Dorset charity calls for businesses to come together for Christmas

Christmas is a time for sharing, giving and being together to enjoy everything that it represents. However, unfortunately for many older people across the UK, Christmas can be a very lonely time with no one to share the special season with.

Recognising the need for more to be done for older people at this time of year, national charity Friends of the Elderly is calling upon businesses in Dorset to hold Christmas Day activities in their community, so no individual feels left out or alone. The Bournemouth Echo reports that “more than a third of older people living in Dorset are affected by loneliness, and around half a million older people in the UK say Christmas Day is when they feel most lonely.”

In partnership with Community Christmas, Friends of the Elderly held 13 activities last year for older people in Bournemouth, Swanage and Poole, including Christmas lunch days for local people.

Director of Engagement at Friends of the Elderly, Jo O’Boyle told the Bournemouth Echo: “Friends of the Elderly is delighted to be working with Community Christmas again this year to support older people facing Christmas alone.

“We know that loneliness can have a devastating impact on older people’s lives and those we work with tell us that becoming isolated from a day community they were once part of can be especially difficult.

“That’s why we’re calling on individuals, organisations and businesses to host activities on Christmas Day to bring together older people in their community who don’t want to be alone.”

If you want to accommodate older people in their area, whether it be a Christmas lunch or an afternoon of activities and games from the comfort of a riser recliner chair, contact Community Christmas where they will be happy to place a listing on their website, making it easier for people in Dorset to get together for Christmas.