Jean Johnson and Marlene Wise have been friends since they were school girls and decades later they are still enjoying a cup of tea and a giggle together.

At 83 years old, they still relish the opportunity of a natter, catching up with old friends and making new ones.

Like many other elderly people in the community, the pair meet regularly at Age UK’s day centre in Clarence Row, Gravesend.

It is run by Age UK North West Kent, which provides services for the elderly across Gravesham and Dartford and the surrounding areas.

It offers people a place to socialise. It has singing, quizzes, entertainment and arts and crafts for those who want them.

Some catch up on reading the paper or even get on with their knitting, but all have someone to pass the time of day with.

Ms Johnson said: “We come here to get out of the house. I would recommend anyone to come in to the centre or be a carer. I was a carer for the Lions Hospice. I did it for 10 years.”

Ms Wise said: “We’ve been friends since school – we were at Northfleet School for Girls together. We look out for each other She makes all the noise, though!”

People come from all over the area to visit. Many of them used to visit Age UK’s centre in Coldharbour Road, Northfleet, until it shut in March last year as part of a series of cuts to increase funding for other services the charity provides.

The decision left a lot of pensioners unhappy, but many are now regular visitors to the Gravesend centre thanks to a minibus service that takes them and brings them again.

Diana Dickson, 89, said: “I like it here because it’s friendly. When they closed Northfleet and we had to come here, we were made to feel welcome.

“The carers even came up to Northfleet to tell us they were looking forward to having us and you can’t say more than that really.” There may be plenty to do at the centre, but Age UK also runs trips to coastal resorts like Bournemouth or Blackpool as well as other excursions including Christmas meals.

Clifford Mabvaro, 78, said: “I like to come here to meet other people and enjoy myself. I don’t want to be lonely. I like talking to other people and this a good place for that.”

The dedicated team at Age UK works hard to make sure their patrons all have a friendly face to greet them or help them, something that can make a big difference if someone lives alone.

Linda Appleton, 78, said: “I come here every day and enjoy it. The people are nice. The staff are friendly and we get along fine. We get brought in and then taken home and we can have a laugh and joke with people, which makes our day.”

The charity also offers equally important treatment and therapy for dementia sufferers at its new Day Break day centre.

A separate area next to a large assembly room, it opened in March this year and looks after a group of 10 each day.

Support is available five times a week from 9.30am to 4pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

A specialist team keeps patients active with quizzes, screenings of their favourite films and other forms of therapy.

Chriss Monks, day services manager said: “We only have 10 clients in the day care centre, that’s how we want it to be. It can’t be ‘just a day centre’, it has to be unique.

“We keep it sectioned off because it’s a bit loud in the main room and for someone with dementia that can be quite confusing.

“It’s to give clients a break from caring and it allows them to be able to care for somebody at home for that much longer.”

Being a full-time carer can be exhausting and Ms Monks said the centre gives carers the chance to have some time for themselves.

She said: “They can go and meet friends for coffee or go swimming, just something they wouldn’t be able to do otherwise.

“I spoke to one of my clients the other day and she’d gone to Bluewater because her husband has dementia.

“Just to go to the shops was wonderful for her.

“Things like that we take for granted, but if you’re a carer it can give you a bit normality.

“Our main aim as a charity is to keep people in their homes as long as they can and that’s why we have Day Break.”