Be a friend to older people - and here's how

Friends of the Elderly is calling on people in Brighton and Hove to "Be a Friend".

Friends of the Elderly is calling on people in Brighton and Hove to "Be a Friend" and reach out to the half a million older people who will spend Christmas alone this year.

The national charity hopes to inspire people to be a friend throughout the festive season - and all year round.

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The call to action follows a local survey by the charity that shows nearly nine in 10 of the people asked (89%) recognise Christmas is an especially difficult time of year to be alone.

Despite this, nearly one in four (24%) say they have never done anything for an older neighbour or member of the community at Christmas time.

Nearly three in four people in Brighton and Hove (74%) would like to do more to support older people at this time of year; 45% say they simply don't have the time; nearly one in three (32%) don't know how to go about helping.

Steve Allen, chief executive of Friends of the Elderly, said: 'Our '˜Be a Friend' campaign is a fundamental part of our long-term aim of combatting loneliness and isolation amongst older people. Loneliness is a big problem, but we know that it will make a real difference if everyone simply gets to know the people who live around them and look out for each other where they can.

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"Wishing someone a Merry Christmas or having a brief chat might not seem like much, but it can make the world of difference to an older person who has no family and friends around. We want to stress that people don't have to go out of their way to get involved, which is why many of the things we suggest can be done as part of their daily routine. For example, picking up Christmas groceries for an older neighbour as part of their weekly shop or writing and delivering an extra Christmas card."

For more ideas about how to be a friend, visit: www.beafriendtoday.org.uk.

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