No one should feel lonely at Christmas. But in North Herts, 15589 people will be severely lonely. They won’t leave home, talk to anyone, receive cards or gifts. Many won’t even bother getting dressed. Help us expand our life-changing scheme, Compassionate Neighbours, to support more of these people.
Categories
Beneficiaries
Situation
Loneliness - a lack of meaningful relationships and social connections - is one of the biggest public health challenges we face. It impacts mental and physical health. In North Herts, 15589 people feel lonely ‘often or always’. They may be elderly, frail, living with life-limiting conditions or bereaved, with no local support network. At Christmas, feelings of isolation can be worse, with many of these people totally alone with nobody to talk to, knowing others are surrounded by loved ones.
Solution
We partner trained volunteers with socially isolated people and they stay in regular contact. Many attend weekly Wellbeing Hubs. We host a Christmas Day party and our Compassionate Neighbours make the day special for their Community Members. But the need is great. We want to increase our reach. The scheme, which also gives a link to our Hospice services, is proven to improve physical and mental wellbeing, and it will ensure more people have company at the hardest time of the year to be alone.
