One of the saddest aspects of getting older is the prospect of loneliness and isolation.

You may be lucky enough to be physically fit and healthy for your age but when you lose friends and your children and grandchildren are limited in the times they can visit because of their own busy lives, you can still end up spending a lot of time alone.

Worse still is when you have to make the decision to give up driving and you lose a lot of your independence: the ability to pop out to the shops or for a coffee to cheer yourself up if you want a change from the four walls of home.

In the UK the Campaign to End Loneliness says that ’loneliness is a bigger problem than simply an emotional experience’, quoting research which shows that loneliness and social isolation are harmful to our health.

Lacking social connections, the research has found, is a risk factor for early death comparable to smoking 15 cigarettes a day and is worse for us than other well-known risk factors such as obesity and physical inactivity. Loneliness increases the likelihood of mortality by 26%.

On the island the Live at Home charity, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, is dedicated to alleviating loneliness among older people.

There are five Live at Home schemes, each based in a different area of the island with 700 members and 350 volunteers in all.

Jackie Bridson, who this week takes over as chief executive of Isle of Man Live at Home, has worked for the charity for three years.

She said: ’If you’re a member of Live at Home you can become as much involved as you want to be.

’We have a number of lunch groups and social activities and there are craft afternoons and a film club once a month at the Ballakermeen Theatre.

’The Douglas scheme is really very well subscribed so we have to make sure that everybody gets a chance to go to go out.’

Dixie Wheeler, a volunteer with the Douglas scheme, does a phone around of members every week to see how many want to attend their upcoming events.

’It’s very fluid and flexible but it works,’ says Jackie.

I visited one of the lunch groups at St Andrew’s Church Hall. Fourteen members were tucking in to sausage and mash followed by hot chocolate fudge cake and cream, cooked by Essie Montgomery, the assistant manager of the Douglas Live at Home scheme, and Jackie. The members attending are a mix of people, from both private homes and sheltered housing.

Essie Montgomery explained that scheme membership is free but the members pay £7 for the two-course meal plus tea or coffee and an extra £3 if they are being picked up and brought for to the venue in the charity’s minibus.

Mike Kelly, who drives the minibus, got involved with Live at Home three years ago after taking early retirement from the civil service.

His mum, Margaret, is a member of the Western Live at Home scheme.

Mike says: ’My mum will be 90 in a couple of weeks and she gave up driving a few years ago. She gets a lunch in St John’s once a week and another one once a month at the Philip Christian Centre in Peel.

’Live at Home is good for getting people out or some people could be just stuck at home all the time.

’People of similar ages and with similar interests can get together and reminisce.’

Margaret Quine has been a member for over a year.

She comes for the lunches ’just to meet different people’ and she said:

’The lunches are all very good but it’s the company really more so than the lunch.’

Rene Braide joined the scheme about three years ago and is regular at the fortnightly lunches. She said:’The best bit is the company and the people are so kind so thoughtful. I think they’re fantastic - it’s the best thing they ever did.’

Rene added that even just coming out once a fortnight makes a big difference to her life: ’Because it’s something to look forward to, otherwise you don’t get out. And everybody’s so nice.’

Glenys Chad, agreed, adding that it was a nice excuse to get a bit more dressed up:

’It’s just seeing everybody and having some nice food and pulling something out of the wardrobe you haven’t had on for a while.’

The youngest person at the lunch, Margaret Brookes, explained that she had sustained a serious head injury in a fall and was no longer able to cook.

Her husband, who now does all the cooking at home, works at the Ballakermeen Theatre and organises the film club for Live at Home.

Margaret said: ’It’s very good and everybody knows everybody.’

Isle of Man Live at Home also offers one-to-one befriending where volunteers visit members’ homes for a chat and a cup of tea or maybe to take them for a doctor’s appointment.

’It’s always a very positive relationship,’ Jackie said/

She added: ’In addition to our social activities and events, we run initiatives to further tackle issues surrounding loneliness and isolation.

’This includes our intergenerational and digital inclusion projects. We have strong links with local schools and also with Manx Telecom and have devised pilots connecting young adults and Manx Telecom staff volunteers with our members.

’These pilots have developed befriending relationships or helping out with social events as well as looking to teach members to utilise new skills to improve their interaction through social media, opening up the world of online purchasing.’