For many, Christmas is a time of great excitement, warmth and
joyful anticipation. A time to meet up with family, friends and
loved ones, enjoy each other's company the feeling of loving and
being loved.
But, sadly, this isn't always the case during the festive season.
On Christmas day, the day where families and friends come together,
there are some who have no-one around them. For them this time of
year can bring with it an acute sense of isolation, and sometimes
even despair which deepens on 25 December.
But help is at hand. A Leeds-based website has launched a 'Lonely
This Christmas' campaign and is encouraging those who will be
reluctantly spending Christmas Day alone to join together and
celebrate the magic of the day.
This nationwide campaign aims to match together people within the
same town or city and put them in contact with each other. Also, if
anyone has room at their table on Christmas Day for someone who
would otherwise be alone, then they are asked to please dig out an
extra chair and make others feel welcome.
Over the years, the meaning of Christmas may change but, whatever
anyone chooses to call the day, or however they intend to celebrate
it, the festive season is a celebration of giving.
If you want to be a part of the campaign, just email
editor@gayleeds.com stating your details and preference as to the
type of people that you would like to spend the day with. For
instance, if you are a lesbian and would rather spend the day with
other lesbians then just state that. If you have a space at your
table, please get in touch at the same email address too and the
campaign organisors will match you up. Says spokesperson Sarah
Carmody, editor of www.gayleeds.com website,
"No one has to be lonely this Christmas, so take a chance; you
never know who you may meet."
