Market town near Lancaster joins in with scheme to boost festive socialising

With new data showing that one third (33%) of UK adults have cut back on socialising due to high living costs, Eden Project Communities launched Winter Warmers, calling on people to join in with simple, affordable activities to light up their communities and spread joy during the colder months.

Activities suggested as part of the campaign include holding a Big Lunch at Christmas, setting up a reverse advent calendar, creating an advent window display, setting up a Winter Dig or joining in with Mince Hi – which invites people to reach out and say hello in their community using mince pies or other festive food.

Issy Bradshaw and her mum Janet are the powerhouse duo behind Kirkby Lonsdale Community Cupboard, an initiative distributing food to households that need it and running social activities for elderly and vulnerable people.

As well as running a free weekly community lunch to reduce loneliness, the pair are joining in with Winter Warmers by organising a Big Lunch at Christmas, alongside a reverse advent initiative to encourage much-needed donations and festive craft workshops to make wrapping paper and wreaths to help to ease the financial load for struggling households.

Issy said: “It’s so important to reach out to your community and make the festive season feel a bit easier for people who might be lonely, short of money or feeling low. For my mum and I, it’s all part and parcel of our mission to bring people together where we live. Although we sometimes encounter challenges, seeing people join in with activities and feel the warmth of human connection makes it all feel worth it.”

Lindsey Brummitt, Eden Project’s programme director overseeing the Winter Warmers campaign, said: “When finances are overstretched, people are forced to cut back, but we’re urging them not to cut back on friendship! Spending time together can light up the dark winter months, which can feel especially necessary when the weather is cold and the days are shorter. Everyone benefits from human warmth and social connections, so we’re encouraging communities across the country to make the effort and plan something sociable this winter.”