Extra Time Hubs part of Rosemary’s love for Plymouth Argyle.

For over 20 years, Rosemary has been participating in provisions provided by Argyle Community Trust. Not only has she been a familiar face with the Trust, but also the club where she has held a season ticket for several years.

Long before the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, Rosemary attended the skittles and curling activity sessions with her husband. However, she sadly lost her husband and her son a few years ago.

Suddenly, Rosemary was at risk of isolation and loneliness only heightened by the national lockdowns. However, the Trust once again provided solutions albeit virtually for some time.

She participated in the online Zoom sessions as part of the Tackling Loneliness Together project, associated with Extra Time Hubs and has attended the sessions ever since.

The Hubs enable retired and semi-retired people make the most of their free time and enjoy doing the things they want to do. With friendships, support and being the socially active forefront of the Hubs aim, participants decide what they wish to take in with various activities on offer from quizzes to walking football.

Adrian Bradley the EFL Trust’s Health and Wellbeing lead, explains, “With Extra Time Hubs we set out to do something different. Activities for Older people tended to be small coffee morning or bingo sessions. We want to create a social community of people in their retirement years who meet regularly to socialise and to do the things they enjoy, not what we tell them they should enjoy. We focus on the social side of the hub and help people to feel better by reducing their social isolation and loneliness. By getting people more socially active we nudge them towards more a physically active lifestyles – it’s health by stealth.”

She said: “I always know I’ve got something to look forward to and the amount of friends I have made through the group and now we are very close nit, and all get on well with each other.

“You come out and socialise and its great here as you can be yourself! Everyone is comfortable with each other. The group now also organise their own Christmas meals, separate from Argyle, showing how close they have become and how important the group is to all the members.”

Simply, she could not praise the Trust enough.

“I don’t know what I’ll do without it, it’s a part and parcel of my life (same as Argyle)

“They have been absolutely fantastic. It has kept me in touch with things because I lost my husband and son a few years ago.

“It has been brilliant; I can’t praise them enough.”