Support The Silver Line this Christmas

Now more than ever, no one should have no one. Please support The Silver Line Helpline this Christmas, as well as other essential services for older people, by donating to the Age UK Christmas campaign. 

Before the outbreak of coronavirus, older people were already facing a loneliness epidemic. But as a result of the pandemic, this crisis has intensified.

For many older people, this Christmas will be the loneliest of their lives. More than 850,000 could be spending the festive season alone.

This Christmas, we are determined to be there for those who have no one else to turn to.

This time of year is always hard for older people. Cold weather and shorter days make it difficult to stay connected to others.

Social distancing, continued restrictions and the withdrawal of the services and activities many rely on have only increased some older people’s feelings of loneliness and isolation.

For Roy, 80, Christmas has been difficult since the death of his wife, Maggie. This year, he’s particularly worried about how he’ll cope:

“It looks like I’ll be on my own again for Christmas this year. Life is so lonely when you are on your own.”

If there was ever a time when services like The Silver Line Helpline were desperately needed, it is now.

The Silver Line provides a 24/7 helpline, meaning there’s always a friendly voice at the end of the phone when an older person needs to talk. We’re determined to be there for older people who are depending on us this Christmas, but we need your help urgently.

By donating this Christmas, you could help:

• make sure The Silver Line Helpline can answer calls from older people in need throughout the festive season. 
• provide vital befriending calls through the Age UK’s and The Silver Line’s Telephone Friendship Service giving lonely older people their one chance of regular contact and conversation throughout the difficult Christmas period
• answer more calls to the Age UK Advice Line, so that those most in need have someone to turn to for practical advice and support in their time of crisis

Your support will mean older people like Roy get the support and friendship they need this Christmas.

Thanks to the kindness of people like you, Roy now receives regular friendship calls. It’s made a huge difference to his life.

“To know that someone is there for me to reach out to if I’m feeling down, or miserable, it means a lot.”

Please donate now on the Age UK website