![\"Rosemary](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6_Rohan-Rosemary.jpg\")
Rosemary Hope and Rohan Young pictured with Susanna Reid on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.(Image: Reengage UK\/ITV)<\/p>\n‘At last I was able to put a face to the caller who has become a genuine friend’Rosemary Hope and Rohan Young pictured with Susanna Reid on ITV’s Good Morning Britain.(Image: Reengage UK\/ITV)<\/p>\n
A Manchester<\/a> volunteer who has changed the life of a lonely grandmother through weekly phone calls had a surprise meeting with her on ITV\u2019s<\/a> Good Morning Britain<\/a> programme this morning (8 December).<\/p>\n Rohan Young has been in contact with 83-year-old Rosemary Hope for over a year but they had never met in person until today.<\/p>\n Rosemary has been on her own since husband Trevor died ten years ago. Although she has a devoted family, she sometimes feels alone and isolated.<\/p>\n However, the calls from 47-year-old Rohan, who volunteers for charity, Re-engage<\/a>, have given her a new lease of life.<\/p>\n As she explained this to presenters, Susanna Reid<\/a> and Richard Madeley<\/a>, Rohan suddenly appeared, clutching a bunch of flowers and gave her a big hug.<\/p>\n “It was a wonderful surprise,” said Rosemary, who lives in Gloucester. “Rohan is such a lovely man. He\u2019s always happy and gives me such a lift. At last I was able to put a face to the caller who has become a genuine friend.<\/p>\n “Before I started receiving the calls from Rohan I wouldn\u2019t have had the confidence to do something like a TV interview but now it feels fine,” she added. “He\u2019s had a big impact on my life. After my husband died I became a little isolated but now I look forward to going out.”<\/p>\n Content cannot be displayed without consent<\/p>\n Presenter Richard Madeley said: “I love this idea because it\u2019s so simple. Just a phone call.”<\/p>\n Rohan, who has been a Call Companion for Re-engage – an organisation which fights to reduce loneliness among those aged 75 and over – for 15 months, said: “It was absolutely gorgeous to meet Rosemary. We get on so well and are able to discuss just about anything. We both really look forward to the calls.”<\/p>\n Re-engage is one of the charities being promoted on GMB\u2019s 1Million Minutes appeal throughout December, encouraging people to volunteer for 60 minutes a week for a year to help end loneliness.<\/p>\n The charity runs nationwide call befriending services as well as free monthly tea parties and activity groups in Manchester.<\/p>\n Since signing up to the Call Companion service Rosemary has now joined a Re-engage tea party group, even encouraging one of her friends to join.<\/p>\n “It\u2019s a fabulous charity and I hope this appeal results in many volunteers coming forward,” said Rosemary. “It\u2019s such a good cause.”<\/p>\n Rohan, who lives in Whitelow Road and also makes weekly calls to two other older people on behalf of Re-engage, said: “I would encourage anyone to join-up and volunteer. It\u2019s such a great feeling that you\u2019re helping someone.”<\/p>\n![\"83-year-old](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_Rosemary-Hope.jpg\")
83-year-old Rosemary Hope.(Image: Reengage UK)<\/p>\n![\"Re-engage](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2_Rohan-Young-CC-volunteer.jpg\")
Re-engage volunteer, Rohan Young.(Image: Reengage UK)<\/p>\n