A CAMPAIGN has been launched in a bid to ensure no elderly person spends Christmas Day alone if they don’t want to.

The Community Christmas website lists events taking place across Scotland which are open to older, vulnerable people in the community who would otherwise be spending Christmas Day alone.

The organisation has teamed up with Contact the Elderly to help older people find company at Christmas, after research found 15 per cent of Scots asked in a survey said they get anxious when making festive plans. 

Research also found only 28 per cent of those surveyed had totally confirmed their Christmas plans. For 56 per cent, those plans normally involve staying at home.

Fourteen per cent of those surveyed admitted they would want to know about events on Christmas Day across Scotland.

Community Christmas was the brainchild of Caroline Billington, who has watched the website go from advertising just four events in 2011, to more than 500 last year.

Caroline said: “I volunteered on Christmas Day almost 10 years ago and it changed my life. I knew then I wanted to focus my time and energy on creating something that would benefit older people for years to come. 

“Now, Community Christmas is its own entity, it’s growing organically with more and more events and activities being added to the site every day. I think it’s really important to emphasise anyone can host an event, it doesn’t have to involve cooking a Christmas feast.

“It could just mean arranging tea and Christmas cake at a local village hall, or singing Christmas carols. 

“I can’t wait to see how it will change and evolve under the leadership of Contact the Elderly and create more community connections.”

To find out more visit www.communitychristmas.co.uk