School children across Calderdale have been busy in the past few weeks making Christmas cards for elderly people to spread some festive cheer.
According to the Age UK website almost a million older people say they feel lonelier at Christmas and half a million older people can go up to a week without seeing or speaking to anyone.
With the start of the second national lockdown, Home Instead Calderdale, the company that provides at-home care to the elderly has teamed up with local primary schools, Age UK Calderdale, Memory Lane Cafe, as well as churches, community groups and pharmacies to launch a Santa-gram campaign, to help relieve some of the loneliness felt by older people.
The Santa-gram campaign involves children at local primary schools creating Christmas cards, drawings, bookmarks, puzzles or writing a letter to an older person to open in the run up to Christmas to help bring a smile to their day. The Santa-grams will be delivered to elderly people during the week beginning 14 December.
Home Instead is planning to deliver the ‘Santa-grams’ from 14 to 18 December. If your organisation, church or community group would like to receive a Santa-gram contact Home Instead Calderdale on 01422 292424 or email calderale@homeinstead.co.uk
