1.5 million elderly Brits admit they do not look forward to Christmas at all, and 500,000 spend Christmas Day alone each year. For Christmas, we built The Abbeyfield Society's broadcast PR campaign around elderly loneliness, raising awareness of the charity and its scheme offering accommodation or a festive lunch to older people who would otherwise be alone over the holiday. The charity's housing director went on air across a radio day of interviews, explaining how the charity provides supported independent living and residential care for older people. The campaign secured 18 items of radio coverage reaching 2.7 million, including Sky News Radio.
The Abbeyfield Society wanted to raise awareness of the charity and its principles and highlight elderly loneliness at Christmas.
The message
The charity provides supported independent living and residential care for older people. Its Christmas scheme offered companionship, through accommodation or a festive lunch, to older people facing the holiday alone.
The angle
1.5 million elderly Brits admit they do not look forward to Christmas at all and 500,000 spend Christmas Day alone each year. The charity offered accommodation and festive lunches to older people who would otherwise be alone over the holiday.
On air
The charity's housing director
The result
18 items of coverage reaching 2.7 million, including Sky News Radio.
About Christmas
Christmas Day falls on 25 December and marks the Christian celebration of the birth of Jesus. It is a bank holiday across the UK and the peak of the year for retail, food and family stories. For brands and charities with something useful to say, it gives radio and TV producers a timely reason to book an interview.
Planning Christmas for 2026?
Christmas Day next falls on Friday 25 December 2026. Talk to the team about a broadcast PR campaign that gets your spokesperson on radio and TV.
