NEWS RELEASE
Contact: Anna Goodman on 020 7012 1409 or Laura Ferguson on 07554 882070 (out of hours)
Last chance to take responsibility to combat loneliness this Christmas
With only days before the last Royal Mail posting date for Christmas, the Campaign to End Loneliness is calling on us all to reach out to older neighbours or family who might be isolated or lonely over Christmas.
A YouGov survey carried out for the charity Independent Age found that only 25% of 2,070 British adults thought they had responsibility to keep in touch with older neighbours who might be lonely.
Laura Ferguson, Director of the Campaign to End Loneliness said:
“Keeping in touch with older neighbours and family could help them overcome the extra emotional pressures of Christmas. Memories of past friends and Christmases can make the festive season particularly painful for older people who are isolated and lonely.
Isolation has been linked to health problems and is an indicator of early death but we can all do something about it. Simply sending a Christmas card, giving a gift to or spending time with an older neighbour or family member might help lift them out of their isolation and loneliness. We can all take one small step to connect with someone who might be feeling lonely.”
There are more things people can do to help reduce loneliness felt by older people. This Christmas, many of the Campaign’s partner organisations are working across the country to ensure that older people can receive the support they need to not be lonely.
Taking action can be as simple as donating to a Christmas lunch run by someone like Friends of the Elderly or volunteering to give lifts to a carol concert, as needed by the Link Visiting Scheme in Wokingham.
For more information and examples of groups across the country working to combat loneliness, please visit: www.campaigntoendloneliness.org.uk/christmas-2011
