25 Dec Nothing embodies the Christmas spirit more than being neighbourly

Christmas can mean so many different things to people and evoke feelings from delight to despair.

Not everyone wants to celebrate Christmas, and we must respect that, whatever the reason. They might be lonely, grieving or simply cannot afford to.

Christmas can be tough. Families across the Bay have had to make difficult decisions in the last few weeks, not least between putting food on the table, keeping the home heated or buying the children presents.

Others are dreading the next few days because they have no-one to spend it with and the festive break for them means loneliness and isolation. But it doesn’t have to be that way.

Now is as good a time as any to check in on your neighbour; at this time of year, a friendly word can go a long, long way. It might be the only word they hear from anyone all week.

You don’t need anyone’s permission to pop round and see how they are, you don’t need a DBS check and if you want to share food with them, you don’t need a food hygiene certificate.

Neither will you be regarded as interfering. If they don’t want company and don’t want to chat, they will tell you, but how will you know if you don’t ask in the first place?

A good neighbour is worth their weight in gold and they help make our communities in the Bay ever stronger and more resilient. We are lucky to live here.

During the COVID crisis, the last lockdown, which, unbelievably, only ended three years ago, neighbours looked out for each other, and whole communities rallied to help and support the most vulnerable amongst them.

For most of us, life has returned to normal, but for others, nothing has changed. They are still lonely, they are still unable to get out and about and they are still in danger of becoming isolated with all the inherent health problems that brings.

Our Community Builders work with vulnerable people of all ages all year round, supporting them in getting back into their communities, pursuing new interests, making new friends, and living the best lives they can.

But as good as our support is, we always need help and are always on the lookout for volunteers who can underpin that work by identifying those in danger of slipping out of sight.

A colleague had a conversation a few years ago with someone who remarked that they wanted a return to the times of war. They went on to  explain what they meant by that: “I just want to bring back that feeling of community, the time when we all helped each other out, when everyone knew everyone on their street and we didn’t fear to ask for help…or to offer it.”

For what feels like decades now, we have been regaled with stories of spending cuts and austerity, and statutory authorities and  charities alike have been forced to prioritise their spending, often leaving some services decimated or non-existent.

Thankfully, community spirit does not rely on a budget, and although some areas of the Bay feel the pinch more than others, money can’t buy a good neighbour.

Nominations for our inaugural Community Champion Awards provided us with lots of great examples of good neighbours and the number of entries proved just how much they are appreciated.

We regularly hear stories of friendships forged over the garden fence and of people shopping for each other, collecting prescriptions and even providing transport to hospital and doctor’s appointments. But for many, the most valuable thing of all is time. Time spent chatting, time spent with other people, time not spent alone.

People do suffer in silence, afraid to reach out to ask for help, do not want to appear a nuisance, and that is where a good neighbour comes into their own, because they do not wait to be asked; they offer and they do not feel inconvenienced by doing so.

Time is something we all have, perhaps not as much as we would like, but there is always some left to share, if we choose to. It is important at any time of year, but Christmas and New Year it is more important than ever and provides you with the perfect excuse.

Happy Christmas.