TACKLING loneliness and social isolation is a priority in an ageing population.

According to Age UK, 1.2 million older people in England are “chronically lonely”, and 200,000 older people have not had a conversation with friends or family for a month.

There is one club, based in Colchester, which is working to try and put a dent in these unwelcome statistics.

The Warm and Toasty Club runs a weekly Memory Afternoon – when older people are invited to reminisce and take part in activities together.

The project was formed five years ago by Johnno Casson after he was diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and forced to rethink his life.

He said: “I went from being a senior manager and having loads of friends to being unable to move.

“I spent a year housebound and decided to refocus my attention on a project that wasn’t driven by money, but by something that was doing good in our community.”

The club receives funding and support from the National Lottery, which decided to offer its participants a treat to mark World Kindness Day.

TV personality and reality star Jess Wright and her mother Carol hosted a surprise luxury spa day at the club’s Memory Afternoon.

Jan Vernon, a 74-year-old resident of Enoch House, a sheltered housing facility in Colchester, is a regular at Warm and Toasty.

Her best friend Carol Round, 73, introduced her to the club, and nowadays the two women are inseparable.

Jan said: “I’ve never been on a spa day but it was amazing to have this experience with all my closest friends and made us feel really special.

“I used to be shy and nervous but when I come to a Memory Afternoon it helps me stop worrying about the past.

“I’ve made new friends and I’m making new memories.

“Every week, me and Carol say to each other: ‘It’s Warm and Toasty tomorrow’. It lifts our spirits so high.

“We’ve never missed a session and it always makes us feel 100 per cent better.”

Jess Wright, who starred in hit reality show the Only Way Is Essex, said: “What better way to mark World Kindness Day than to spend quality time with this amazing group of people, alongside my mum - it’s been so good for the soul.

“Kindness is underrated – there are things we can all do to make a difference to someone’s day.

“Loneliness and isolation affect so many people of all ages, and initiatives like this, funded by the National Lottery have helped many thousands to meet new people and make friends.

“Sometimes all it takes are a few kind words, a cup of tea or a bit of a pampering to show someone that they matter.”

Figures show one in ten Brits believe themselves to be as kind as could be – rating their consideration for others as ten out of ten.

A study of 2,000 adults, carried out by the National Lottery, found the average person rated themselves seven out of ten on the kindness scale.

Despite these flattering figures the survey showed most people think they could do more, with 52 per cent admitting they could afford to be kinder to others on a day-to-day basis.

Since 1994 the National Lottery has raised £850 million to help tackle loneliness and social isolation in the UK.

Dawn Austwick, chief executive of the National Lottery Community Fund, said: “Being part of a community and building friendships makes people happier and healthier. Groups like The Warm and Toasty Club help people connect with others and feel a sense of belonging.”