Keep saying ‘hello’ to neighbours

Loneliness can creep in anyway during the autumn and winter, but we are all being asked to do that little bit extra this season due to Covid-19.

Many elderly and vulnerable people live alone in the community, and with the extra layer of restrictions due to the virus, a local care company is concerned that this winter could bite many hard.

Abacare is backing a charity campaign for people each lunchtime to open their windows and shout ‘hello’ to their neighbours. 

Abacare says it feels it is important to back the initiative throughout the autumn and winter months, when elderly and vulnerable people might be feeling their lowest.

Caroline Jones (pictured), Regional Manager at Abacare, which provides care across Welshpool, said: “Earlier this year, we saw Communicare in Southampton’s idea to encourage people to shout ‘cooee’ or ‘hello’, or any form of friendly greeting, from an open window or over the garden fence, wall or hedge at a safe social distance to their next door neighbours, each lunchtime.

“It was a great way for people to know they had others around them who cared during the pandemic, when we were all staying at home more than usual, and we feel it could be just as important as we go into the autumn and winter months, when elderly people don’t tend to venture out as much as usual due to the weather and darker, colder evenings.

“Even if they can’t see them or their windows aren’t open, we hope enough people will continue to do this at 12noon nationwide every day to help those who are housebound realise they are not alone. We think this is a great idea, not just for our service users but also for anyone at home in these uncertain times, who might like to hear a cheery voice.”

Abacare operates a professional Care Management Team that is committed to providing high quality care to individuals in their own homes. They are also recruiting and offers inspiring work for inspirational people as well as a flexible and supported working environment.

Communicare in Southampton is a friendly, neighbourhood charity that wants to eradicate loneliness and isolation in the city with the assistance of its band of Communiteers, who volunteer to give their time freely.

For more information or to enquire about a position at Abacare, visit www.abacare.org.uk or www.indeed.com/cmp/Abacare.