An 88-year-old West London Synagogue member who founded a charity to tackle loneliness amongst the elderly has been named a Community Game Changer by the National Lottery in recognition of the positive and lasting impact he has had.
Trevor Lyttleton MBE, who founded the charity Re-engage, formerly known as Contact the Elderly, is one of seven people from across the UK to feature in a specially commissioned Perspex portrait as part of an art installation "floating” on the water in St James’s Park. It was unveiled earlier this week to launch the National Lottery’s 30th anniversary celebrations.
With the premise that “all you need is a warm heart, a warm welcome, a downstairs toilet, and a large teapot”, the retired solicitor set up Contact the Elderly in 1965 after he became aware of the isolation that so many elderly people who lived near him in central London were experiencing.
He took a group of pensioners out to Hampton Court and, after seeing the positive effect it had on them, started to set up groups to organise tea parties so lonely older people could get out and socialise with others.
Trevor Lyttleton, National Lottery Community Game Changer, in front of his portrait "floating" on the lake in St James's Park, London
Lyttleton told the JC: “The idea behind Contact the Elderly was simple – volunteers would host one Sunday afternoon tea party a month for between 10 and 15 elderly people in their home,” he said. “The National Lottery later enabled us to double in size, between receiving our first grant in 2007 and when I retired as chair at our 50th anniversary in 2015.”
In 2009, at the suggestion of Rabbi Julia Neuberger, Lyttleton managed to set up monthly tea parties at West London Synagogue, which he says are still thriving and very much in demand.
Re-engage now has nearly 9,000 volunteers – some of whom have been with the charity for 50 years – and last year, helped around 8,500 isolated elderly people all over the UK.
As well as tea parties, the charity also organises companionship calls and activity groups and works to improve old people’s physical health as well as their mental wellbeing.
Lyttleton, who lives in Hampstead Garden Suburb, north-west London, and still campaigns for various social issues, said it was thanks to his grandmother that he first became intrigued by elderly people. “She was an amazing and very witty person, who made me realise that old people were actually really fascinating, and that you can learn such a lot from them.”
Trevor Lyttleton, centre, with other National Lottery Community Game Changers, in front of their portraits (Photo: The National Lottery)
He said that it was “a great honour to accept the National Lottery Community Game Changer Award on behalf of the volunteers who have really made the success of the charity happen. It’s incredibly exciting to receive this award focusing on something that has been my lifetime commitment, to protect vulnerable elderly people.”
Referring to his Perspex portrait, he added: “I would never have believed I would ever walk on water or walk so tall.”
Trevor Lyttleton with his Perspex portrait before it was installed in St James's Park, London
The art installation is the work of Italian-Venezuelan artist Luis Gomez de Teran and is the first in a series of four which will honour 30 inspirational people who have made a lasting impact across the UK, with the help of National Lottery funding. It will remain “floating” in St James’s Park until September 23.
