Loneliness and isolation can be really tough at any time of the year, but it is especially hard over the Christmas period. While we spend time with family and friends, there are those out there with no one. In this article Grace, member of the Somerset Youth Parliament Advisory Group talks about this subject and looks at ways that you can help others feel a little less alone during the season of giving.
As we approach the Winter months, there are many things to look forward to for many of us – one special event for most of us is Christmas! This is a time of year when we celebrate all we are grateful for and spend time with those we love.
However, it’s also a time of year where we think of those who may dread Christmas for so many reasons. Loneliness, mobility, isolation, loss of loved ones, unstable homelife, homelessness, vulnerability and poverty. I’m going to address just one of these reasons in this article.
There are many people who don’t have family or friends to spend time with, and they may struggle throughout the coming months especially. For people who are lonely, a time of year where people come together to celebrate can feel even more isolating. It’s so important that we try to make everyone within our communities feel welcome, and included, so we can ensure that nobody has to feel isolated. It can be easier than you think.
For example, if your town has a local community centre, you could help organise a Christmas coffee morning, evening or weekend get together. You can borrow board games for people to come and socialise and play together
Events like these can build strong connections, respect and friendships which can greatly help people feel less lonely.
Another idea is to set up a virtual group. For example, Zoom calls have become an increasingly popular form of communication as it did during Covid. Why not set up a local community Zoom (or similar virtual platform) call for people to join and host virtual quizzes and games, such as bingo! (just make sure you follow online safety rules and ensure you are only adding trusted people – make sure they are in fact, part of your community.) Zoom calls also work well for people who are unable to leave their homes for a number of reasons, and this could bring more cheer into their daily life and lift their mood and their spirit. Why not get your friends to help you?
For anyone who may want additional support during this time of year, organisations such as MIND and the Samaritans have people who will chat with you over the phone and can give you their time, advice and company. There are many volunteering opportunities throughout Christmas which you can apply for online. One such organisation is the Marmalade Trust. They run a Christmas Cheer project in which they deliver meals to people and chat with them to help them feel less lonely.
Crisis at Christmas is another charity that offers support to homeless people over the season and provides meals and company.
The best way to have a lovely Christmas is to make sure we are helping those in need and hopefully have fun doing it – after all Christmas is the season for giving! For many people, having someone to talk to can be a gift in itself, so if we can help in any way, it’s a wonderful thing to do!
Let us know if you are planning to do anything like this – or if you’ve done something similar before. We’d like to hear about it, what you did, how it went and was it successful? Any advice to others thinking about organising something?
Let us know by:
Sending us an email YouthParliament@somerset.gov.uk
Commenting on Facebook or Instagram
Grace
Support over the Christmas period
If you or someone you know needs some support or someone to talk to over the festive period, there are many organisations that can help, here are links to the ones mentioned in the article:
