West Yorkshire charity launches ‘Letters for Christmas Campaign’ to help tackle social isolation over the festive period

Give A Few Words, a charity which works across Kirklees and Calderdale, is currently appealing for Christmas cards and letters to send out to those who face social isolation over the festive season.

All letters and cards received by the charity, either by email or post, will then be packaged and sent out to individuals, care homes and charities across the district in time for Christmas.

Sharron Wilkinson, founder of the non-profit organisation, said: “This is the third year we’ve have run this campaign and we are currently appealing for 100s of Christmas cards, personalised letters or small crafted gifts that can be sent out in the Christmas post.

“In previous years people have said that it can be the only friendly letter that they receive.

“It makes such a difference and people don't just receive one letter, they will actually receive a pack with about four or five different things in it - It's like a gift of letters.

“People are so moved by the fact that individuals, that they don’t know, will actually go to that amount of effort to write to them - it has a massive impact.”

One individual who received a Christmas letter pack in a previous year said: “The letters made my year.

“I don’t see many people over the festive period so knowing other people have gone out of their way to write to a stranger meant a lot to me.”

Founded in March 2020 as the UK entered the first Covid-19 lockdown, Give A Few Words became a Community Interest Company (CIC) in March 2021 after a phenomenal response to their Initial letter writing project.

Since becoming a full-time CIC the charity has helped alleviate social isolation and loneliness faced by many care home residents and individuals across the district.

The deadline for the Give A Few Words Christmas Letter Campaign is Wednesday, December 7.

Post-boxes are located at the Howlands Centre on School Street, Dewsbury and Calderdale Library on Square Road, Halifax.

For more information and to find out how to become a volunteer, visit https://thegive.co.uk/