Now I feel part of thecommunity, the team of seven of usare all neighbours and friends, wego out together.

“We also have an informationservice, village agent, parish coun-cillor having a surgery out there, apolice officer every month, so ifanyone has any worries, there arepeople they can talk to. If someoneis feeling vulnerable – they cancome here.”

The mum-of-two got six of herneighbours involved, and they runthe cafe between them, with a littlehelp from the ECF, which gave thecafe a donation to help get it off theground, as well as some moneyfrom the Surviving Winter fund,which this year has alreadyreached a total of £5,500 thanks toChronicle readers.

“We have supported them beforewith funds from the SurvivingWinter appeal and will be doing soagain this year,” said Jo Murphy,

HOW TO MAKE A DONATION

LOVELY PLACE: John and RitaWealleans have been coming to theCatch-up Cafe since it opened

WE’LL DRINK TO THAT: Back (l-r): Val Seller, Paula Closs. Front (l-r) Irene Blake, Mavis Robinson and Terry Hebblethwaite raise a cup

TEAM EFFORT: The organisers at theCatch-up Cafe are (l-r) Anne Mitchell MBE,Barbara Cousins, Michele Saice, SuziePugh and Jean Latham

FRIENDS: (l-r) Mary Mitchell, Jo Moss-Rowe and Connie Rowe

FINE FARE: Shirley Austin on one of the stalls at the monthly cafe