A charity working with older people has recorded a significant increase in demand for its services but a drop in public donations.

ALONE said it has seen a 150% increase in requests for assistance in recent months.

The organisation is now a central point of contact for many older people who need help to deal with isolation, housing and other issues.

ALONE Chief Executive Seán Moynihan warned that its small staff and large group of volunteers were becoming more and more stretched in the face of such an overwhelming demand for services.

Mr Moynihan said: 'We receive no Government funding for our day-to-day service provision, so are hugely dependent on the goodwill of the public, who have been tremendously supportive during the lifetime of the charity.'

ALONE intends to increase its number of volunteers, but said it is facing the difficulty of trying to train new volunteers with limited resources.

Mr Moylan said that while donations were always welcome, he urged people to spend some time checking on their older neighbours who may be isolated.

Source: www.rte.ie