Rebecca is passionate about helping lonely older people which is why she became a Re-engage call companion. 

She has been making calls to 88-year-old Vera for three years and cherishes the friendship she has made. 

“Older people have an incredible perspective on life,” said Rebecca, 24 from Southampton. “They always have a lot of advice. It’s just great talking to them. 

“But many of them are isolated and it must be awful to be alone. You can go from having a close family and a job to nothing so your life is turned upside down. I hate to think of someone ending up that way. 

“My grandfather, Jim, who died in 2020 was lonely towards the end. I know he would have loved to have someone call him to have a chat. 

“Vera lives alone and I know she looks forward to 4pm on a Friday when I make the call. There is a big age difference between us but that doesn’t matter. We talk about all kinds of things, politics, world events, the economy and what she has recently bought at Tesco. 

“I have an intense job as a technology consultant so it’s nice to be able to speak to someone who has absolutely no involvement with that world. I love the calls, it’s just like catching up with a mate. She won’t get rid of me easily!”