Bristol loneliness charity asks for Christmas donations
The Marmalade's Christmas Cheer project offers phone calls, visits and events to people in need
A charity that helps combat loneliness across Bristol and the surrounding area is asking for donations to this year's Christmas appeal.
The Marmalade Trust calls itself the only charity in the world dedicated to raising awareness of the issue and the UK's leading loneliness charity.
Its Christmas Cheer project aims to help people across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire, at a time when suffering from loneliness can be particularly tough.
Lucy Norris is their head of operations.
"This year we're hoping to reach 220 people," she told us.
"We recognise that loneliness is a really natural human emotion, one that we'll probably all experience, but we're really reaching those who are potentially the most vulnerable, who might not have any next of kin, who don't see anyone week to week."
The Christmas Cheer scheme offers companionship through phone calls to those in need, as well as a pre-Christmas visit and special events bringing people together, including on Christmas Day itself.
The charity is also looking for people suffering from loneliness to apply for support.
"We've been supporting hundreds of people of the last year or so," Lucy said.
"Since the coronavirus pandemic we've found a lot more people are feeling isolated and alone.
"They haven't been able to leave their homes, I've met with people who haven't been out since last Christmas and what we've found is there's a recent study that says there's over a million more people who are experiencing chronic loneliness, so loneliness that you would experience most or all of the time."
You can refer yourself or someone else for support from the Trust, provided the person is living alone in their own home, would otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone and experiences loneliness most or all of the time.
Click this link to make a referral.
You can donate or sign up to volunteer here.