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Good Morning Britain’s 1 Million Minutes is Back

By Tony Winterburn • Published: 15 Dec 2020 • 8:19

Good Morning Britain’s 1 Million Minutes is back as part of ITV’s Britain Get Talking campaign to help keep the nation connected and stop loneliness.

Together with the lockdown restrictions and the isolation it causes, 2020 has been a year of missed moments with family, friends and colleagues. As the Covid crisis continues, the campaign is asking you to pledge your time to stop loneliness becoming the next pandemic. ITV has teamed up with charities who are all doing incredible work including; Alzheimer’s Society, Captain Tom Foundation, Grief Encounter, Once Upon a Smile, Re-Engage, The Not Forgotten and the Royal Voluntary Service.

Above, all the agencies you could join that have joined up to support the Million Minutes campaign.

It takes no more than one minute to make someone feel appreciated and put a smile on their face. Even so, around one million pensioners are left feeling lonely and isolated every Christmas and New Year. Could you, The EWN reader, help end this period of sadness at the merriest time of year? If the answer is yes, then Good Morning Britain needs your help to warm the hearts of the elderly in 2020.

Ok, I want to help, what do i have to do?

Once you have decided how much time you can give, we’ve given you some options of how you can complete your pledge.

  • Pledge to volunteer with The Silver Line or Age UK’s telephone befriending service to befriend and speak to one older person on the phone weekly
  • In the run-up to Christmas and beyond, pledge to make a regular phone call or visit to an older friend or family member.
  • Over the Christmas period, can you spend some time teaching an older friend or family member how to use a digital tool like Skype or FaceTime?
  • In the run-up to Christmas, pledge to volunteer locally with a local charity in your area, at a social activity such as a lunch club or coffee morning
  • Pledge to push a trolley around a hospital ward and provide vital companionship and refreshments to older patients in your local hospital.
  • Pop in and see an older neighbour or friend and offer to run some Christmas errands.
  • Call and elderly friend or neighbour you haven’t spoken to for a few months.

It can be a very lonely existence in Spain for elderly ex-pats stuck at home because of the worry of catching the virus or just scared to fly to the UK to see their family and friends. The situation here is different as people feel even more isolated, I’m sure we all know someone who has family in the UK that do not have any contact with their parents here in Spain. In these times of isolation and lockdown restrictions, it’s even more important we reach out and help these people. The EWN family wants to reach out to everyone who feels lonely or depressed to let them know there are others that are here to help, it can take just a simple ‘Hello’ to make someone feel happy and best of all, it doesn’t cost a cent!

Samaritans in Spain.

Don’t suffer in silence… there are a number of ways you can get in touch: Call FREEPHONE 900 525 100 between 10 am and 10 pm to talk to a trained listener in total confidence.

Email: ​​pat@samaritansinspain.com

Thank you for taking the time to read this news article “Good Morning Britain’s 1 Million Minutes is Back”. For more UK daily news, Spanish daily news and Global news stories, visit the Euro Weekly News home page.

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Tony Winterburn

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