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Posted on: December 11th 2019   •    Posted in: Community, General News, Tenants

Loneliness at Christmas: Let’s fight the battle!

Loneliness at Christmas is a massive problem in the UK.

Back in December 2018 Age UK found that 278,00 older people in the South East haven’t met up with a friend in a month.

Furthering on from that they found that 69,000 65’+s have not had a conversation with family or friends in a month.

The charity carried on to say that the research they commissioned discovered that;

  • Half a million older people across the UK are expecting to feel loneliness at Christmas
  • 79% have not sought any help for this
  • 52% loneliness has become a ‘normal’ part of life

The research goes on to say that for half a million older people, Christmas is not something to look forward to. In fact it is a time where they remember people who have passed away, and happier times.

What can you do if you are on your own?
  1. If you live on your own see if you can find any details of community Christmas events taking place in your area.
  2. If you have Twitter, you can take part in Sarah Millican’s annual #JoinIn campaign
  3. You could consider volunteering at a local soup kitchen or for a befriending service. Volunteering can be a great way to meet like-minded people. And is incredibly rewarding.
  4. Do you know other people who are spending Christmas alone? Why not suggest you go out for a meal as a group. Or a get-together where each person brings part of Christmas lunch.
  5. If you can afford to, why not book a holiday and go away somewhere for a few days? This will give you something to look forward to and new festive memories to look back on.
What can you do to support someone who is lonely?
  1. If you are having a Christmas party, think about inviting your neighbours. Or people who you know who would usually be alone.
  2. You could invite someone out for a walk or a trip to a local Christmas event.
  3. Some people find it hard to spend Christmas Day surrounded by other families. Consider inviting someone over for part of the day, like lunch or an evening drink.
  4. You could drop a gift round to someones house on Christmas Eve. Or even pop in for a cuppa.
  5. If you know a an older person who is lonely why not help them find a community event. You could even offer to go with them.

Find out more here about the campaign to end loneliness


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