Kelda Fasasi is Royal Star & Garter’s Head of Innovation and launched the Telephone Friendship Service (TFS) in 2022. She is also TFS volunteer and one of her ‘friends’ is Joy, 93. The pair have been speaking since 2023 and have developed a close friendship. In November, they met face-to-face for the first time. Kelda explains…

In November 2022, I launched our Telephone Friendship Service, and though I help oversee the programme, those of us on the team believe in being hands-on too − we all have friends of our own. In December 2023, I was matched with Joy, who was 92 at the time, who lived alone. Her husband had served in Burma and had passed away 12 years earlier. Despite the sadness she had faced, including the heartbreaking loss of her daughter in September 2024, Joy remained remarkably kind, thoughtful, and full of life. She radiated warmth and humour from the very first call.

Every Friday, without fail, we would chat. Our conversations wandered from family stories to biscuits, from poetry to the curious happenings of the world around us. Through the laughter and the sharing, a true friendship grew − one built on connection, comfort, and care.

Recently, Joy moved into a care home. She worried that our calls might stop. I told her: “You have me for as long as you want me.”

In November, I met Joy in person at her care home. It was magical. We both laughed at how strange and wonderful it was to finally see the face behind the familiar voice. We sat together for hours, reading poetry, sharing stories, and admiring her collection of pressed flowers – a delicate Japanese art known as Oshibana. Joy is renowned for her beautiful work; she’s even received recognition from The Queen and The Queen Mother, and has been featured in newspapers and Woman’s Way magazine.

Meeting Joy was a reminder of the simple but powerful gift of friendship. Our weekly chats have brought comfort and joy to us both − proof that a kind word and a caring ear can blossom into something special.