One Day at Christmas event: tackling social isolation during the festive season

A mixed group off people wearing Christmas hats and festive jumpers smiling towards the camera

This Friday charity initiative One Day at Christmas will bring some festive cheer to those that really need it…

You don’t need to hear Mariah’s All I Want for Christmas Is You booming out of Tesco’s speakers in late-November to remind you that Christmas has officially arrived. For the rest of the month, much of the UK will be returning to parental homesteads, wearing silly festive hats at parties with their friends and – maybe – embarrassing themselves in front of the boss at the annual office bash.

It’s worth remembering however, the festive season doesn’t pan out like this for everyone. Around 2.3m older people in the UK wish they had somebody to pull a cracker with at Christmas time, while 1.6m believe Christmas Day is the hardest day of the year, according to Age UK. It’s not just the elderly feeling socially isolated: one 2019 YouGov survey found 31% of 25-34-year-olds reported feeling lonely at Christmas too.

Aiming to tackle this is charity initiative One Day at Christmas, organised by the UK’s events industry. This Friday [6 December], some of the UK’s largest venues such as London’s Business Design Centre, NEC Birmingham and SEC Glasgow will host a total of 2,600 guests – many of whom will be experiencing loneliness. On Friday, these guests will receive a hot meal, watch performances, enjoy festive activities and have a chance to chat with others. Over 300 volunteers will be on-hand to help them on a day which is set to raise an impressive £90,000.

One Day at Christmas is the brainchild of Mash Media, who publish content for the events industry. In 2017, they staged the inaugural One Day at Christmas at ExCel London. Since then, the initiative has mushroomed, with the rest of the UK events industry taking part. Over 5,000 vulnerable and isolated people have been helped since 2017, with the event raising over £140,000. Meanwhile, 5,870 Christmas dinners have been served, including 17,000 roast potatoes and over 20,000 Brussel sprouts.

The One Day at Christmas guests who will be tucking into their turkeys (or vegan nut roasts) on Friday are usually identified by local charities and councils. This year, eight venues in seven UK destinations are hosting the event, including:

  • Business Design Centre, London

  • Coventry Building Society Arena

  • ExCeL London

  • Farnborough International

  • Manchester Central

  • NEC Birmingham

  • Royal Armouries, Leeds

  • SEC Glasgow

"No one should feel alone at Christmas,” says Julian Agostini, founder of One Day at Christmas and founder of Mash Media. “One Day at Christmas is our way of creating a joyful, inclusive day for those who need it most. This event and the thousands of people we have helped over the years is testament to the co-operation, determination and tenacity of the events industry. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved, and truly grateful to the venues, volunteers and sponsors who make this possible."

One Day at Christmas needs volunteers to take part, as well as businesses who can donate time, money and resources.

Find out more visit One Day at Christmas