Betty, 91, and Manuela, 35, have been call companions for just over a year, during which time they’ve developed a great friendship. We caught up with them to find out what they talk about and the difference these weekly calls make to their lives.

Betty found out about call companions during the pandemic at a time when she was struggling with not being able to meet up with friends or family, along with coping with deteriorating eyesight and hearing.

“It's rotten in a way, because I was an avid reader, but I can’t see a book or the telly, which was another thing I really enjoyed. I was also an excellent knitter, I know that you shouldn’t blow your own trumpet, but I made baby blankets and jackets and there’s not been a baby in my local church that hasn’t had something from me.

“I enjoy audio books now, I don't want any that are a bit racy, I can’t be doing with that at my age - it will send my blood pressure up. I like autobiographies and I enjoy stories about war evacuees because I was one. Manuela’s grandmother was an evacuee as well, which is one of the things we have in common.

“When I first found out that I was going to be talking to a 35-year-old, I was quite worried about what someone at my time of life was going to have to talk about to someone so much younger, but Manuela is lovely and it has never been a problem.

“We talk about all kinds of things - places we’ve both been to, our families and what we’ve been doing. Recently I have been hearing all about the plans for her wedding, I feel like I know her family so well.

“I really look forward to her weekly calls. She even phones me when she’s on holiday, once from the Cayman Islands, again when she was skiing in Austria and I even had an extra call on Christmas Day. I say to her, ‘Manuela, you don’t need to do that’ but she’s so sweet - our chats give me such a lift.”

Manuela (pictured) was inspired to volunteer with Re-engage when she worked for Carolina Bucci, one of our corporate supporters, and was on the team that selected Re-engage.

“We looked at a number of charities which we felt had the biggest impact on people’s welfare during the pandemic. I think we just felt like the isolation and loneliness experienced by so many older people really resonated with us and that it was something we could support long-term.”

Manuela decided to apply to be a call companion and clearly enjoys her weekly conversations.

“One of the first things that struck me about Betty is just how funny she is - she has a cheeky sense of humour that can be quite self-deprecating. It’s one of the things that reminds me of my grandmother, who sadly passed away. I wanted to volunteer with Re-engage partly because I miss talking to her.

“I enjoy speaking to someone from an older generation because they have such a different way of thinking and talking about the world. Betty sometimes gets upset by things that are going on in the news, as we all do, and I think that our calls give her a chance to vent and speak to someone without feeling judged.

“We talk about a lot of things, including places we’ve both visited in America, as she has a lot of family out there. Betty used to be a nursery nurse and assistant teacher, so she loves to hear all about my nieces. She’s going to a family get-together soon and she’s really looking forward to it. She’s such a sociable person and would happily chat to people all day.

“Often when I call, she can sound a bit low at first, but then she starts talking about what she’s been up to and by the end of the call she’s cracking jokes. I definitely feel like it’s helpful for her but I get a lot out of it as well - it’s quite grounding, especially when I’m having a particularly busy work week and I realise that maybe my problems aren’t that bad and it’s going to be OK.

“One of the most remarkable things about Betty is her memory for names, details and people. She’s a wonderful storyteller, particularly about her time as an evacuee in World War II.”

Betty's recollections of being evacuated as a young child

“I remember being evacuated with my older sister and little brother, who was just five at the time. We all had our labels, gas masks, the rucksacks my Mum had made for us and our best clothes and coats. We were quite poor, but I remember she wanted us to be well-dressed.

“We arrived late at night and then had to walk a long way to the local school. My brother kept dropping his gas mask so I ended up carrying his, as well as everything else.

“I was a member of the evacuee society for a long time and some of the stories in their magazine would make your hair stand on end, but we were very lucky because the couple we stayed with were lovely. In fact, he gave me away at my wedding.

“We didn’t stay that long because Hitler decided not to start bombing straight away, so we came home. Of course, the bombs came later and I always remember a neighbour asking my Mum if she was going to send us away again and she said ‘No, I’d rather we all died together’. I looked at her and said ‘you’re old, I don’t want to die’ –I think I was always a bit cheeky.”