This festive season will go down in history as the Covid Christmas, so as the big day approaches, it’s more important than ever to be a good neighbour especially to people who could be lonely over the holidays.
Plymouth’s partners are rallying around to help ensure everyone has a great Christmas and are aiming to make it as easy as possible for people to find something they enjoy.
The partners - including Plymouth Octopus Project and Our Plymouth - have all teamed up before as part of the Plymouth Good Neighbours scheme, which was set up at the beginning of the pandemic to help Plymouth’s most vulnerable.
Councillor Kate Taylor, Cabinet Member for Health and Adult Social Care said: "This Christmas is going to be like no other. We are all juggling strange rules and regulations, working out who is in our bubble and who we can or can’t be with. We are asking people to think about those who may be feeling a bit left out. They may be still isolating, perhaps their family can’t get to see them this year. At the start of the pandemic, we joined forces with our incredible community groups to put people who wanted to help others in touch with groups already doing an amazing job.
"We are also trying to make things simple for people to connect and be kind to others.”
Top Tips this Christmas
- Share these ideas with family and friends and see if you can get them on board as well.
- Make a connection with a neighbour such as giving them a Christmas card, taking round a mince pie or other sweet treats or giving them your phone number if you feel comfortable doing that
- Starting a quick chat in the street and perhaps offering a warming outdoors cuppa.
- Volunteer to help others – via www.ourplymouth.co.uk. The Devonport Help a Neighbour scheme, for instance, will be distributing food parcels every week in December and is looking for volunteer drivers, especially for Christmas week.
- Get active, as well as being neighbourly, by wrapping up warm and going for a walk to your park or local shops with someone who lives near you.
- Ask someone how they are getting on and listen properly to what they say to you – being listened to and getting someone’s full attention can give people a big boost
- Make a gift for someone who is homeless or feeling lonely. The Exim Dance Company is running online Christmas arts and crafts sessions.
- Christmas can be stressful, so don’t forget to look after yourself. The Village Hub Community in Stoke has a Covid support line and a Boxing Day drop-in session. The Mindful Arts Club is also running online Zoom sessions.
- Practice gratitude or keep a list of the kind things you see others doing around you.
- Buy locally and support independent shops in your area. Stoke Village is running festive events. Ernesettle is putting up Christmas lights and a tree, so pop along if you live nearby. Geddon Plymouth – Shop Local! https://shop4plymouth.co.uk/
- Notice and appreciate kindness and thank people who do kind things for you, whether they are neighbours, shop assistants or collect the bins or deliver post. A number of organisations across Plymouth such as St Matthias Church and The Wolseley Trust are looking for donations of food, clothes and toiletries for Christmas parcels.
- Uncertainty caused by the pandemic will continue into the 2021, so make a resolution to help others next year too
There are also plenty of amazing schemes going on across the city to help others this December. We are compiling a list of things to do.
There are also plenty of opportunities to give something back by volunteering – more details can be found here