Jedward join Patricia Stanley and Donal Byrne to launch this year's Alone Christmas Campaign at the Westin Hotel

Photo: Jason Clarke Photography

Jedward Teamed Up  with elderly support charity Alone to launch its annual campaign highlighting the isolation and loneliness of older people over the Christmas period. 

“We find that calls for support dramatically increase over the winter period and loneliness is one of the main issues that people come to us for support with,” said Alone’s chief executive Sean Moynihan.

“Christmas can be a particularly isolating time for older people who have no loved ones to share it with. We can all be guilty of getting caught up in the rush to buy presents, but for a lonely older person, the most precious gift you can give is the gift of your time.”

Alone’s campaign simply asks that if you haven’t seen your neighbour in a few days, “knock in, see if they need anything, or just give them your company and your time.”

Other ways people can help are by ensuring elderly neighbours have enough food, medication and heat, bringing them out for a drive or to a social event, or simply giving them a hand with their shopping.

“If an older person knows someone is looking out for them it gives them an enormous sense of security and comfort,” adds Moynihan. “We know that the older people we work with look forward to their volunteer visiting all week and it keeps them going. The gift of time cannot be underestimated.”

Each Christmas, Alone’s activities include a Christmas dinner dance for older people and volunteers, the delivery of hundreds of Christmas hampers to older people in need, a special Christmas Day dinner delivery for a number of older people, and a network of 250 volunteers who visit the elderly each week.

For those who have concerns about their own well-being or the well-being of a vulnerable older person in the community, contact alone at 01 679 1032. To make a donation and help aid Alone’s work this Christmas, visit www.alone.ie.