A campaign has been launched by a local charity on Twitter to help shift the feelings of loneliness and isolation this Valentine’s Day.
The charity, Age Better In Sheffield, launched the ‘Love In Action’ campaign this week in the run-up to Valentine’s Day with the aim to spread the message of love and kindness during the lockdown.
Photo by Andreas Wohlfahrt from Pexels
Gilli Cliff, 62, Learner Officer at the charity, from Sheffield, said: “Lockdown’s, restrictions in who we can meet, and the general lack of human contact are affecting all of us and taking their toll on our wellbeing.
“This could arguably be the first time in history that everyone in the nation will be experiencing isolation and most likely loneliness too.”
Photo by Rakicevic Nenad from Pexels
According to figures by the charity ‘Campaign To End Loneliness’, 45% of adults feel occasionally, sometimes or often lonely in England, with the majority being those who are widowed, those with poorer health and those with long-term illness or disability.
Miss Cliff continued: “Valentine’s Day can be isolating in ‘normal’ times, with its emphasis on partnership love – those who don’t have a partner can find the day hard.
“I thought the idea of asking people to share where they had seen love in action would be a great way to highlight the importance of the small things we can do for others at this time and how much joy a simple act of kindness can bring to someone.”
Lucy Turner and her friend, Hannah Thornton, shared their small act of kindness on Twitter.
One person who got involved using the hashtag #LoveInAction on Twitter, Lucy Turner, said: “[Receiving the gingerbread man] really put a smile on my face – we really can’t underestimate the value of small acts of kindness, even more so right now.
“We’re missing spending time with loved ones so by sharing creative ways to spread joy, we hope others will be inspired [to get involved] too.”
If you would like to get involved in the Twitter campaign, use the hashtag #LoveInAction along with a description and image of your small actions of kindness and love.
Age Better in Sheffield is a charity led by the South Yorkshire Housing Association and is dedicated to tackling loneliness and isolation for people aged 50 and over.