‘Tis the season of giving – Cheltenham care home launches Christmas appeal to tackle loneliness

A Cheltenham care home has launched a new initiative to tackle loneliness among older people in the community this Christmas. 

Care UK’s Sandfields, on St George’s Road, will be creating festive hampers filled with tasty treats and gifts for local people – and they’re asking the community to help them spread the festive cheer. 

Working in partnership with local businesses, including Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-Op, Asda and John Lewis, as well as Cheltenham Ladies College, the hampers will be created by residents and team members at Sandfields care home and distributed in the week leading up to Christmas. 

Nominations are now open and will close on 10^th December – those keen to support the initiative or put forward a friend or neighbour to receive a hamper, can email Customer Relations Manager at Sandfields, Laura Sayburn, on laura.sayburn@careuk.com.

Jon Sneath, Lifestyle Coordinator at Sandfields and creator of the Christmas Hampers initiative, said: “The festive season can be the most wonderful time of the year, as our streets fill up with seasonal decorations and fairy lights while we begin to plan long-overdue family reunions, especially this year.

“Yet, it can be an incredibly challenging time too, as it is estimated half a million older people feel lonely over the Christmas holidays*. We must all come together to tackle loneliness, which is why we’ve partnered with local businesses to launch our Christmas Hamper Appeal and do our part to spread some festive cheer wherever we can. 

“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has already sent us items to include in our hampers. We’d like to encourage those who know somebody who may feel lonely this Christmas to reach out to us so we can send them a treat.”

Sandfields is a state-of-the-art care home which provides full-time residential, dementia, nursing and short-term respite care. The home, which features 90 en-suite bedrooms, has been designed to enable residents to live active and fulfilled lives, while also promoting independence. The care home incorporates space for hobby and leisure activities and includes its own cinema, bar, hairdressing salon and café.

For more information on Sandfields or to nominate somebody, please contact Laura Sayburn, Customer Relations Manager, by emailing: laura.sayburn@careuk.com or calling 01242 801 867.

For more general information, please visit careuk.com/sandfields.

*www.ageuk.org.uk/latest-press/articles/2018/december/christmas-loneliness-statistics