Letchworth charity's appeal to stop loneliness at Christmas

The hospice is highlighting how loneliness is a reality for more than 15,000 people in Stevenage and North Hertfordshire and, for many, Christmas can be a particularly difficult time. 

Garden House Hospice Care’s Compassionate Neighbours Service is driven by volunteers, and dedicated to reducing isolation by connecting lonely, frail and vulnerable people in the community with trained volunteers with a similar interest.

This life-changing initiative has already matched hundreds of individuals with volunteers who provide regular companionship and support.

The service also runs weekly Wellbeing Hubs, which offer more than 400 people with opportunities to exercise, engage in talks, and simply connect with others.

At Christmas, Compassionate Neighbours organises a Christmas Day party, ensuring volunteers make the festive period brighter for those struggling with loneliness.

Community member Amber, who attended the party last year, said: "In 2023, my friend Jo and I went to six funerals, all close family. Until the invitation to come to the Christmas lunch, we thought we would be on our own and we didn’t even get anything in for the day. Well, we ended up having a day we were not expecting. We laughed all day and we are so grateful."

Demand for the Compassionate Neighbours service is growing, and the charity is struggling to meet it.

To continue meeting the rising demand, Garden House Hospice Care needs to raise £491,000 to train more volunteers, open additional Wellbeing Hubs, and recruit a dedicated nurse to better integrate the scheme with hospice services.

This will allow the organisation to support even more individuals throughout the festive season and beyond.

The appeal will benefit people like Carol, who spent her first Christmas without her husband, Mick, alone.

She said: "My first one without him felt blank. He was supported by Garden House Hospice Care, which was wonderful, but the following weeks were manic, confusing and horrible. I don’t have any family. I’m an only child and my closest friends have all died.

“I spent my Christmas alone.”

“I’ve only just started attending one of the new Wellbeing Hubs, but Jeanne has been my Compassionate Neighbour for a few years now. Our first Christmas after we met, she welcomed me into her home to spend the day with her family. It was so lovely simply to be with someone.

“When you’re alone, you lose your personality because there is nobody there to share your personality with. I felt like I was losing myself, floating around in an abyss. I don’t know what I would have done without Jeanne.

“Last year, I went to the Compassionate Neighbours' Christmas party. I made an effort getting ready and put on my Christmas jumper - it feels good to get a bit dressed up. It makes such a difference knowing I can go again this year too.”

Richard Julian, who is head of community engagement at Garden House Hospice Care, said: "Christmas isn't just about toys and chocolates and Home Alone on TV. It's about a community coming together. It's about sharing things with people who might be less fortunate than us, and that's really what this Christmas lunch has become about.  

“But we know that people aren't just lonely on Christmas Day. We are really committed to making sure that Compassionate Neighbours doesn't just run on one day of the year and that, actually, it's every day, it's every week of the year.

"We know that there's a great need out there, so we want to recruit more compassionate neighbours, open more wellbeing hubs, and keep expanding our services to meet the growing need.

"if you're interested in getting involved, and if this sounds like a project for you, we'd love to hear from you."

Every donation made between now and midday on December 10 will be doubled thanks to match-funding through the Big Give at donate.biggive.org/campaign/a056900002TPSQRAA5, with the hospice hoping to raise £90,000 over seven days.

For more about the campaign, visit ghhospicecare.org.uk/brighter-christmas.