Extra Time Hubs with Posh Foundation reconnected David with his local community
David Allen, a lifelong Posh Fan, was like many people who reach retirement and find their social life away from work slowly diminishes. David felt life was not heading in the right direction and he felt incredibly lonely due to not having any family and friends close by. That is when his Football Club came to his aid and he joined the Posh Foundations Extra Time Hub.
The Extra Time 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.
David wanted to meet new like-minded people and begin to enjoy life more after feeling lonely and isolated for such a long time. David felt that everything the hub was offering would be perfect for him. Since attending the Hub has also been feeling less lonely and much more satisfied with his life
David said “The hub gives me a reason to leave the house, it is what I look forward to most each week. I have been able to meet people that I wouldn’t have been able to meet without the Hub. I feel connected to the community again and have a real sense of belonging again.”
Gill Wignall of the Posh Foundation said “David is now a key member of the hub and volunteers his time to lead on some of our activities such as organising quizzes every week for the other members to take part in. He attends every week along with attending Peterborough United home matches.”
Peterborough are one of 19 EFL clubs that run the EFL Trust’s Extra Time Hubs, that were initially funded by Sport England through the National Lottery.
Gill continues, “Activities for older people tended to be small coffee morning or bingo sessions. The Extra Time Hubs set out to do something different and create a social community of people in their retirement years who meet regularly to socialise and to do the things they enjoy or want to try, not what they are expected to do because they’ve reached a certain age. The Hubs focus on the social side of the hub and help people to feel better by reducing their social isolation and loneliness and in doing so we also nudge them towards being more physically active too.”
