A BLACKBIRD Leys volunteer is so proud of her community groups that she hopes it will be copied in other parts of Oxford.

Liz Helliwell, who set up Friendleys in April, is championing the power of local groups. Friendleys helps elderly people who would otherwise become isolated meet others and socialise.

Mrs Helliwell said that more people need to set up similar groups to help others.

She said: “I didn’t think it would work, it was just a little idea I had, but it did.

“If you have a similar idea you just need to go for it. You’re doing something that needs to be done.

“Go round your local village hall and community centre with an idea.

“Go and approach them and ask for a spare room for a little while.”

The group Campaign to End Loneliness has estimated that 10,900 people aged 65 or over in Oxfordshire feel lonely “all or most of the time”.

Experts say that loneliness is as harmful to health as smoking 15 cigarettes every day.

Mrs Helliwell, 70, said: “I have people who say they wish they had one in their area. It would work in little villages as well, it doesn’t have to be a big community.

“I just know there are people out there wishing they had people they could get together with.”

The Kestrel Crescent resident added: “Friendleys has helped a lot of people. We have new people every week. It’s growing so quickly I can’t keep up with it.”

She said that one area that needs someone to step forward and set up a group is Wood Farm.

One of its residents, Les Goodwin, agrees. The 67-year-old said: “I live in sheltered accommodation for the over-50s, we have our little get-togethers but it’s not enough.

“I think we definitely need something more round here. Quite a few people in this area are in their 70s and 80s and there’s not enough things going on for the elderly.”

Despite Mrs Helliwell saying it is easy to set up activities, she admitted that she did not do it alone. She said: “I feel that I’m not giving the credit where it’s due, I could not have done this by myself.

“The idea may have came from me, but without the help of Oxford City Council and the Blackbird Leys Parish Council it wouldn’t have happened. The city council let me use the room for free for three months, and then the parish council gave us £600 so are funding us for the rest of the year.”

Friendleys meets every Wednesday, 10.30am-1pm in the Jack Argent Room of the Blackbird Leys Community Centre on Blackbird Leys Road.

It charges visitors £2 to cover costs of refreshments and raffle prizes.

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