90 year old Derek passes on his tips to avoid being lonely

Speaking to the BBC, the 90-year-old said: ‘The older you get, the less people seem to contact you, and I thought what can I do to stop being lonely?’

And Derek isn’t the only one feeling this way. According to Age UK, 35 per cent of people over 65 spend time with friends most or every day, while 12 per cent sadly never do.

So to combat his loneliness, Derek wrote a list of the ways to approach it.

These included using the phone more often, getting in touch with neighbours and trying to socialise and meet as many people as possible.

Soon, Derek began to meet friends through social gatherings and coffee clubs.

‘You feel as thought you’re alive again,’ he said.

To help others through loneliness, Derek shared his tips with Manchester City Council, who printed them on a leaflet for the community.

In the leaflet, he added, ‘Coffee mornings are an ideal chance to discuss current events, including plans for future project for the over-50s, and how homes and neighbourhoods can be designed to be age-friendly.’