Neighbours in the Know — July 2026 issue out now

The July issue of our newsletter for older residents is here — and this one was written by you, in a sense.

This spring, 49 of the people we befriend told us what THFN means to them in our biggest impact survey yet. Their answers open the issue: every single person is satisfied with the service, nearly all say it has improved their quality of life, and the thing they value most isn’t the practical help — it’s someone to talk to.

Also in this issue:

Scam Watch — the phone scams doing the rounds in Tower Hamlets right now, the golden rule about one-time passcodes, and five simple ways to beat scam callers, including the 159 number that connects you safely to your own bank.
Help with the rent — a new council Hardship Fund can cover six months’ worth of April’s rent increase for eligible council tenants. It’s first come, first served: call the Housing Service Centre on 020 7364 5015.
Have your say, and get paid for it — the council wants residents to shape the new One Stop Shop at the Harford Centre, with a £20 voucher for each panel meeting.
A scam-themed word search — every hidden word comes from the scam pages, so the lessons stick while the kettle’s on.

The newsletter is free and comes in three versions, because everyone should be able to read it:

If you’d like printed copies for yourself, a neighbour, or a community space, contact the THFN office.

Neighbours Know How — July 2026 issue out now

The latest issue of our bulletin for professionals working with older people is out, leading with the findings of THFN’s 2026 impact survey.

Neighbours Know How draws on what our befrienders see week in, week out — in the homes of older residents most services rarely reach — and pairs it with the policy and practice changes professionals need to track. Written plainly, and honestly, including about our own limitations.

In the July issue:

The findings of our 2026 impact survey — including unanimous satisfaction, the limits of what a fortnightly visit can do, and why standard outcome measures fail housebound people.
Befriending and the neighbourhood health model — why our clients are exactly the cohort neighbourhood teams are designed to reach, and an invitation to build referral routes with us.
Three findings worth stealing — transferable lessons for any service working with isolated older people.
A policy round-up — the Casey Commission’s first report, the January 2027 digital landline switch-off and what it means for telecare users, new pension scam protections, and the council’s Hardship Fund for tenants.

Neighbours Know How is free and published by email. It is written for professionals; our newsletter for the older people we support, Neighbours in the Know, is also out now for July.

https://mailchi.mp/688c6bfadf87/neighbours-know-how-what-49-older-residents-told-us

If you would like to discuss anything in the bulletin — particularly referral routes with neighbourhood teams and primary care networks — contact the THFN office.

“THFN saves lives” — what the people we befriend told us

Earlier this year we asked the older people we befriend across Tower Hamlets a simple question: what difference does THFN make to your life?

Forty-nine people told us. Every single one of them said they are satisfied with the service, and 86% said they are very satisfied. Forty-seven out of 48 said THFN has improved their quality of life. Forty-five out of 46 said they feel less lonely and isolated since a befriender started visiting.

We are proud of those numbers. But it is the words behind them that matter most.

One befriendee, aged between 75 and 84, summed up her experience in three words: “THFN saves lives.”

Another told us her befriender “does more for me than my own children.”

A daughter caring for her mother described our visits as “a lifeline for Mum and for me.”

And one person we support today told us something that stopped us in our tracks: THFN also supported her mother, 30 years ago. Her message to everyone else was simple. “Why would you not support such a caring and professional organisation, that has improved the quality of elderly people’s lives in Tower Hamlets?”

What people value most

When we asked what people value about befriending, the answer was not complicated. Someone to talk to. Companionship and friendship. The relationship itself came first, ahead of everything else we do.

That matters, because the people we visit are among the most isolated in the borough. Most are over 75. Most live with several long-term health conditions. Many cannot leave home without help. For them, a regular visit from someone who comes for the person — not the task — is not a luxury. It is often the difference between coping and not.

“There is no clever trick to befriending. It is one person turning up for another, week after week, because they matter. What our befriendees have told us is that this simple thing changes lives — and in some cases, in their own words, saves them. My thanks go to every befriender and volunteer who makes that happen.”

— Rita Chadha, CEO, Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours

Befriending in Tower Hamlets since 1947

THFN has been visiting isolated older people in Tower Hamlets for nearly 80 years. Alongside regular befriending visits, we provide advocacy, practical help and a link to other services for people who might otherwise fall through the gaps.

If you know an older person in Tower Hamlets who would benefit from a befriender, we would love to hear from you. And if what our befriendees have said moves you, a donation goes directly into keeping those visits happening.

Make a referral: www.thfn.org.uk/referral-page Donate: www.thfn.org.uk/donate

URGENT – RED HEAT ALERT ADVICE FOR VULNERABLE OLDER ADULTS

🔴 A red heat alert is in place this Wednesday and Thursday — and this kind of heat is no joke for older or housebound neighbours.

