Cornwall group tackling loneliness in men a success

Club members meet once a month

A group in Cornwall which was set up to help middle-aged and older men cope with bereavement and loneliness has seen a huge increase in members.

The Mostly Grumpy Old Men's Breakfast Club has grown from three members to more than 160 in just over two years.

The monthly gatherings see members meet up with old friends and make new acquaintances.

It was founded in Redruth by Nigel Jeffery after he lost his wife Bev to cancer in 2021.

He said it all grew from an informal catch-up with some old friends.

"A friend of mine, Ted, and another friend, Graham, said let's go out for breakfast," he said.

"So we went out for breakfast and we had a bit of fun.

"We put it on Facebook and a few other people saw that and said can we join - so we had about six members and it just built up and built up," said Mr Jeffery.

Nigel Jeffery started the club after he lost his wife to cancer

The club now regularly has more than 100 members who turn up for breakfast and a chat with friends.

Founding member Ted Hosking said he was delighted that the group had proved to be so popular.

"As you can see, it's grown to be massive," he said.

"It's all friends, old school friends, rugby teams.

"We're chuffed to bits really."

The club is also keen to give back to the community and has already raised hundreds of pounds for local charities.