Lutheran Care is thrilled that one of the special friendships formed locally in Adelaide through the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme (ACVVS) has been celebrated by the federal government in a new national video series showcasing the program.

Som, 81, and his volunteer visitor, Sandeep, 29, have been meeting at the Plympton aged care facility in which Som resides since June 2024. They are both passionate chess players: “He’s the only person I play chess with these days,” Som said.

“And [Sandeep has] beaten me twice, which is amazing because very few people actually beat me!”

Matched together by Lutheran Care’s ACVVS team, the men also enjoy discussing life and current affairs, and sharing personal goals.

Produced by Sydney-based creative agency, Laundry Lane, the video was filmed in March 2025, and published online in January 2026.

▶️ WATCH: Meet Sandeep and Sol in the video below.

Sandeep, originally from India, volunteers on weekends around his work and study commitments, while Som, a former educator and published author from Fiji, loves sharing stories from his career and childhood memories of learning woodwork from his father. Their shared Indian heritage and ability to speak Hindi have deepened a friendship that epitomises the impact of ACVVS—one now being celebrated nationwide.

Lutheran Care’s ACVVS team is proud to support volunteers like Sandeep. We love matching friendly volunteers with older Australians in need of companionship.

We’ve delivered ACVVS for more than 30 years and lead a consortium of organisations tasked with running the program across many regions of metro and country South Australia.

ACVVS is funded by the Australian Government through the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing.

For more information about the Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme, including signing up as a volunteer or a visit recipient, head to: Aged Care Volunteer Visitors Scheme – Lutheran Care