A few simple things make a real difference: a cold drink within easy reach 💧, curtains closed against the sun ☀️, and someone popping in or phoning to check they’re okay 🫶

We’ve put together a quick guide on what to do and what to watch for. Please have a read, and share it with anyone who looks out for an older relative, friend or neighbour 👇
https://mailchi.mp/47a72d2c0321/june-2026-volunteers-week-carers-week-and-the-question-worth-asking-your-neighbour-12773494

June 2026 News

We’re recruiting Volunteers for Older people in

Tower Hamlets

Four ways to find out what volunteering with us actually looks like

We’ve been knocking on doors in Tower Hamlets since 1947, befriending older neighbours who would otherwise spend their week without seeing anyone. We’re recruiting. And rather than ask you to commit to anything sight unseen, we’re running four informal sessions across Volunteers’ Week where you can come and ask whatever you want.

No pressure to sign up on the day.

The sessions

Tuesday 2 June, 1pm – 3pm — in person at St Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL. The full afternoon, drop in any time. Tea and biscuits.

Thursday 4 June, 10am – 11am — online. The daytime option for people joining from home, between school runs, or fitting it around carer responsibilities.

Thursday 4 June, 6pm – 7pm— online. The evening option for people in work or with daytime commitments.

Saturday 6 June, 10am – 11am — online. The weekend option for people who can’t make weekdays at all.

What you’ll learn

– What befriending actually involves, week to week
– The four roles we’re recruiting for: Face-to-face Befriender, Telephone Befriender, Get-Together Host, Transport Buddy
– How matching works, what training looks like, what support you get
– The honest answers to anything you want to ask

How to book

Call 020 3007 9120 or email [email protected] Tell us which session and we’ll send you the joining link (for online) or confirm your seat (for in-person).

Or apply directly any time at thfn.org.uk/volunteer-form

Know someone who’d be interested? Please pass this on. A retired neighbour, a colleague between roles, a student looking for community experience, anyone with a couple of hours a week and the inclination to spend them well.

Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours · Charity 1099403 · Knocking on doors since 1947

This Volunteers’ Week 2026:

come and find out what we do

Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours · 1 – 7 June 2026

Every befriending visit, every cup of tea, every phone call that breaks a long silence — none of it happens without our volunteers.

This week we say thank you. And we invite new people to join us.

If you’ve ever wondered whether you could volunteer with us — or you know someone who’s been thinking about it — we’re holding four informal recruitment sessions. Come and ask anything. There’s no obligation to sign up on the day.

The roles we’re recruiting for

Most volunteers visit one older neighbour weekly or fortnightly for around an hour. Others prefer phone befriending or helping at events. Full training, expenses paid, ongoing support. You can download a full role description here

Face-to-face Befriender — weekly or fortnightly home visits. Tea, conversation, walks.
Telephone Befriender — a regular weekly phone call. Deceptively powerful.
Get-Together Host — help us run our monthly social: chairs, welcomes, tea.
Transport Buddy — accompany an older neighbour to appointments or events.

Languages we especially need

If you speak Bengali, Sylheti, Somali or Cantonese, please get in touch. Older neighbours are waiting for a befriender in their first language.

Recruitment sessions

In person — Tuesday 2 June, 1pm to 3pm
St Margaret’s House, 21 Old Ford Road, E2 9PL.
Informal afternoon. Tea and biscuits provided.

Online — Thursday 4 June, 10am to 11am
Daytime session for those joining from home.

Online — Thursday 4 June, 6pm to 7pm
Evening session for those in work or with daytime commitments.

Online — Saturday 6 June, 10am to 11am
Weekend option for those who can’t make weekdays.

To book: call 020 3007 9120 or email [email protected]

Or apply directly any time at via our online volunteer form

Carers Week 2026: You are not on your own

Caring for an older relative, friend or neighbour? Come and talk with us.

An older parent. A husband or wife. A neighbour you check in on. If you help an older person — with shopping, appointments, medication, or simply being there — you are a carer. Even if no-one has ever called you one.

To mark Carers Week 2026 (8–14 June), Tower Hamlets Friends & Neighbours is hosting an online conversation for family and informal carers supporting an older person. The session is a chance to meet others in similar circumstances, talk through what you are managing, and find out about the support available locally.

This year’s Carers Week theme is Building Carer Friendly Communities, and we are proud to play our part in Tower Hamlets.

Event details

What: THFN Carers Support Network — an online conversation
When: Tuesday 9 June 2026, 6.00pm – 7.00pm
Where: Online (Zoom — joining link sent on booking)
Cost: Free. All welcome.

