An old woman and a young woman sharing a cake in friendship

ALONE celebrates International Day of Friendship 2025

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This Wednesday July 30th,  ALONE, the organisation that supports older people to age at home is celebrating International Friendship Day.

It is a day to celebrate what is the most valuable thing that anyone can have, a friend, a chara, a mate, a soul mate and to think about making new friends.

ALONE is asking you to value your friends and to consider making new ones by volunteering for their Support & Befriending Service.

ALONE are looking for new volunteers across Ireland to experience the joy and friendship of volunteering for themselves, and to give their friendship to of an older person in their local area.

Loneliness continues to affect thousands across Ireland today and we have a lot of older people waiting today for a new friend.

So far this year ALONE has supported over 32,000 older people with various needs from housing to financial to health and the one area that cuts across most in loneliness.

It impacts the lives of thousands of older people across Ireland every day and can have serious long-term impacts on both mental and physical health. Last year, ALONE volunteers gave 264,430 hours of valued support to older people nationwide.

Demand for ALONE’s services is higher than ever before, and in some hotspot areas the organisation is urgently in need of volunteers.

ALONE CEO Seán Moynihan: “ALONE volunteers do life-changing work every day with older people across the country, and we are grateful for everything they do. Loneliness impacts people of all ages, but as we age experiences of loneliness can become more chronic. It impacts our physical and mental health. But it is something we can remedy by extending a hand of friendship.”

Anne, ALONE Volunteer: “I really enjoy my interactions with the older person I visit. I really believe that ALONE volunteers make a difference. But the gains are on both sides as those we visit have so much to give.”

David, ALONE Volunteer: “I just want to say I find the support ALONE gives to its volunteers to be exceptional. The team are always so supportive and understanding. They often check in with me to see how I’m doing and regularly express their gratitude for the volunteering work. I always appreciate it.”

94% of ALONE Volunteers reported benefiting from being an ALONE Volunteer. 88% of ALONE volunteers would recommend volunteering with ALONE to a friend. 90% felt prepared to start their role after initial training. ALONE provides Volunteers with a variety of additional training helping them make the most out of the volunteer role.

“We are calling on people across the country to join us and experience the benefits and friendship that volunteering with ALONE brings. A few hours a week, online or in person can change the quality of someone’s life,” concluded Moynihan. “If you are not in a position to volunteer at the moment, you can also donate to support our life-changing work.”

ALONE’s Support & Befriending service provides companionship and practical support to older people who would like or need it. The service also provides assistance to solve everyday problems and links the older person in with local events and activities. We provide advice and information on health and wellbeing and will provide the older person with further support as and when required.