The plight of the lonely

Never has the issue of loneliness been so topical:  The recent launch of the John Lewis advert entitled ‘Man on the Moon’ has topped 8 million views  and evidently is succeeding in spreading its emotive, yet very serious message regarding the somewhat one million older people who haven’t spoken to a friend, relative or neighbour for at least one month.  The company have joined up with Age UK to help drive awareness and support for people who don’t have anyone to spend Christmas with.  Bringing the message that ‘No one should have no one this Christmas’: Including the Man on the Moon.So maybe you are wondering how you could help?  Here are 4 suggestions:

1. If you know of any potentially lonely individuals that live near you, why not knock on their door; ask them if they would like a cup of tea or perhaps you can pick something up from the shop for them.  Sometimes a simple chat with a friendly face can do wonders for the spirit.
2. You can donate to the cause: A £5 donation would answer a call to the Age UK advice line from an elderly person who just needs someone to talk to. Click here.
3. You can sign Age UK’s petition here, calling for local and national government to understand that older people’s loneliness really matters – that it’s a serious public health problem and not a normal part of ageing – and asking them commit to take action with us to prevent and tackle it.
4. You can volunteer. There are lots of ways you can help – from fundraising, to helping an elderly person do the gardening or odd jobs around the house, to just spending time with them every week. Find out more here.

Here at Kare Plus and through the work we do, we unfortunately encounter many who experience perpetual loneliness.  

This is certainly a cause we could all buy into.

A second advert campaign fighting lonliness was released by Bisto, which can be seen here.