Vintage Vibes is an Edinburgh-based charitable project offering one-to-one friendships, support and companionship to Edinburgh’s over-60s.
It tackles isolation and loneliness by keeping its ‘VIPs’ socially connected and active in their local communities. Close to Spurtleshire, it operates from LifeCare Edinburgh at 2 Cheyne Street in Stockbridge, and three businesses in the area currently support it: Dragonfly on Broughton Street, One20 on Dundas Street, and The Beauty Boutique by Victoria on St Stephen Street.
Fifteen locals are registered at the moment with Vintage Vibes, but organisers strongly suspect many more across Broughton, Pilrig and the New Town would benefit from its services.
Caring with a card
This winter (like every winter for the last six years), project organisers are inviting locals to visit the Vintage Vibes website here and leave a brief profile about themselves. Participants will in turn receive a profile from a local, lonely VIP to whom they’re encouraged to send a personalised festive card via the organisers in time for Christmas.
The deadline for getting your card to Vintage Vibes this year is 12 December.
Georgia Artus, Development Manager at Vintage Vibes, says: ‘During the pandemic, we all got a taste of the isolation many older people suffer daily. Sadly, for a great many, that isolation would continue without the support of Vintage Vibes and our wonderful network of volunteers.
‘Edinburgh is one of the loneliest cities in the UK for older people, and we know something as simple as receiving a Christmas card can make all the difference to someone who will be alone over the festive period.
‘I would encourage anyone to get involved. It’s easy to do and makes such a difference.’
After 12 December, Vintage Vibes’ Gemma Wright told Spurtle, ‘People can still get involved by donating a gift – anything from tea and cake to a free meal, going to see a show, or funding transport to an event.
‘Every penny helps us to tackle loneliness in the city at Christmas and beyond.’
[Pictured above are Edinburgh Playhouse staff at the launch of this year’s Christmas Card Campaign.]
