United Kingdom: A Hug A Day Keeps Loneliness At Bay
By: Source: AARP.org Date Posted: 2006-03-31 00:00:00-05:00
United Kingdom: A Hug A Day Keeps Loneliness At Bay
Everyone knows that a big hug or a good laugh with a friend makes you feel better. But, what if you went for a whole month without either? Reports show that one million older adults in the United Kingdom often go an entire month without seeing anyone they know.
Last spring, the UK nonprofit Help the Aged launched Helping Unite Generations (Hug), a fundraising and awareness campaign to ensure that older adults never have to face that kind of loneliness and isolation again. This year, April is Hug Month, and program organizers have been gearing up for a campaign that promises to be even more successful than last year’s. To help spread the word, Help the Aged has enlisted UK celebrities such as the bubbly presenter of the UK version of "Big Brother," Davina McCall; host of the UK version of "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" Chris Tarrant; and pop singer Liz McLarnon.
But you don’t have to be a celebrity to get involved. Help the Aged has organized many ways people can support the effort. For instance, anyone can host a Hug Quiz—which is similar to traditional pub trivia except participants make a small donation to play and intergenerational teams experience the most success since questions are designed for people at different ages. If this isn’t your cup of tea, you can sell raffle tickets that will land one lucky winner a new car or hit the streets on the actual Hug Day (April 7) to collect money for this great cause. You can also buy and help sell the purple wristbands people will be wearing throughout the month to show their support.
The best part is anything you do during Hug Month goes towards a great cause. Money raised during the campaign goes towards services that combat loneliness and isolation among older people. These include:
- SeniorLink, a 24-hour phone service that isolated older adults can call in case of emergency or just for a little conversation;
- HandyVan, a group of traveling handymen that install safety devices and fire alarms in the homes of older adults; and
- SeniorMobility, a service that provides grants for groups and projects to buy badly needed vehicles, scooters and mobility equipment eg: Meals on Wheels.
For more information, visit: Help the Aged, http://www.helptheaged.org.uk/en-gb
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