Christmas Gathering Aims to Combat Loneliness

One hundred pensioners convened for a Christmas party in Adderbury, near Banbury in Oxfordshire, an event specifically designed to unite individuals susceptible to loneliness and isolation. This lunch, which has been held for four years, is supported by several local businesses. Chris, an attendee, remarked, “To me this means an opportunity to get together with people at Christmas.” Pamela shared her perspective, stating, “It gets me out of my flat and I meet other people, and you see them every year, you know, have a good chin wag, catch up on old times.” Chris further explained his personal situation, saying, “Annet and I both lost our partners last year so Christmas isn’t a fantastic time. So we have our Christmas Day here, today.” Janet, Pamela’s sister, expressed her enthusiasm, stating, “I’ve been twice and it’s absolutely fantastic. I can’t wait from year to year, it’s that good.” Terry, commenting on the event hosted at Bibby Financial Services, observed, “It’s a way of getting everyone together, having a good time, excellent food, excellent booze.” Gwen Geay, who serves as the head of the service centre at Bibby Financial Services, noted, “We’ve worked alongside Age UK Oxfordshire to try and get people to have a good time around Christmas, especially those who are going to be on their own at that time.” She emphasized the significance, adding, “It’s really important because they feel like they can meet friends, get together and have a laugh.” Peter Johnson, head of service for the community team at Age UK Oxfordshire, explained the initiative’s impact: “People find themselves lonely and isolated. This gets them out of their homes and back out in to the community, able to socialise with other people and enjoy the Christmas spirit.” For further updates, BBC Oxfordshire can be followed on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), or Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external linking is available.