Dame Joanna Lumley warns of 'crisis hidden in plain sight'

Dame Joanna Lumley has warned of a "crisis hidden successful plain sight", with 1.5 cardinal older radical acceptable to walk Christmas alone.

Age UK spoke to much than 2,600 radical and recovered 11% volition devour meal unsocial connected 25 December, portion 5% volition not spot oregon talk to anyone the full day.

Applied to the wide population, the findings suggest 1.5 cardinal radical volition devour unsocial astatine Christmas, according to the charity.

Dame Joanna said the "silence tin beryllium deafening" for those near isolated and called it "a situation hidden successful plain sight".

The histrion and campaigner is present joining different luminaries including Dame Judi Dench, Brian Cox and Miriam Margolyes to backmost Age UK's run against loneliness.

The foundation says its volunteers made much than 70,000 minutes' worthy of calls to radical during Christmas week past twelvemonth and is urging radical to donate.

'A calamity we don't speech astir enough'

Age UK said it besides supports java mornings and festive lunches to springiness lonely radical the accidental to bask in-person interaction.

Dame Judi said: "For truthful galore older people, Christmas tin beryllium a clip of soundlessness - days without speech oregon company."

Succession prima Brian Cox called the contented "a calamity we don't speech astir enough".

He said: "Far excessively galore older radical are near spending the play successful silence, erstwhile it should beryllium a clip of warmth, transportation and joy."

Margolyes, of Harry Potter fame, added: "Growing older shouldn't mean disappearing into the background, we request to beryllium seen, heard and celebrated.

"That's what Age UK is striving for - they're changing however we comprehend age."

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The charity's main executive, Paul Farmer, said: "Your donation could bring comfort, friendship, and attraction to an older idiosyncratic facing loneliness this winter.

"From friendly, play calls to section luncheon clubs, we're present to marque definite nary 1 spends wintertime alone. But we can't bash it without you."