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 City Council and its partners are rallying around to help ensure everyone has a great Christmas and is aiming to make it as easy as possible for people to find something they enjoy.
The partners – including Plymouth Octopus Project and One 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, or 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
1. Make a connection with a neighbour, such as giving them a Christmas card, giving them your phone number or starting a quick chat in the street
2. 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.
3. Buy locally and support independent shops in your area. Stoke Village is running a shop window competition among other festive events. Ernesettle is putting up Christmas lights and a tree, so pop along if you live nearby. Geddon Plymouth – Shop Local! Visit shop4plymouth.co.uk
4. If you have room and it is safe to do so, invite a neighbour to join you for Christmas dinner, especially if they might otherwise be alone.
5. Practice gratitude or list the kind things you see others doing around you.
6. Volunteer to help others via 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.
7. Ask someone how they are getting on and listen properly to what they say to you.
8. Make a gift for someone who is homeless or feeling lonely. The Exim Dance Company is running online Christmas arts and crafts sessions.
9. 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.
10. Notice and appreciate kindness and thank people who do kind things for you. 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.
11. Share these ideas with family and friends and see if you can get them on board as well.
12. Uncertainty caused by the pandemic will continue into 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. A list of things to do can be found at www.plymouth.gov.uk/plymouthgoodneighboursscheme
There are also plenty of opportunities to give something back by volunteering. More details can be found online at www.ourplymouth.co.uk
