Asda and its charity the Asda Foundation is helping to combat loneliness and isolation in the older generation this festive period through its ‘Don’t be gnome alone this Christmas’ campaign.
The campaign comes as Asda’s new Christmas Community report – which surveyed 1,000 over-60s – revealed that one in 10 senior citizens across the UK are not sure they will speak to anyone between 15 December and 1 January.
A similar number said they’d gone to a supermarket simply to speak to another person. Furthermore, 42% said their mental health suffered as a result of their lack of interaction with others.
With this in mind, Asda is aiming to transform its in-store café’s into ‘Chatty Cafés’ – where senior citizens can come together, eat and drink, and make new friends.
Across its estate, and running up until the New Year, Asda colleagues will also be donning ‘Happy to Chat’ badges, checking in on older customers both in-store and when delivering home shopping orders.
Among their number will be Lisa Forbes and Ann Thomson, who have clocked 65 years of service between them at Asda’s Bridge of Dee store.
The pair, who can be found on the customer service desk and kiosk, are always happy to have a chat with customers who’d like to talk. They fully support Asda’s initiatives to help combat loneliness and isolation this Christmas as part of ‘Don’t be gnome alone this Christmas’.
Lisa commented: “We are supporting the Happy to Chat initiative and are both wearing our Happy to Chat badges. I’ve always been a bletherer – there must be something wrong with me if I don’t stop and chat with our customers!
“It does make a big difference because you know that for some of these older customers you may be the only person they see all day. You treat them as you’d want your grandparents or parents to be treated. I blether away about anything. It’s good to have a laugh, and the world would be a very boring place if you didn’t.”
Ann added: “I like to speak to our older customers as you might be the only person they see in a day. We chat about all sorts of things like the weather, where they are going on holiday, that sort of thing. I get my nails done every month and they can be quite colourful, so we talk about that too. We are a very friendly bunch here.”
On top of this, the Asda Foundation will deliver grants totalling £600,000 to tackle loneliness amongst the elderly, boosting activities in local communities, funding Christmas celebrations to bring people together, as well as supporting with funding daily essentials.
Asda Bearsden community champion, Ryan Rooney, often visits a local OAP group in the Drumchapel St Andrew’s Church to have lunch, lend a helping hand and catch up with the group’s members.
He said: “As part of the Asda Foundation grants to tackling loneliness among the elderly, the Drumchapel group was awarded £1,500 to help fund their Warm Welcome Café, a safe space to enjoy others’ company with food and drink provided. I was delighted to award them the funding and see how much of an impact this will have on the group and the local community.”
Anyone wishing to get involved can contact their community champion at their local Asda store for more details of events near them.
The Asda Foundation will deliver grants totalling £600,000 to tackle loneliness amongst the elderly, boosting activities in local communities, funding Christmas celebrations to bring people together, as well as supporting with funding daily essentials.
Asda Bearsden community champion, Ryan Rooney, often visits a local OAP group in the Drumchapel St Andrew’s Church to have lunch, lend a helping hand and catch up with the group’s members.
He said: “As part of the Asda Foundation grants to tackling loneliness among the elderly, the Drumchapel group was awarded £1,500 to help fund their Warm Welcome Café, a safe space to enjoy others’ company with food and drink provided. I was delighted to award them the funding and see how much of an impact this will have on the group and the local community.”
Anyone wishing to get involved can contact their community champion at their local Asda store for more details of events near them.
