Laughter, connection, value and friendship all play a vital role in our well-being. Meaningful connection and community help our sense of belonging and purpose into later life.

Caraway aims to facilitate this for older people across Southampton. Founded in 2018 we have been growing a dedicated team of Chaplains and volunteers who come alongside older people and help them to navigate the experiences and changes later life brings.

We offer Chaplaincy Services and Dementia Services and take referrals for these through our website – please explore to find out more about what we do and activities near you.

Whether through a home visit, a telephone call, or at a local community group or Care Home – we aim to:

• Combat loneliness
• Create community
• Celebrate life

Our Team

Meet our wonderful team of staff and volunteers.

Team

“thank you for the support and encouragement you have given me over these past months of working as a Wellbeing Volunteer for Dementia. It has been great coming on board, with lots to learn”

Volunteer, Dementia Well-being

I'm so grateful for the chaplaincy service you are able to offer, and for your kindness and interest in my aunt's life at such a vulnerable and difficult time. I can't find the right words to express my appreciation and gratitude, it makes such a positive difference.

Sue

You do see your friends and neighbours, all being brought in. It’s a relaxed atmosphere . It means you do feel included in the church family. We’re a very close family and have friends of friends of friends, but the young people, they don’t have anybody . It continued church as I haven’t been so well lately after a fall. My balance is poor and my voice isn’t what it used to be, and I love to sing. I always knew when it was time to get up as I could hear Grandma in the kitchen, she sang.

Liz’s Mum

I come to Vintage Adventure because , being a single person, it’s good to come to places where I meet people and I think in a big church, any groups, be it for young or old to meet people on a much smaller scale is really important like homegroups I think it is very good for the older generation to be catered for because they have certain emphases.

Pat (Scottish Dancer)

Why do you come as a volunteer to help with events like Vintage Adventure in church? …Well, as I’m getting older, I realise that for an awful lot of the elderly, they’ve not got very long left to get to know the lord So I think this generation is the most important ministry. If you’re in with students and you mess it up, they’ve got a whole lifetime when they can met somebody who will correct it. We haven’t got that luxury so this is a very important ministry and I just want to do my little bit.

Rob Childs