To book your place

Call 020 3007 9120 or email [email protected]

June’s Neighbours Know How is out

Published: 27 May 2026

The June edition of Neighbours Know How, our monthly newsletter for older people in Tower Hamlets, is now being delivered. Inside this month:

- - Pension Credit — over £3,900 a year that 850,000 eligible pensioners aren’t claiming, with a free number to call
- - Age Without Limits Day (Wednesday 10 June) and the question to ask this year
- - Loneliness Awareness Week (15–21 June) — and an invitation to lunch and a chat at the Bernie Cameron Centre on Tuesday 16 June
- - Diabetes Week resources, with new short videos in English, Sylheti and Somali
- - NHS mental health support by text — a new way to reach the 111 service for anyone who’d rather not speak
- - Two scams to be aware of this month
- - Staying well in hot weather
- - A call for new volunteers — and for clients who’d like to sit on our interview panel
- A wordsearch on the back page

Neighbours Know How is printed in large type and plain language, designed to sit on a kitchen table for the whole month. If you know an older person in Tower Hamlets who’d benefit from receiving it, please get in touch — we’d be glad to add them to the list.

📞 0203 007 9120 · ✉ [email protected]

Neighbours in the Know Residents Newsletter June 2026

May 2026 News

Scams alert

Two scams to flag with older people this month.

PayPal 1p deposit scam. The fraudster deposits 1p into a PayPal account, which generates a genuine PayPal email about the transaction. The email instructs the recipient to call a number if they do not recognise the deposit. The number connects to a scammer who walks the victim through “securing” their account. The PayPal email is real; the phone number is the trap.

British Gas impersonation calls. With energy prices rising, cold callers are impersonating British Gas. Several recipients reported the caller already had personal information about them. Treat any unsolicited contact about energy bills as suspect; advise clients to hang up and call their supplier on a number they have looked up themselves.

We would welcome reports from professionals of anything you are seeing in your caseloads.

May 2026 Neighbours in the Know Newsletter

The May edition of our monthly print newsletter for older residents in Tower Hamlets is now available. Neighbours in the Know is designed to be read over a cup of tea — practical information, local news, and a wordsearch on the back.

Inside this month:

- - How to book your free NHS Spring Covid-19 booster if you’re 75+ or immunocompromised
- - TfL’s Priority Seating Week (11–18 May) — and how to get a free “Please offer me a seat” badge from us
- - Dying Matters Week (4–10 May), with free drop-in events at Tower Hamlets Cemetery Park and Bethnal Green Library
- - What the new Renters’ Rights Act means for private renters from 1 May
- - Three scams doing the rounds this spring — and how to stay safe
- A May wordsearch

If you’d like the newsletter posted to you, or in larger print, please call us on 0203 007 9120 or email [email protected]. And please — if you’ve enjoyed reading, pass it on to a friend or neighbour.

Download the May 2026 newsletter here

APRIL 2026 News

The NHS 10-Year Plan starts to land — what it means for frailty and dementia care

The honest picture: healthy life expectancy is going backwards
Age UK latest State of Health and Care report (updated February 2026) makes for difficult reading. Over the past ten years, healthy life expectancy has actually fallen — men aged 50–54 can now expect 19.4 healthy years ahead, down from 19.9 a decade ago. For women of the same age, it has dropped from 21.1 to 20.6 years.
28,000 fewer older people receiving council care support than a decade ago — despite more people aged 75+ in the UK 19%decline in district nurses over the past decade — a key factor in rising avoidable hospital admissions
This data matters for how we make the case for our work. Statutory services are stretched and contracting. The voluntary and community sector — neighbours, befrienders, community connectors — is often the first and sometimes the only consistent presence in an older person’s life.

Big money, big promises — what the government’s care priorities mean for us

Big money, big promises — what the government’s care priorities mean for us
The government has set out its adult social care priorities for 2026–27, centred on three aims: improving quality of care, giving people more choice and control, and strengthening the join between health and social care at neighbourhood level.
From 1 April 2026, the standard NHS-funded nursing care rate rises from £254.06 to £267.68 per week — a 5.4% increase affecting around 80,000 people. The aim is to reduce pressure on hospitals and support discharge into community settings. There is also £723 million available nationally through the Disabled Facilities Grant this year.
Baroness Louise Casey is leading an independent commission on adult social care. Her first recommendations are due later this year — watch this space.
What this means locally: Councils, including our neighbours at Newham and Tower Hamlets, will be expected to focus on independence-promoting care, personalised support plans, and deeper collaboration with voluntary sector partners. That’s us. The shift towards neighbourhood health services being “accessible, coordinated and responsive” to older people is an opportunity — but only if community organisations like THFN are at the table.
→ Read the full government priorities document

April 2026 Neighbours in the Know Newsletter

We’re delighted to share the Spring edition of Neighbours in the Know, our community newsletter for older residents across Tower Hamlets. This month’s issue covers the new pension and benefit rates that come into effect in April, news of the borough’s ‘Good’ CQC rating for adult social care, a reminder about the May local elections, and details of our next monthly Get Together on Tuesday 21st April in Mile End. There’s also a spring word search and an East End quiz to enjoy over a cup of tea.

If you’d like the newsletter posted to you, or in larger print or another format, please get in touch on 0203 007 9120 or [email protected].

Download the April Newsletter here