This year it's our mission to be a really active company working within the community to combat loneliness which has become our core focus over Christmas in light of the shockingly sad statistic by Age UK in their 2018 Loneliness report that "If we don't combat loneliness by 2026 then it's estimated that more than 2 million people over the age of 50 will often feel lonely"
Loneliness is unfortunately, a pandemic that has serious negative impacts on our mental well-health. Particularly for those who are elderly, vulnerable or who struggle to make friends but enjoy the company of other people, support can be a vital part of helping others to live their life in a way that is fulfilling for them to meet their social needs in a way that respects their personal values.
This year we've been working really closely with Digby's café every Friday, hosting a Care Chair to invite people who have come to the café alone to come and sit with us for company and conversation. So far we've had a really heartwarming turn out each week, and have chatted about everything from Psychology to Photography. In addition to this scheme, we've signed onto St Wulfram's Christmas tree event, opening on the 28th of November with the procession starting at 6:30pm from the Market Cross.
This year we're inviting you to come and write a Christmas well-wish for an elderly person. The tags are available by the tree and we're asking for a donation of 30p per tag which we will donate to the Nyumbani Kwanza Foundation which provides support to struggling parents and children in Tanzania, Africa. Once the event has finished, we will save each tag and put the messages into Christmas cards which we will then distribute over December to those who we support to help spread support and festive cheer for those who may not necessarily feel as thought of at Christmas time.
A small gesture goes a long way
We can sometimes under estimate the huge impact small acts of kindness can have. For someone whose family live far away, or for someone who doesn't have many connections, Christmas can be an incredibly lonely time. Reminding someone who often faces Christmas alone that they're being thought of will be a gesture many will treasure, and will help the Christmas period to feel less lonely.
We're so excited to see what messages we will see, and the joy we hope they will bring as a little unexpected surprise! We look forward to seeing you there and admiring all of the other trees along with us.
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