Keymer Hall and Befriended Join Forces to Reduce Social Isolation
Keymer Hall, the Boutique Care Homes residence on Kings Way in Burgess Hill, opened its doors on Tuesday 18 August to Befriended, the Mid Sussex charity working to end loneliness and isolation among older people. Around 34 of the charity’s friends and volunteers joined Keymer Hall’s own residents and team for a day of activities, food and music together.
Befriended runs regular activities throughout the year for isolated older people across Mid Sussex, its “Befriended friends,” but school holidays bring a natural pause to much of that regular programme. For the past couple of years, the charity has bridged the gap with a “holiday at home” day at its own premises. This year, for the first time, Befriended planned an Activity Day at an external venue, and Keymer Hall agreed to host it.
The day opened with circus skills, plate spinning and juggling among them, drawing residents and Befriended’s friends into the same games. Musicians Susan Fleet and Ira Thomas performed with a pianist, and an exercise class got everyone moving before a vintage ice cream van arrived in the afternoon. Quizzes and outdoor games filled the rest of the day, and everyone sat down to share lunch together.
“An amazing activity day at Keymer Hall with Befriended,” said Christine Bunce, Home Manager at Keymer Hall. “It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying themselves, sharing laughter, taking part in activities and making new friends. A truly special day filled with friendship, connection, fun and wonderful memories.”
Loneliness among older people remains a serious and widespread issue across the UK. Age UK research published in December 2024 found that around 940,000 older people, roughly 7% of those aged 65 and over, are often lonely, and that nine in ten of them also live with a long-term illness or disability. It is exactly this kind of isolation that Befriended was set up to address, one shared activity, conversation and afternoon at a time.
The event reflects a growing partnership between Keymer Hall and Befriended’s CEO and Founder, Gail Millar, and comes as an extension of the home’s Life Enrichment Programme, in particular its focus on Belonging: residents feeling part of the wider community, not apart from it.
“We are incredibly grateful to Keymer Hall for hosting such a wonderful Befriended Activity Day,” said Gail Millar. “What made the day so special was seeing Befriended friends and Keymer Hall residents coming together as one community, exercising, singing, sharing a delicious lunch, trying circus skills, quiz and a pause for reflection, laughing and simply enjoying one another’s company. Befriended is on a mission to see an end to loneliness and isolation among older people living in Mid Sussex, and bringing people together, building community, creating connections in partnership with local organisations is key. The warmth, generosity and hospitality shown by the whole Keymer Hall team were exceptional, and we are so thankful for this growing partnership and all that it is bringing to older people in our community.”
“Days like this do not simply happen,” Gail added afterwards. “They are made possible by people who willingly give their time, energy, care and kindness. Each of you helped create a day in which people felt noticed, valued, included and loved, and that is what Befriended is all about.”
For Keymer Hall, days like this are what Belonging looks like in practice: a home that opens its doors to its neighbours as readily as it cares for the people who live there, and a partnership with Befriended that both organisations plan to build on.
