VSI Alliance: Give…a Few Words This Christmas

Jordan Baker, VSI Alliance, writes: Many individuals in the UK grapple with social isolation and loneliness, particularly during Christmas.

This year, Give…A Few Words, a Community Interest Company (CIC) based in Kirklees, launched the #LettersForChristmas campaign. Collaborating with care homes, charities, voluntary organisations, and individuals facing solitude across Calderdale and Kirklees, the campaign aims to address feelings of isolation during the festive season by sending positive post.

Staff members from housing association Yorkshire Housing along with VSI Alliance joined forces with Give...a Few Words for a dedicated day of letter writing, craft making, and card making to bring joy and support to those in need.

Yorkshire Housing proudly takes part in an employer-supported volunteering scheme, this is where an employer offers its staff several paid days to volunteer and give back to their local community, an initiative in which every company is urged by voluntary organisations to take part.

VSI Alliance Volunteer Hub Co-Ordinator, Kate Hornby, brokered a relationship between the two organisations, ensuring they could come together and have a worthwhile day of volunteering to spread that much-needed Christmas cheer.

Kate said: “Thank you to Yorkshire Housing and Give…A Few Words for coming together to help people feeling isolated in Calderdale. The opportunity to help alleviate another person’s loneliness over the festive period was a very special experience. Hopefully what we created will bring a smile to faces this Christmas and I am hopeful this will be a close partnership between the two organisations for years to come.”

Each Christmas recipient will receive a postal pack containing five items tailored to their special interests, ensuring that the messages received are personal and uplifting.

The scheme started in March 2020, by Sharron Wilkinson after a local care home in Kirklees was looking for ways to alleviate the isolation and loneliness faced by its residents due to various COVID-19 restrictions.

Dedicated volunteers contributing to the initiative come from various corners of the UK, with some participating as far away as Australia.

These individuals generously offer their time to express their passions through pen and paper, as well as keyboard and monitor. Their shared interests encompass a wide range, including a love for animals, travel, literature, musicals, cooking, and many more.

Submissions for this year’s #LettersForChristmas campaign has now closed, however, Give…A Few Words are always looking for volunteers to send letters all year round.

If you would like to be matched with someone to write a letter to please visit: https://thegive.co.uk/write-a-letter/ or call 07498 818838.

If you would like to explore one-time volunteering opportunities, please reach out to the VSI Alliance Volunteer Hub: at [email protected] or call 07719 071899.