The Know-How

Last Wednesday ITV’s This Morning and present Sian Welby visited Good Company to film our Snooker and Games Clubs. The segment will air when Richard Osman next appears on the sofa, and we are already hearing from people who want to understand how our approach could work where they live.

Thank you to the Headley Trust for supporting our programme for the next three years. Their focus on strengthening communities and widening opportunities for older people is closely aligned with everything we do at Good Company.

We’re starting a new Monday Company Club in Ticehurst for older adults and carers who enjoy good conversation, tea, and trying new things together. From flower arranging to music and laughter, our clubs are about feeling part of something. We’re looking for local volunteers to help host, drive, or share a skill. You don’t need experience - just kindness, curiosity, and a few hours to give each month.

A Good Company couple share their experience of joining Time for Dementia, an Alzheimer’s Society programme that pairs medical students with families affected by dementia. The visits give students real insight into daily life with the condition and help shape a more compassionate generation of healthcare professionals.

Our Lunch and Learn sessions give staff the chance to pause, share stories and pick up simple, practical advice about ageing, dementia and caring. Lucy leads each session with lived experience and real voices from our community, which makes them honest, human and full of insight. Recent sessions at Aspen, Wedlake Bell and Buzzacott showed how powerful these conversations can be. Could your workplace be next?

We bring people together in ordinary places like pubs and cafés to share food, conversation and activities that make life feel lighter. Carers find support, friendships grow, and everyone is welcomed as they are. Behind the scenes, our volunteers and hosts pay attention to the little details that make each gathering inclusive and joyful. As musician and host Paul Dixon says, “I am just astonished by the whole thing. It is just incredible, all through the power of people.”

Wendy and Alison are now halfway through their incredible six-week journey along the Camino del Norte, with over 400 kilometres behind them. Week three brought dramatic sea views, changing skies and plenty of hot chocolate as they made their way from Santander to Ribadesella. Every step is helping raise vital funds for Good Company.

We welcomed two local councillors to Wednesday Supper Club in August. There was singing, fish and chips, a 98th birthday and one member’s first ever karaoke at 86. The atmosphere was unforgettable, and their visit led to a £5,000 grant to support our clubs in Crowborough. Real connection makes things happen.