NEW DATA SHOWS TWO OUT OF FIVE OLDER PEOPLE DON’T FEEL PART OF A VIBRANT COMMUNITY IN THE UK

• As New Homes Week arrives, retirement community expert from McCarthy Stone shares their top tips for embracing your new community and making new friendships in later life

Latest research from McCarthy Stone has found that two out of five people aged 65 and over living in mainstream accommodation do not currently feel part of a vibrant community, and this number rises to half for those who have additional support needs¹.

By contrast, a poll of McCarthy Stone homeowners living in retirement communities across the UK revealed that 80 per cent felt part of a vibrant community² – significantly more than the 56 per cent of those living in mainstream housing.  

The data has been released to coincide with the start of New Homes Week (3 – 9 February 2025) which this year focuses on the importance of community.

Social isolation and loneliness have long been associated with poorer health, but a recent study from the University of Cambridge and Fudan University in China has found that interactions with friends and family may boost our immune system – highlighting the importance community plays in our lives, especially as we grow older.

With extensive experience helping people find their feet when moving in to a new retirement community, McCarthy Stone House Manager, Lisa Shepherd, commented: “As we age, it’s only natural for friendship circles to get smaller, but you can’t underestimate the importance of connections in communities. It naturally can feel daunting if your circumstances change in your neighbourhood or it’s time to downsize to somewhere new, but being part of a community is essential to help tackle the feeling of isolation in later life.”

Here, Lisa from McCarthy Stone has provided her top tips for making friends in later life to help people find their place in the community.

Knock Knock: “It may seem obvious but whether you’re settling in or notice a new neighbour has moved in, take the time to go and knock your new neighbours’ door to introduce yourself. A quick hello can soon develop into a blossoming friendship in no time, as you soon get to know one another.” 

Remaining Active: “Keeping fit in later life is not only beneficial to your physical health, but it is great for your mental well-being too. By joining a local gym or sports centre, you will open yourself to a network of like-minded people who share the same joy of sports or fitness. By taking part in a regular activity, you will find yourself looking forward to socialising and maybe even competing with your newfound friends and teammates.”

Hobbies: “Retirees may find they can have much more spare time on their hands than ever before. This is a great opportunity to rediscover a forgotten passion or to start a new hobby. Perhaps there are other people where you live that share similar interests to you. If so, why not look to set up a new club in your neighbourhood? At many of our developments we’ve set up several game nights, movie marathons and quiz nights and these are really successful at bringing people together.”

Read all about it: “Keep an eye on noticeboards in your community as it’s amazing what might be taking place. Local libraries, community centres, places of worship, independent shops, as well as social media and local media will often include a list of upcoming events. Retirement communities will often host events for retirees living locally too. In shared accommodation there are often noticeboards announcing upcoming events for you to take part in if you wish to, such as our weekly coffee mornings and regular Welcome Wednesdays which are the perfect way to meet with your neighbours and find out what’s taking place. We host a whole host of activities across our developments, so it’s worth making enquiries – for example, a Gentlemen’s Breakfast takes place once a month in the Bistro at Knox Court in Rugby. Helping residents to form new friendships, up to ten men regularly catch up over a Full English and is free to attend. Importantly, it’s also open to local retirees outside of the development looking to build new acquaintances with like-minded people in the area.”

Conversation topics: “Plucking up the courage to work out what to say to someone new can feel very daunting. Why not try out some conversation starter topics, that could help break the ice and help find common ground. Before you know it, you might find a kindred spirit.”

Food for thought: “Dinner evenings, lunch trips out, and breakfast clubs can be a great excuse to get together with other like-minded individuals. Not only does it provide you with an opportunity to mingle with others, but if you’re enjoying a themed food evening, you can explore dishes that you may not have thought about trying before. You could take this one step further by even cooking together. Perhaps you may take it in turns to cook, or you each bring a different dish; regardless you can learn a lot about someone from food – and who doesn’t love a full belly?”

Sam Crew, Head of Brand at McCarthy Stone adds: “With latest Government research demonstrating that living in a retirement community results in improvements in happiness, wellbeing and satisfaction, our own data certainly reflects this; over 80% of McCarthy Stone homeowners say they feel part of a vibrant community, compared with less than half of over 65-year-olds who are still living in mainstream accommodation, so that’s what Lisa and our team of dedicated house managers are focused on delivering.

“Part of the success of creating a vibrant retirement community is down to actively encouraging a homeowner-led approach to creating groups, clubs and events that are bespoke to each development. These could range from soup lunches, art groups, papers and pastries, through to walk and talks.  This means individuals can choose to get involved with what’s on as much or as little as they’d like.

This approach is very important as the demographics of those living in a development will vary hugely location to location – and in turn, so too will the types of activities that people want to enjoy together.

”However, there is no pressure for people to join in. The beauty of a McCarthy Stone apartment is that homeowners can be as sociable as they like, yet they can revert to the privacy of their own apartment as and when they want to. We also recognise that some who have lost their partner could feel less confident when it comes to social interactions such as hosting friends and family. Our Retirement Living Plus developments offer a bistro and guest suite which means it’s easier for them to have visitors with less pressure if entertaining.”

McCarthy Stone’s Centenary Place retirement living community in Southend runs a popular monthly Music and Brunch Club. Bringing like-minded people together over food and music has been a great way for the community to forge stronger rapports, and it’s typically attended by at least half of those that live there. Jonathan Crowe, 85, moved into the retirement community a year ago to be nearer family.  Talking about the monthly gathering, he says: “It’s been great to learn about other people’s music interests and see what we have in common. I also love the food as I’m housebound so can no longer use the local cafés. I joined the group out of curiosity as it was better than sitting alone, and it’s really benefited my outlook. I also enjoy a regular exercise group.”