TOO many elderly people in this country are lonely. Too many feel vulnerable.

Too many feel uncared for by society.

We all share a responsibility to do something about that sense of isolation which often comes with old age.

That is why we are proud to support the Good Friends scheme in Darlington, which aims to put a collective arm around the older generation.

Commissioned by Darlington Partnership, and operated by Age UK, Good Friends has set out to recruit an army of volunteers to support the elderly, help them with every day tasks, and combat isolation.

It is an inspiring example of a community identifying a priority and coming together in partnership to deal with it.

Yesterday, Darlington’s boxing world champion, Stuart Hall, became the scheme’s “champion”, agreeing to act as a high-profile ambassador and spread the word.

When he was a boy, Stuart became junior mayor for the day after winning a school competition. He had to produce an essay, explaining what he would do if he was the town’s mayor and he wrote about how he would work to reassure the elderly.

That boy has grown up to be a world champion sportsman. He is a role model to others and his association with Good Friends is sure to raise the profile of this important initiative.

We can all champion the care of the elderly in ways which don’t take a lot of time or effort – but mean the world to someone.