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Christmas celebrations came early to folk in Merriott who were invited to indulge in a scrumptious home-grown turkey lunch, complete with sparkles, carols and festivity as part of a local project’s mission to tackle isolation and improve mental health in their community.
ARK(opens in new window) (Acts of Random Kindness) is based at Egwood, near the village of Merriott in South Somerset, and offers a range of activities and experiences to help those at risk of social exclusion feel a sense of community.
As part of this, every fortnight ARK opens its doors to residents from the local community, with dedicated ARK volunteers offering up homemade lunches for all to enjoy. The lunch club, which is funded by Comic Relief, aims to tackle poor mental health within the local community and social isolation.
On Tuesday December 7, ARK invited one and all to enjoy a festive celebration, which saw nearly 30 people attend. Nigel Bell, who runs the project, said:
“It’s really important this time of year that we try and tackle social isolation and bring people together. The winter months are a lot harder for some – the weather is not so great, so people don't go out as much and I think as it gets close to Christmas, some people start to reflect or feel lonelier than maybe any other time of year.
“The people who attend the lunches get that social interaction - some people have connected with friends that they've lived near to but haven't connected with since COVID. We've also got feedback from some individuals that it could be the only hot meal that they get that week, because they live on their own and haven't got the desire to cook for themselves… but to see this room fill with people, seeing the atmosphere and the buzz around the room with people smiling and joking, is really rewarding.”
The lunches take place in a local village hall, where participants and volunteers use the food grown on the ARK main site to cook the meals and then sit down with residents. This allows those who may suffer from severe isolation to take part in a social situation which they may not otherwise have had the opportunity to attend. Throughout this project those who struggle with mental health issues are at the heart of the process, from helping to produce the food and cooking it alongside volunteers, to spending time in an engaging setting surrounded by others who may suffer from similar issues. Helen Truman, who volunteers at the ARK lunch club added:
“It’s so important at this time of year because although we all celebrate, often people are quite lonely, so to be able to have the option to come out to come meet people, have some carols, have some festive music, have some crackers to pull with other people, likeminded people, I think that is very important.”
The Christmas lunch at ARK will feature on Comic Relief’s social media channels in the lead up to Christmas. Keep an eye out to find out more about the project.
For more information, visit: comicrelief.com
ENDS
For more information please contact: Amy Melody, Senior Media Officer 0207 820 2218 a.melody@comicrelief.com www.comicrelief.com/media-centre Out of hours enquiries: 07984 510 473
NOTES TO EDITORS
About Comic Relief
Comic Relief raises money to support people living incredibly tough lives in the UK and around the world. Through humour and stories of hope, we have shown that people can make a massive difference. Comic Relief believes that those who are closest to the issues have the best solutions, and so works with organisations and people with direct experience of these challenges. We fund hundreds of amazing organisations who support the most vulnerable people and communities in society, many of whom have been hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes vulnerable children and young people, people who are homeless or who have been forced to flee their homes, women and families at risk of domestic abuse and those struggling with mental health problems.
Comic Relief is continuing to support funded organisations in their response to the coronavirus crisis to ensure their vital work continues.
For information about Comic Relief and the work it carries out, please visit www.comicrelief.com
