HOW TO GET INVOLVED
THE Daily Express Community Christmas Crusade has won support from one of the country’s largest restaurant chains.
Italian high street favourite, Prezzo now has a Donate A Seat initiative to encourage customers to offer a place at their own table this festive season.
The idea is being supported by a host of celebrities who wanted to raise awareness of the problem of loneliness at Christmas and throughout the year.
Love Island contestant Jordan Hames visited a Prezzo in Manchester to share a meal with Anne, 86.
He said: “Anne was such a lovely, bubbly woman and I personally love speaking to people I wouldn’t bump into in everyday life and find out about their experiences. Meeting Anne brought me back to the time where I used to look after my grandma when I was around 16 or 17 years old.
“We used to laugh 24/7 and we both had a sweet tooth so we would spend a lot of time shopping and eating together.”
Difficult
Anne currently lives alone in Manchester and had joined Re-engage after her daughter got in touch with the charity. She was concerned that Anne had found it difficult to get out and about since suffering a stroke.
Meanwhile, in Egham, Surrey, Union J singer Josh Cuthbert donated a seat at his table in the town’s Prezzo restaurant, and was joined for dinner by widower Fred, 89.
Fred had been married to his wife June for 66 years and since her passing, has struggled with loneliness.
Josh said: “When I heard about the campaign, it made me think of my grandpa and nan and how I would hate the idea of them being alone at Christmas.
“So I thought if I can fill someone’s afternoon with a nice lunch and conversation – it was the least I could do.
“It was one of my favourite lunches I’ve had meeting Fred, learning all about him, how he and his wife fell in love and the life they had together was so lovely.
“Also finding out more about life during the war was so interesting. After only three hours together he felt like a grandad.”
Fred, who goes along to gatherings held by Re-engage, the Daily Express
Community Christmas charity partner, was equally pleased.
“It was excellent meeting Josh, I thought he was a very nice chap. We both said we ought to do it again and I hope we do,” he said.
“You don’t really get many opportunities to meet new people at my age. I currently live alone in the house I’ve lived in since 1982 and other than the Re-engage tea parties and The Spelthorne club [For the Blind and Partially Sighted] that I help run, I spend most of my time indoors.
“Because of my age, it’s hard to get out of the house. I’ve got a mobility scooter now to
help but I never go out after dark and hardly go out at all in the winter. So it was real pleasure to just sit, share a meal and just have a chat, really.”
Loneliness and isolation are particularly prevalent over the holidays, as public transport services are cut and community spaces shut down for the year.
An estimated 170,000 older people spent their Christmas Day alone yesterday.
Josh Cuthbert pointed to the little things which could help lonely Britons.
“Even when you’re in public and see an elderly person on their own, just say hi, ask them how they are and wish them a happy
Festive dates...Anne and Love Island’s Jordan Hames, left and above, Fred with Union J’s Josh Cuthbert. ‘After only three hours he felt like a grandad,’ said Josh over-75s who may be alone to events in their area.
To register an event or refer an older guest, phone the Re-engage Community
Christmas team on 0800 716543. To Donate A Seat sign up on the Prezzo website prezzorestaurants.co.uk/ christmas-2019.
Christmas,” he said. “It’s the little things that make such a difference. Also, check in with any elderly neighbours you may know and pop in for a coffee or put a Christmas card through their door. It doesn’t take a lot to put a smile on someone’s face.”
Karen Jones, CEO of Prezzo said: “Christmas is a time to gather together, but as we all know, there are many people in our local communities who are on their own at Christmas.
“We’d like to invite our customers to help support Community Christmas by donating a seat at their table to help make sure that fewer people feel lonely this year.”