INTERVIEW: How Lancaster woman's act of kindness is fighting loneliness 'one village at a time'

Wednesday, 26 June 2024 13:39

By Greg Lambert @greglam72

Sam Pritchard (right) with Beyond Radio's Bryan Griffin, and her Cards Fighting Loneliness post box

A woman's project fighting loneliness by delivering cards to residents in a Lancaster village has gone from strength to strength.

Sam Pritchard set up the Cards for Fighting Loneliness project in Halton as the village came out of the Covid lockdown in 2021.

Sam encouraged residents to write messages inside cards to brighten up the day of a complete stranger who might be suffering from loneliness or isolation.

She bought a post box for residents to post the cards, which was fixed to the wall next to the entrance to Halton Community Centre.

Sam hand delivers them in Halton and beyond, and from small beginnings now has 126 recipients who benefit from the project.

Sam spoke to Bryan Griffin from our Happy Talk podcast about the project.

"In 2021 when we were coming out of lockdown, we had all had an appreciation of isolation and loneliness and what that meant to people," she said.

"I realised that in our community we'd all rallied around, helping others, picking up prescriptions.

"But actually as restrictions were lifting, for lots of people in the community, they were in a permanent state of lockdown, because they were either housebound, perhaps with mental health issues, or still shielding, and still very worried about going outside.

"So for that reason I thought we've got to do something as a community to try to reach these people and maintain that human connection with them.

"I got some funding and bought a post box, got that fitted to the community centre wall, and I asked local children and adults to make a beautiful handmade card, with a lovely handwritten message inside for the reader.

"These cards are designed for a complete stranger to brighten their day. When I receive the cards, I hand deliver them to people in the village, have a chat with that person, and get to know them as people.

"It started small and it quickly grew. I've currently got 126 recipients on my list. Not all of those people live in Halton."

Sam also offers a 'no-contact service' where people still get a card but no door knock

Recipents are aged from in their 30s to 102.

The project officially runs from October to March but Sam also drops in on residents she has befriended, during the summer months.

If you would like to nominate a resident to receive a card, see the Facebook page HERE.

Forty five per cent of adults feel occasionally, sometimes or often lonely in England. This equates to approximately 25 million people, and 1.4 million older people in the UK are said to often feel lonely.

LISTEN to the full Happy Talk podcast with Sam Pritchard HERE.