A NEW charity providing help and advice for older people in the New Forest was launched by Saints football legend Lawrie McMenemy on Tuesday.

The former Southampton FC and England under-21s manager joined HOPe New Forest trustees to the cut the ribbon at the launch of the shop in New Milton.

Help For Older People was set up as its trustees and volunteers, who all hail from New Milton, Lymington and the wider New Forest, felt there weren’t enough sources of advice for the local elderly population.

Mr McMenemy said: “I congratulate those who have set up HOPe New Forest. They will need help and support themselves through donations and fund-raising events.

“The key thing is that all the good they will do will go directly back into the community.”

The charity’s business devel-opment manager Celia Burgess said: “Lawrie was absolutely lovely, a real star – he passed on our message that older people should not give in to loneliness.

“Life is particularly com-plicated for older people these days and, while there are places they can go for information, they need advice as well, including about where to go.

“We have been talking about setting this up for a while now.

“One big thing is helping people with forms to claim attendance allowance, one of the biggest unclaimed benefits, and you can see why.

“It is a 40-page form and takes about two hours to complete.”

The charity – set up with a donation from Colten Care – already has around 20 volunteers, including trained advisors, and will operate from the charity shop in Mallard Buildings, Station Road.

Ms Burgess said as it was a local charity donors could guarantee money would be spent locally.

“We will need to organise fundraising events for our services, the shop will cover the charity’s running costs. We are still looking for volunteers, although we have enough to get started at the moment.”

To get in touch visit the shop in New Milton, call 01425 629009 or visit hopenewforest.org